2 Million Views, One Misunderstood Point
Old BTG has done it again. An innocuous tweet about how I learned to play the game has made it’s rounds on Twitter to the tune of 2 million views as I write this.
Posts (and the subsequent visceral responses) like this remind me of how niche and under-appreciated our side of golf has become. What was intended to be a stream-of-consciousness brain dump resulted in myriad quote tweets and responses from golfers who didn’t understand the point I was trying to make.
Now, I’ll shoulder the responsibility for the majority of that misunderstanding, as the messaging should have been more clear and concise. The point I wanted to make is this:
Passing traditions and etiquette down from one generation to the next on the golf course is the lifeblood of our sport. It’s essential to the survival of Golf.
I pondered this concept a few weeks back, and thought about how alien my personal introduction to the game is to 98% of the world. I thought, “hmm, this could make interesting content” and put it out into the ether.
How I learned to play Golf, broken down line by line:
I played holes with my dad and siblings on spring and summer weekends from ages 4-10. (Pre internet).
Nothing too drastic here. We spent spring and summer weekends (when we weren’t playing other sports) on the golf course. Afternoons involved watching PGA Tour golf. No mindless short-form video, just casual mornings on the course and afternoons watching Tiger.
I learned everything on the course. How to rake a bunker, fix a pitch mark, where to stand etc.
I might’ve lost a few people here. Many who learn the game later in life don’t have access to proper instruction teaching them to properly behave on the golf course, much less focus on the nuance of fixing marks and raking bunkers. The USGA should be all over this, but they are too busy posting fringe rule videos for clicks. Sad.
I wasn't allowed my own golf bag or clubs until I proved I wanted to get better and take the game seriously
I lost more people on this line. Folks simply couldn’t wrap their head around the fact that my family has standards and didn’t tolerate entitlement. As a kid, I remember asking my Dad for my own bag and clubs and he basically laughed at me and told me to get better. Kids these days wouldn’t last an hour in the asylum in which I was raised. Anyway. In my view, societal entitlement has exploded in the past few years. The responses to this tweet confirmed that entitlement is not confined to loud music played on public transportation.
I walked my first 18 holes around age 13. Had to be good enough to get around in 4 hours. I felt like I earned the right to play. A goal I achieved.
People completely lost their minds at this point. I’m still laughing about it. Some background: I played a plethora of sports growing up, and didn’t really catch the golf bug until the age of about 13. I had been taught the fundamentals of the swing at a young age, but hadn’t really devoted myself to practicing or playing much. Once I caught the bug, I was playing a ton of casual golf in the afternoons, but wasn’t good enough at first to play in the morning with a caddie. The aforementioned first 18 was the first time I played in a prime, walking only, tee time. I had to get good enough to get around in 4 hours as to not hold up other players behind us. Once I did? I was allowed to play with the men/women in the morning. Simple stuff.
A high barrier to entry is necessary to retain the core traditions and etiquette of what makes golf great.
While some viewed this line as “elitist”, I intended it to be more of a call to action. The “barrier” can be as simple as a 30 min class or lesson from a teaching pro about how to properly rake a bunker or fix a pitch mark. Etiquette 101. Platzreife. Call it what you want. If you picked up the game later in life, nothing like this exists for you.
I don’t expect everyone to learn the way I did. Actually? I don’t expect 99% of the world to learn the game like I did. But, the pendulum has swung too far in the other direction.
For those of us lucky enough to have learned the game at a young age, it is our responsibility to preach what we have learned to the next generation of players.
It’s time for proper etiquette to return.
A Logo I Like - Morris County Golf Club
Speaking of traditions I like… I love a good pre-1900 logo. Gets the historical juices flowing.
The unique history of the club, to go along with the logo, taken from the club’s website:
“The Morris County Golf Club, founded in 1894 and located in Morristown, New Jersey, is a private, members-only club dedicated to the spirit of great sportsmanship, lifelong friendships and friendly competition…
The Club was unique from its very beginning; planned, organized, and operated by women. This was remarkable considering the era, a period when women were presumed decorous rather than determined. The Club's founding "mothers," a term used here in respect and appreciation, proved more than able for the task they had set.
Morris County was an early member (1895) of the United States Golf Association and the first New Jersey venue to host a national championship. Some fabled names in the sport have been associated with the Club: Harry Vardon, Ted Ray, the immortal Bobby Jones, Chick Evans, Walter Kozak, Elaine and Louis Gillespie, and Billy Dear, to name a few.”
Why January Golf Ads Hit Different
My favorite tradition in golf is the first January Masters commercial.
(My favorite commercial of all time, for the 2015 Masters. It’s worth the 90 seconds of your day. Immediate mood booster.)
For those of us up north, it’s an annual reminder that Winter is not forever, and green grass will soon return.
I can feel the warm breeze and smell the freshly mown turf from my couch as I’m serenaded by beautiful melodies and tantalized by brief glimpses of the 12th at ANGC. I think about Jim Nantz’s mellifluous voice entrancing the viewers on a perfect Sunday afternoon. Just get me to April.
This first commercial signals the start of competitive golf season. Not only for the TOUR, but for the aspiring mid-ams such as myself and many of you. I’ve been itching to compete in some local am stuff, and I think this is the year to get back into the competitive flow.
I won’t win anything, but it’s a great tune up for any medal country club events I’ll play in this summer. For any of you reading this who want to become a country club stick (aspirational), the first step is to become a regular in local amateur events.
A good way to improve at golf is to play actual golf holes. The best way to improve? Play competitive rounds where your score gets posted in big fancy font in front of hundreds of people. That’s real pressure.
The Towel Test (And Other Caddie Tells)
I’ve seen my fair share of great (and not so great) caddies over the years.
Caddie etiquette won’t necessarily make or break a round of golf, but it can nudge the aftertaste of the round in either direction, especially if you don’t play well.
I will have to have our resident Country Club Caddie weigh in on this topic on a future edition of The Saturday Essay. (Refer a single reader and you’ll gain access to the monthly reads). But for now, I’ll weigh in on proper caddie etiquette.
Do they give you an unsolicited read on the first green, or quietly stand to the side to see if you call them over? I’d prefer if they ask, but that’s just me.
Do they give you more than just the number to the pin? Better players often want more than a few distances when standing over an approach shot
Do they give you a club for the next tee without any context? If it’s your first time playing a golf course, you’ll probably want to hear an elevator pitch on the golf hole and different ways to play it.
Do they talk to your ball in the air? Big no-no.
Do they keep your head covers on or off? I’d like them to ask first.
Do they clean your clubs after every shot, and is their towel always wet? I like clean clubs and a clean ball. Simple stuff.
To me this is table-stakes etiquette for elite loopers.
I Talked My Way Into Press Credentials
Hand up. The PGA Show snuck up on me. I’ll be flying down next Tuesday morning for a few days to check out all of the latest and greatest stuff from golf vendors across the world.
Frankly, I was stunned when they gave me an “editorial media” pass, but here we are. Shoutout to (now reader) Sherry!
Proof that in life you can just do things.
I’ll be at demo day on Tuesday and the show floor all day Wednesday. I’ve made a list of the must see brands, mostly revolving around attire and club software (I am of the belief that the club software market is ripe for innovation. Many golf clubs still operate like it’s 1995).
(From Twitter debates about how we learned the game, to walking the PGA show floor looking at what's next. You can call me a lot of things, but don’t say I don’t have range.)
If you're attending the PGA Show or have a brand I need to see, reply to this email—I'll be reading every response before I fly out Tuesday.
Talk soon,
BTG
Resources
What would you like to see discussed?
Email me: [email protected]