Hope this newsletter finds you well. Before I get into this week’s article, I want to take a minute and send my prayers to Cindy Payne. Cindy has worked for me 2 years. She has done an unbelievable job on our website and on this newsletter. She is an amazing woman that might be the best worker I have ever met. After months of difficult times, earlier this week, Cindy’s dad passed away. I hope you can all take a moment and say a little prayer for Cindy and her Dad. She deserves it.
I have decided it’s time to open our annual discussion about Pet Peeves. While thinking about this article, I’ve decided to go public with my biggest problem, face the truth, and do something about it. More about this in a moment.
I define a Pet Peeve as anything on a golf course that feels like fingers on a chalk board. They get under your skin; they can get in the way of having your great time on the course. So here are my top Pet Peeves, let me know yours. This will be the major topic of our show on Sunday morning so please give a listen. And email me your pet peeves.
5 – The rule about Divots - I hate this rule. “Rub of the green,” what a stupid idea. You hit a ball down the middle (something I don’t do often), and your ball lands in a divot from another golfer. If I were made USGA Rules Chairman, this is the one rule I would change immediately. I know God works in mysterious ways, but even He says we should not have to play out of a divot.
4 – People that do not pick up the tee area – How difficult is it to pick up after yourselves. We pay big money to play golf in the metroplex and I should not have to be the “Clean Police” for every Tee Box. Before I get too crazy about this, I do throw some of the blame on any golf course that doesn’t make the small expenditure for those little cone waste baskets for their tee areas. But still, come on guys, hit a ball, bend over and pick up the tee.
I have to tell you how crazy it makes me. One day I’m playing at my home course. We are behind a foursome where one player left his tee on every single hole. Now I know who it was because the tees had his business logo. With each hole I got more upset. Beginning on the third hole I starting collecting the tees. At our course, the 18th tee box is right next to the 16th fairway. So walking down 16, I run over to the 18th tee box and dropped all the tees in the middle of the box. He was not happy with me. Probably a very bad idea on my part, but I just believe we have a responsibility to leave a course better than we found it.
3 – Cigar smokers – Because of my job, I play plenty of golf with people I don’t know. It’s usually very fun, unless I am put in a cart with a cigar smoker. What is it about these guys that they assume everyone wants their smoke. After a round with Mr. Cigar Guy, I reek for about a week. Smoke out of the cart and please, stop dropping your ashes on the greens.
2 – Slow play – I admit it. I probably get to play more golf than most of you. I know it’s unfair but someone has to do it. Being on the course so often usually leaves me less time in the office so I tend to play fast. My Wednesday group can walk 18 holes in 3 ½ hours very easily. Golf should never take more than 4 hours. A tour player once told me the biggest problem with the average golfer is they do all their thinking over the ball. Just a suggestion, but as you are driving or preferably walking to your next shot, begin to see the shot. The worst place to be slow is over the ball. The more you see and decide prior to your shot the better you will be.
1 – For anyone that has been around me on the golf course, they know how I feel about Sunflower Seeds, especially on the greens. I am a pretty passive person, but anyone that leaves sunflower seeds on the greens should have their mouths wired shut. Better yet, these guys should have to vacuum every golf course green in America. Let’s see, I really look forward to “picking up someone’s spit” on a course. I often wonder what these guys’ living rooms look like. Can you tell these guys make me the most crazy?
That’s my list, what is yours? But I am not done. See I know I break many people’s number one pet peeve on the golf course. So I am going public with this. I plan to enter into counseling and rehab immediately and from this moment forward I promise every player that I will break my worst habit. Phone on the course. From the first tee to the 18th green, can I do this? “Yes I can!” From the mountain tops of Dallas National to the valleys of Stonebrair, can I do this? “Yes I Can!” I will take to the cart paths and the rough; I will leave my phone in my bag, “Yes I Can!” From this moment forward, change is coming to those that play golf with me, Yes I Can!”
But you have to let me text…
