The Golf Thread

Since Higgs brought up the Golf Channel and all of its hotties, I thought I would share a true story with you.


As you all know by now, I grew up a poor boy in Nowhereville, Texas. To my family, golf was a game for rich white folk. And while we were white, we were very far from rich. As a result, I never knew much about golf, nor cared much about golf.

At the tender age of 20, I left home for San Diego, where I spent a perfectly good summer in Marine Corps boot camp. After graduation, they sent me to lovely Monterey, CA, where I attended language school. There, I met, and fell in love with, a beautiful 18 year-old fresh out of high school.

Shortly after, she introduced me to her parents, and her father invited me out for a round of golf. Of course, I know better than to say no. So off I went with my future father-in-law on my first-ever golf outing (with rented clubs).

We played the front nine before he finally got embarassed by me. (I use the term “played” loosely–I mainly threw the ball where I wanted it to go.) Afterwards, we chilled out in the clubhouse and talked a whole lot about nothing.

Years came and went. I married his daughter and moved her to San Antonio. Then I divorced her and sent her back to California. (No kids, no property. It was my starter wife.) I got out of the Marines, got my Series 7, and went to work for Morgan Stanley.

One day, some of the brokers were standing around looking at a coffee table book. Not wanting to be excluded, I decided to peek and see what they were talking about. Lo and behold, there was the golf course that I had played at so many years ago! I spoke up and told them, “Hey I remember that place. I’ve played there.”

Suddenly, I was the center of attention. While some people scoffed and didn’t believe me, others started peppering me with questions, like:

  • “Did you really play there?” (Why would I lie?)
  • “Was it nice?” (I guess. I don’t have much basis for comparison.)
  • “Who did you go with? How did you get in?” (I went with my father-in-law, and we walked on two feet. Isn’t that how people normally get onto golf courses?)
  • “How much did it cost?” (Didn’t cost me anything. Don’t know how much it cost him.)
  • “What was the 7th hole like?” (Didn’t seem much different from the 6th or 8th.)

Finally, my curiosity got the best of me, and I asked why everybody was so interested in my one and only golf experience. They enlightened me that I had golfed at the Pebble Beach Country Club, which might be the most prestigious and exclusive golf course in the entire known universe.


So there you have it. That’s my golf experience. Before that day, I had never picked up a golf club, and have never picked one up since.

Now, I’m sure that Midland and Odessa have some good courses, but honestly, it’s probably all downhill after that. And I’m almost 34 years old. However, I’ve heard that lots of business gets done on the golf course.

So my question to the masses is this–should I quit while I’m ahead? Or should I invest in some cheapo clubs and learn to hit the ball?

Honestly, I’m sure there are some wranglers on here who love to play golf. I can’t wrap my head around it. It comes across as a douchey white person sport where one will drive a car they can’t afford to a country club full of people they don’t like, tote around a bag of clubs that are worth the cost of gold, and hit $4-5 white balls (Pro-v1s) around a big wasteland of grass, ponds, and sand.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve enjoyed playing golf in the past when it’s invovled some buds, some Bud Lights, and a carefree sunny afternoon. What I can’t understand is the diehards out there start swinging March 3rd after the snow melts playing in 40 degree windy weather starting at 6:45 AM, on a weekend! To each their own I guess. What a man does with his time/money is his own business.

As far as business conducted on the course, that’s another animal I know nothing about. I have a feeling Higgy/STL will chirp up here.

the moral of this story is that you are a damn fool for divorcing that chick.

Golf is a fantastic sport/game. And it’s the only one I can play with my wife and not be frustrated, so that makes me happy. I can get out for a round or two of golf on the weekend or on a one week golf trip and not be in the doghouse. Therefore, golf is great. I’m really looking forward to getting my little guy into the game as well. What also is fun is how much my wife has improved since I introduced her to the game. She’s completely bought in and plays in her ladies league and all that. That also makes me happy.

It’s also a good business skill. I’ve played numerous work related golf tournaments over the years and had lots of networking opportunities as a result. Playing a round a golf with some BSD is a good way to be remembered. It’s also more relaxed than other networking functions where I just can’t stand the fake-ness.

All around golf is a very happy place for me so of course I’d recommend you get into it. It’s an expensive sport though, so be prepared that way. I hear green fees in Texas are pretty reasonable though, at least compared to elsewhere.

I grew up in a middle income family and learned to play golf with my dad. It is admittedly a douchy, white man’s sport, but I was a public course guy until 8 or 9 years ago and even then I belonged to a low-tier club (I’ve subsequently resigned because I moved and have not joined another club). Golf is a total escape for me. No matter what is going on in my life, nothing but my round (good or bad) exists when I’m on the golf course. To be honest, I actually prefer playing alone so I can completely shut out the rest of the world for a few hours. I also figure I’m much more likely to someday get a hole-in-one if no one is there to verify it.

Golf in TX can be very reasonable. When I was in Austin, there were several decent courses with all-day greens fees for less than $20 (granted that was 10+ years ago). I’d suggest a set of used clubs from Golfsmith or Golf Galaxy. Golfers always think it’s the clubs that suck, not them, so they’re constantly buying the newest, bestest clubs out there. Spend a couple of bucks on a few lessons as well, it will be money well invested.

I’ve never played Pebble, so I’m jealous. A colleague of mine regularly plays Baltusrol and Pine Valley and has been promising for years to bring me along, but hasn’t happened yet. I’m actually a bit afraid to play Pine Valley.

There are several golf courses at Pebble Beach. As best I can tell, the Country Club is the most exclusive, because it doesn’t let “outsiders” play. I’m not sure if it’s the “best”, though. But if you’re talking about the top 1% of all golf courses in the world, how much better can the #1 be from the #10?

I went back to visit a friend of mine about a year ago, and I was stunned by how beautiful it was. Now that I’m 12 years older and have more “worldly” experiences, I noticed the landscape a lot more. (Probably because I wasn’t trying to get laid or avoid military superiors.)

Pretty good story my friend, I am also jealous that you played Pebble. I have been playing golf since i was about 12 - i had to break because golf was messing up my baseball swing - but i played all through college and still hit the links when i can. I grew up middle class so i always played public with my buddies but my aunts and uncles lived in greenwich / westport and were club members so i would play with them in the summer.

There is certainly a dichotomy between public and private. On a public course you may play through someone in a cart with an un tucked t-shirt but on private, at least from my experience, everyone had caddys and attire was very much an issue. I would say it can be used to your advantage as a networking place if you can play decently. I always hate those who are ahead of me and slow me up and i am truly disgusted by those who slow me up in my own party.

Take some lessons, hit the driving range first, and then play on a public course to start. Don’t be a hero swinging for the long ball, as they say, drives for show, putting for dough.

I think the dad was trying to impress or intimidate you. Clearly, this failed…

Honestly, if this were to happen today, I would be impressed or intimidated. At the time, I was too ignorant to be either.

Any suggestions on what type of clubs to buy? Hybrids or irons? Cavity-backed or blade? Will I really be using a driver that much? Do I need a PW, SW, and chipper? Or can I just use the PW as a SW? For that matter, if I get stuck in the sand, should I just pick the ball up and throw it on the green?

Also, I’m 6-2. Should I get standard-length clubs? Or should I get a +.5 or +1? (Remember, I don’t ever plan on being Tiger or Phil–I just want to go with business associates and not embarass myself.)

Irons. Hybrids are for old people.

Cavity Backed are very forgiving. Blades are good only if you’re good.

Get a good driver.

PW, SW can be used interchangably.

There’s nothing “old” about using a 3 hybrid, or even a 4 hybrid. Cavity back on the rest of the irons (very few pros still use true blades for anything other than wedges).

A “chipper” has roughly the same loft as a 6 or 7 iron, so you can just choke down on one of them and use a putting stroke for the same effect.

A PW and SW should be fine for now. If you really get into it and get good, you’ll add other wedges later. I carry 3-4 depending on the course. PW and SW have different lofts and more importantly different bounces, so they’re not really interchangeable.

If you can find slightly longer clubs, you’ll benefit. If not, you can have the shaft angle changed on standard-length clubs to make them more comfortable for your height. If you think you’re going to be serious about playing, get fitted. Golf Galaxy charges for a fitting, but they credit it back if you buy clubs. I can’t remember what Golfsmith does.

Buy a driver, but go used. People who blame their clubs blame their driver the most and buy a new one, so there is always a huge assortment available. I believe the Taylor Made Burner has a longer than normal shaft, so that might be a good fit for you. Get whatever feels good though and that you can hit consistently.

The Harlem sensation knows his golf clubs.

I’m the best golfer at my 200-person firm. This means that any time we sponsor a charitable golf outing (3 to 4 times a year), the president puts me in his group. In addition, he’s had me out to his annual member-guest a couple of times.

One Monday after one of the member guest early in my career the controller of the firm came to me with an envelope and said if I had any questions about the contents of the envelope, I should go talk to the president. I opened it up and it was a check for $2,000. I walked down to see the president and he said that his father (the founder of the firm and in our foursome at that tournament) said that anyone with a swing as beautiful as mine deserved nicer golf clubs. I had been playing the same clubs since my freshman year of college and definitely needed new sticks.

I’m not saying my golf skills have directly attributed to my success at the firm but I know without a doubt that it hasn’t hurt. I’ve been there 8 years and am at least two promotions ahead of those that started around the same time as I did. True, I would honestly consider myself a better employee but it doesn’t hurt that the president knows who I am and golf was the reason he initially knew me.

Bump, for STL. I want to get his opinion, since I’m quite sure that he’s a golfin’, huntin’, fishin’ BSD.

So you’re saying you have some used clubs that you could give to Greenie?

Did the president’s dad just hit on poop?

But they must be poop-infested, no?

^THIS.

Cavity backed knockoffs should work fine for you. Don’t spend too much on a driver, my guess is you shouldn’t be using it too much as a beginner anyways. Get a 3/5 wood too. Would recommend chipping with your SW until you learn how to loft the ball.

As for me, I love my blades :slight_smile: