skiing Archives • GolfStinks

Do golf courses really need to close for the winter? (photo by Greg D’Andrea)

I don’t know about any of you, but I know what I do in the winter – I hibernate. Though I would prefer the cooler weather over the heat, that doesn’t mean I want to be out in the cold. When I was a little kid, of course I wanted to be outside no matter what the weather. However, as I get older, somewhere along the line I developed an internal thermometer. And at whatever point that occurred, the chance that I would ever participate in any winter sports was out the window. I don’t ski. I don’t snowboard. I don’t ice skate. Fishing is great, just not between the months of November and April. Hence one of the reasons I prefer golf.

But being a golfer (and I use that term quite loosely), I of course notice that, here in the northeast, many golf courses simply shut down in the winter months. Now I don’t know about you, but that sounds like quite a waste of space and maybe even a wasted opportunity to make a bit of money during a time when no money is coming in.

For instance, when I was a kid, we used our local golf course for something that most kids used a golf course for in the winter…sledding. As kids, my sisters and our neighborhood friends would walk half a mile through the snow just to get to the tenth hole at the local course because it was a great hill for sledding.

Also, I’ve got a friend who enjoys cross-country skiing. But the problem is, he’s normally relegated to the streets and sidewalks when it snows. And once everything is plowed, what then? Well, if he lives anywhere near a golf course, then that’s a nice fluffy layer of snow which, temperature-depending, could last for a good long time.

Another thing I used to do as a kid was to go fishing in the water hazards on the local golf course. However, I’ve never been ice-fishing there. But who’s to say that it’s not a good place to give it a try.

Point is, if all of these activities take place on a local golf course, then why not open up the 19th hole when all of these activities are going on? How about if the course is advertising that they are open for sledding, cross-country skiing and ice-fishing while keeping the 19th hole open for coffee, hot chocolate and a little food? Why not invite people out to your course and have a chance to make some money on a day when normally, there would be no income flowing?

I know some of you are thinking that these people are just going to be doing damage to the course. But keep in mind, I’m not saying to allow anyone out on the course with snowmobiles and ATVs. I’m just saying, take advantage and make a little money off of something that’s going to be happening out on your course anyway. I knew where the biggest hill for sledding was within walking distance when I was a kid. It was on the tenth hole of the country club up the road. Do you think other kids and families who live near golf courses don’t know the same thing? Of course, they could also just keep the course open for those who are willing to brave the cold anyway…

Swing ’til you’re happy!

Why risk injury when you can be lollygagging along on the golf course? — Why risk injury skiing when you can be lollygagging along on the golf course instead?

Have you ever wondered why some professional athletes have a clause in their contract that prevent them from participating in certain off-season activities? For instance, some baseball players are not allowed to do things such as play a pickup basketball game. I believe it was Roger Clemens who once had a clause in his contract stating he was not allowed to do the simple task of mowing his lawn. But hey, when you’re paying a guy over $10 million a year, the last thing you want is for him to get hurt doing something outside of playing the sport you’re paying him to play.

Recently, I’ve penned a couple of posts about athletes from other sports taking up golf as a second sport, as well as golfers playing other sports. But it’s Miguel Angel Jimenez who may have put those arguments for the golfers to rest after his recent skiing accident.

If you haven’t heard by now, a little over a week ago Jimenez broke his leg while skiing. The result? After surgery he’ll be unable to play for at least three months and possibly as long as five. Now, that may be a bit of a stretch as far as the multi-sport athlete argument, but you would have to imagine what’s going through the minds of many GM’s in the major sports right now. That’s one more clause that may have to be put into future contracts if it’s not already in there – no skiing.

For a golfer to have such an injury, I don’t think it will take much of a toll physically since the sport doesn’t exactly demand much stress on the body. For golfers it’s more about the time away from the game and what it’s going to do to your swing. But for players in more physically demanding sports that include running and hitting, an injury like that could be either career-ending or certainly career-debilitating at least. Think former Chicago Bull Jay Williams who violated his NBA contract by riding a motorcycle, and subsequently crashing it, thus ending his NBA career.

NASCAR star Jimmie Johnson may have a bit of experience with a golf injury, although his occurred when he fell from a golf cart. Supposedly Johnson actually fell from the top of a moving cart, injuring his wrist in the process which caused him to miss a month of racing. Of course, the PGA Tour doesn’t use carts, and even if they did, something tells me they wouldn’t let you ride on top of one. But, I guess if you’re going to act like a jackass, you get what’s coming.

Now since PGA Tour golfers are, in effect, “independent contractors,” there really isn’t anything to stop them from pursuing another sport or taking part in any off-the-course activities. So it’s really a matter of risk of injury to themselves which would effectively take money out of their own pockets. Jimenez could be out as long as five months. If that’s the case, that’s five months worth of tournaments he’ll miss out on.

With that mentality in mind, it’s easy to see why golfers would not want to participate in other professional sports, but athletes from other sports may well consider golf as a second sport or one to consider upon retirement. However, it seems one bit of advice might be to avoid skiing.

Swing ’til you’re happy!

What Should Golf Courses Do In The Winter?

Extend Your Golf Career; Quit Skiing

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