Golfing Evolution

[Ron H]

Had the gumption for the heck of it of posting about golf getting into brief chat on another post. Some are nuts on it and others totally not. Used to golf a lot years ago and haven't now in some 5 years. My mopar projects and some back ills got me off the urge. And a few encounters with ******** sorta has stuck in my craw. On the post, Gary McCord was mentioned and made me recall when he was banned from announcing at the Masters. He had joked about the greens being bikini-waxed and oops the lofty officials for da Masters banned him. Fuzzy Zoeller was joking around after Tiger won a tourney about what he might enjoy as a celebration dinner. He lost some of his sponsors and TW did very little to nix that fallout letting Fuzzy twist in the wind. There used to be fun players who would joke with the crowds (I had a couple fond memories of this) Trevino, Stewart, Chi-Chi, among them and today can't think of any players, maybe beside Daly, who give a rip. While back I watched a young kid extend his hand out to TW for a hand slap and TW ignored him. That little hand whap overture woulda made that kid's long remembrance. Well some of the players I mentioned came up to play the hardway...no college scholarships, etc. And PGA wonders why the fan base is dwindling? Find a personality maybe?

 

[Budnicks]

Yep it's a different era
a lot of that changed when Tiger
signed a $70,000,000 American Express contract
before ever hitting a ball
& another $10's of millions with Nike

now most don't play for a paycheck
many not all, are raised in it, CC kids, golden spoon kids
they're millionaire before they tee it up, with sponsorships

not like it was before 1997, pre-Tiger era

Jack, Arnie, , Gary, Lee, Fuzzy, Chi Chi etc.
were personalities on & off the golf course
they played for a check,
big sponsors $$$ were all many years later
you can thank Big 3 golf (Jack, Arnie, Gary Player) &
Shells Wonderful World of golf for making it mainstream

-------------------------------------------

I love the game
I use to own a golf pro-shop retail & repairs
I started when I was 16, got into cars
only played on rare occasion when I was in my 20's a handful of times
pretty gave it up until I was 30-ish,
Football was my game

I got hooked on it at racetracks mid 90's
waiting from wed. or thurs. to qualify
so me & few guys/gals would go to a local driving range & hit buckets
that became going to par 3 courses
to full blown CC courses & real competitive rounds
I started to get into Golfsmithing & club building, fitting & instruction
I went off the deep end

I have a hard time staying awake watching on TV
but still love the sport

I has a +2 handicap (average score -2/Par 72)
& was a semi-Pro for a time, while still running a construction co.
& racing, or the pro-shop
I was stretched pretty thin, but the kids loved it too
so I could spend quality time with them,
while doing something to relax & wind down
Did some mini tour stuff Maxflite Sunshine Topflite Pepsi Hogan etc.
did OK
I thought I was gonna' turn touring pro by 50 do the Senior Tour
played a lot for 10 years or so
Just never panned out

got into it head over heals after about 30 y/o
I bought 3 different homes at 3 different times in life
in Gated Communities/Country Clubs Blackhawk (Danville Ca.)
& Rancho Murieta (Sloughhouse Ca.)
another earlier not gated community Oakhurst CC (Clayton Ca.)

I was hooked/addicted

now I live in the sticks & take care on my elderly dad
do the cars & truck/jeep 4x4 deal
don't really spend as much time for golf

I rarely play now at 60 y/o, money & time

I can still break 80 pretty easily, most everywhere par 72 courses

I still have new old stock (sets of irons, wedges & woods)
from a few places
I was still assembling & selling custom clubs fitting & lessons locally
at some golf course

it's a great game
take real integrity to play
take manors & respect
takes a lot of time to be good at it
need to practice to keep in tune
It's a great way to experience life & walking in a park setting
for a couple hr get some exercise, make friends

but it's like;
sex & golf
are the only things you can suck at & still enjoy it

 

[gkent]

My aunt and uncle were avid golfers and would go to PGA matches on vacation. At one match she was playing a round before the pros and got a hole in one. Later in the lounge Arnold Palmer stood and hollered "where's that lady who got the hole in one?" and he bought her drinks and talked for the rest of the evening.

Another time she was at one of the tournaments sitting chatting with a friend outside the clubhouse. Sam Snead walked out and my aunt made the comment to her friend that "he could have worn a clean shirt". He looked over and obviously overheard. A couple years later she's at another tournament following the pros around the course and one was Sam Snead. He spots her in the crowd, catches her eye and tugs at his shirt and says "clean shirt" !!

This lady is now 91. She was an awesome athlete and had THREE hole-in-ones in her time on the courses. Her husband was also an amazing athlete - he didn't get any!

 

[kiwigtx]

I'm not entirely sure if this story is true or not...but apparently two Golf Commentators were chatting between shots in a tournament when one says to the other;

"Where is the most unusual place you've had sex?"

The other commentator replies...."In the butt Bob."

Commentary went silent.

 

[BeepBeepRR]

I'm not entirely sure if this story is true or not...but apparently two Golf Commentators were chatting between shots in a tournament when one says to the other;

"Where is the most unusual place you've had sex?"

The other commentator replies...."In the butt Bob."

Commentary went silent.

 

[kiwigtx]

There was a radio quiz in Australia a few years back with much the same result (in the butt)....except when the hosts asked for the 'location' she then responded....in the Kitchen.

 

[BeepBeepRR]

She actually said in the ***... but it has been widely misquoted as in the butt Bob.

 

[GetX'd]

Is that called a butt hole in one.....?

 

[kiwigtx]

Is that called a butt hole in one.....?

That's called "playing the back nine"

...and remember...you must always get the Course Owner's permission first before attempting to play the back nine.

 

[Richard Cranium]

 

[68Moparmaniac]

So that's what their calling it now a days ?

 

[Ron H]

The old era golfers worked their asses off to compete and were treated as 2nd class when playing at some lofty clubs. Driving from one tourney to the next in their beat up cars. Some grew up dirt poor learning to hit balls with a crap club they found or made one. I had two friendly encounters watching a few old pros at tourney's as they joked around a little with the spectators (Trevino and Zoller). Suppose it's the pro's personality; some come off as aloof as they're just not comfortable chatting or it get's them off their concentration. Hogan was known for that. Now the players don't need to consider paying fans as much as their sponsors...same thing with most pro-sports today, big money, ROI, computer stat's for every friggin thing you can imagine. It's just a business. And yet, some things don't change...what's with still requiring the pros to wear long pants when it's a 100 in the shade? lol

 

[kiwigtx]

Back in 1998 I was a volunteer Marshall at the NZ Open...local to my home course, so I wanted to do my bit and help out. I was on a windy seaward view Par 3 with another guy from my club. As one of the first players to arrive was putting out the previous green....I was doing my best to quietly keep our crowd quiet to allow the players to concentrate. As the 3 players approached our Tee box, one of them came up to me and launched into me like I had just raped his mother.....swearing at me saying I was making too much noise. I was a bit taken a back, as I was barely whispering to the crowd.
Anyway, when he finished...I said OK...fine....sorry.....didn't argue with him at all.

He tees up and makes a hash of his shot, looks back at me in disgust, and walks off. Hacked the ball into the rough....sandy tussock rough I had the last laugh....my co-Marshall chuckled and said "serves him right for being a prick". Anyway...the reason he was in the first group was because as you know, the least 'gifted' players go first on day 4.

He played barely like a Pro...more like a hungover Sunday hacker.

He didn't place well.

 

[Ron H]

That's another thing about keeping all quiet...what was a riot was Trevino who constantly yapped and would keep yapping when he was swinging at the ball sometimes. Personally, my preferred talking was just after I'd smack the ball and looking up to follow it saying "Aww ****" since it was going in a direction I didn't have in mind...lol! Best part of my game was opening up the next beer.

 

[Budnicks]

shitty quality when blown up so you can see it
from photo to digital makes it bad too

sorry

 

[kiwigtx]

That's another thing about keeping all quiet...what was a riot was Trevino who constantly yapped and would keep yapping when he was swinging at the ball sometimes. Personally, my preferred talking was just after I'd smack the ball and looking up to follow it saying "Aww ****" since it was going in a direction I didn't have in mind...lol! Best part of my game was opening up the next beer.

My local course is known affectionately as "The Goat Track" ...due to it's patchwork grassy and weed-filled fairways. I like it....but I must be a great golfer...because I can turn a 5,500yd course into and 8,000yd walk.

I can spray 'em all over the place as good as anyone....I spend a lot of time under the trees...so much that I once considered carrying 13 clubs and a set of hedge clippers.

BTW...in my heyday I got down to a 10.2 index....not bad for a Sunday hacker.

 

[kiwigtx]

 

[Ron H]

One time years ago went on a golf vac with our asshole boss who was a 90's golfer on a good day; but since he was wealthy he loved to place just ridiculous bets on holes or shots to create tension. One occasion it started to rain pretty hard and I hit a **** fairway shot after he hit his decent. We were playing the hole for 50 bucks! My partner and I made the suggestion we hit the clubhouse for a beer and wait for the rain to stop. Boss man would have none of that since he reckoned he was going to clock us on the hole. When we reached the green, still raining like nuts where there were a few puddle on the green now, I had to two putt from like 50 feet to halve the hole. I got lucky smacking the putt to about a foot from the hole. He was peeved...then HE suggests stopping going to bar for drinks. I got on his case saying huh, now ya wanna stop, lets keep playing since we all looked like drowned rats now anyway. He did not take this well as he always acted like the boss man. Our relationship eventually would not end well as I have an aversion to *** kissing...

 

[MarPar]

I'm not entirely sure if this story is true or not...but apparently two Golf Commentators were chatting between shots in a tournament when one says to the other;

"Where is the most unusual place you've had sex?"

The other commentator replies...."In the butt Bob."

Commentary went silent.

@Kern Dog