GolfStinks

A Golf Blog for the Rest of Us!

How Many Rounds Do You Play Annually?

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Do you play golf a lot or a little? (photo by Greg D'Andrea)
Do you play golf a lot or a little? (photo by Greg D’Andrea)

I remember in my single without children days, I would play 50 or more rounds of golf a year. Ah, those were the days…
But I always felt that 50 rounds a year was a bit higher than average – sure, retirees with memberships probably play more than that and pros are in a league of their own. But I’d say the average golfer plays more like 10 – 25 times annually.

So when I played just 7 times in 2011 (due to becoming a first-time parent at the end of 2010), I felt my 14 rounds in 2012 were somewhat average. Obviously people in warmer climates (I live in New England) have the opportunity to play more, but do they?

Not that this blog is the perfect random sample, but let’s put it to the test. How many golf rounds (on average) do you play in a year?

How many rounds do you play per year (on average)?

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POLL: How Much Were Your Golf Clubs?

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What did you spend on your golf clubs? (photo by Greg D'Andrea)
What did you spend on your golf clubs? (photo by Greg D’Andrea)

I’m about due for a new set of golf clubs and I’ve gotta tell you, it’s kinda stressing me out. Now I’m not talking about drivers and wedges here. I talking specifically about my irons.

My current set (Mizuno MX-23) ran me about $700 back in 2005. But here’s the problem: While I love the way my Mizuno’s look and feel, I’m not really sure my game has improved any over my previous set (a $300 set of Spalding Executives circa 1998).

So should I spend more than $700 this time in an effort to improve my game? Or should I spend less and save my hard-earned money for more “realistic” goals? Maybe I should spend the same amount and just take some lessons?

I probably should have purchased new irons by now, but this trepidation over how much I should spend has really held me back. Perhaps I should do what Stinky Golfer Chris did and have a set custom fit for me. Of course, I’m not sure Chris’ game has improved that drastically either.

Since my last purchase seven years ago, my life has changed – I have a family now and I don’t get out on the course as much as I used to. On the other hand, I don’t want to do myself (or my game) a disservice by getting crappy clubs.

So I’m hoping you can help. My scores show that I’m pretty much an average hack golfer. And since the Golf Stinks blog caters to average golfers, I should just ask how much you spent on your current set of irons.

Now if you got them for free, obviously that doesn’t count. But everyone else feel free to take the poll below – it might just help me justify what I should spend. Oh – and please be honest – if everyone puts “More than $1,200” I’ll know you’re all liars!

How Much Was Your Current Set of Irons?

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How Many Balls do you Lose per Round?

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Do your golf balls end up here? (photo by Greg D'Andrea)
Do your golf balls end up here? (photo by Greg D’Andrea)

This past weekend, the GolfStinks guys were out playing a round of golf together. One of our co-founders, Stinky Golfer Tom, was hacking his way out of the rough on the first hole while the rest of us were waiting for him just off the green.

We couldn’t really tell what was going on for sure, but we knew there were several swings involved; a few drops; and lots of F-Bombs flying. When he finally arrived at the green, he promptly announced that he picked up.

“You did?” We asked.

“Yep.” He exclaimed. “When you lose 3 balls within 50 yards, it’s time to pick up.”

Fair enough.

Three balls within 50 yards. That reminded me of a statistic I recently cited in a post about things we lose during our round – that Americans donate an estimated 300 million golf balls annually to the lakes, rivers, streams and forests of golf courses.

So roughly 28 million golfers lose roughly 300 million balls – that’s just under a dozen (or a box) of balls per golfer per year. Now, studies show that 12 million of those golfers play 8 or less times a year – so the majority of those lost balls are coming from those 16 million of us who play more than 8 times a year.

See where I’m going with this? The reality is, most of us lose golf balls. New golfers and veterans alike lose balls and most lose them every round. Heck – even the pros would lose balls if it wasn’t for all the people in the gallery (see the PAF Rule).

So, I’m going to ask you to be honest here – think about your average 18-hole round and come up with a legitimate answer. How many golf balls do you lose in a round? Is it between 1 and 3 balls (like me)? Is it a whole box (10 to 12+ balls) like (on some days) Stinky Golfer Tom? Is it none (liar)? And if it is one box per round, perhaps you should think about playing refurbished balls (or do what Stinky Golfer Tom does and play range balls)!

How many golf balls do you lose per 18-hole round?

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And now that you’ve taken the poll, please enjoy the brief video below of Stinky Golfer Tom continuing with his community philanthropic efforts by donating a couple of balls to a local golf track.

POLL: Have You Ever Broken A Golf Club in Anger?

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Does breaking a golf club make you feel better?

Perhaps one of the greatest feelings I ever got was when I broke my golf club in half. Is that bad?

Some years ago, I was hacking my way through the back 9 of a local course. I had been struggling with my putter throughout most of the round and by the time I teed-off on the 16th, the rest of my game decided to head on over to the 19th-hole for a few beers without me.

Anyway, after planes, trains and automobiles to get to the green, I promptly 5-putted (I swear the freakin’ hole was wearing a chastity belt). I ended up taking a 12.

Without even thinking, I immediately snapped my putter in half across my knee. A few seconds later I was rife with regret. But for that fleeting moment while I was actually in the act of breaking the club, I felt invigorated. You know that one moment on the course that keeps you coming back for more? You could be playing wretchedly all round and then you hit that one shot that inspires you to play again the next week? Well, my moment of inspiration to play again came from me breaking my putter across my knee.

Not long after, I was at a PGA Tour event and watched one pro (I forget who now) also break his putter across his knee after putting-out on the 18th (he was smart to do it on the last hole…I had to putt with my 3-wood the rest of the way). Anyway, I remember this pro holding up the broken putter to wild cheers from the gallery. And that’s when it hit me – maybe I shouldn’t regret what I did?

I haven’t broken a club on purpose since, and really, haven’t seen anyone else break one either. But I don’t think I can say I’ll never break one again – when I’m having one of “those” rounds, it may just be the medicine I need to help me get back out there ASAP.

How about you? Have you ever broken a club in anger? Take the poll and let us know.

 

Have You Ever Broken A Club In Anger?

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How Often Do You Visit the 19th Hole?

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Do you play all 19-holes?

A golf course just isn’t complete without a 19th-Hole. Whether you take advantage of it or not, you can rest assured that it’s there somewhere if you need it…either connected to the pro shop, or in a separate building on the course, or at least somewhere on the premises.

When I was on my quest to play every public 18-hole golf course in my state, part of my experience would be to grab a bite and a beer in the 19th-hole after my round. But there we’re some exceptions: Like when the course had no 19th-hole. Yep, a full-sized, 18-hole course with no restaurant or bar – that always threw me for a loop.

Or sometimes I’d have dinner plans with the wife afterwards – which would quash any chance of me shoving some good tavern fare down my gullet. And sometimes I was the only one from my foursome who had time to stop in the 19th-hole. Not wanting to belly-up to the bar solo, I’d bypass it altogether and just head home.

I surmise the 19th-hole has a whole different meaning to players who belong to a private club. I mean, that group probably feels obligated to spend a decent amount of time at the course after each round (don’t get me wrong, I’m sure it’s a good time with good friends). But what I want to know is how many public course players still spend time in the 19th-hole these days?

A good chunk of a course’s income stems from food and drink sales in the 19th-hole (and merchandise sales in the pro shop). But in this tough economic climate, are we still spending our hard-earned cash in the bar after the round?

Take the poll below and let us know…

How Often Do You Visit the 19th Hole?

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