My latest rant on the state of the game ...

Weeding out some of the silly crap ... and people

You have noted just about everything that screws up a good golf game. Read both your articles, never thought of "charging by time" on the course. That sounds like a damn good idea.

Our "home course" is Wildhorse in Gothenburg NE it is a "links" course. It is much acclaimed by golf digest. Unbelievable value for the dollar. So, this brings out many fee paying clients. Most from eastern Nebraska, they feel the nebraska entitlement of just being damn slow and we "owe" them to support our course.

As typical "links" style, wide fairways but if you end up in the rough it is a lost ball period! But yet you see guys smoking $15 cigars hunting to hell for that $3 golf ball! Just drop and go on. Another thing we have noticed upon finding some balls in the rough! The front nine is scattered with Pro v's and such. You get to the back 9 and it is more "top flite" balls. Huh!

You pretty much hit a "300 yard drive" with all you input and musings on the game of golf! thanks

My personal rule on a wayward ball: That's why they sell 'em by the dozen, move on. I mean, I'll take a peek, but ...

Lots of good points.

1 Golf Crap - When I started, I too, bought everything I could. In time I systematically rid myself of same.
Bag, shoes, tees, clubs and balls will get you through.
2 Walking - Glad you conceded on the infirmed. A lot of us would love to still love to walk if we could, but
can't realistically. I'd also hate to see the 75 year who can still hit it, but can't walk it be relagated to a
pitch and putt.
3 Number of clubs - After a round, sit and count the number of times you hit each club. Most would be sup-
rised at the answer. Besides, most of us hackers aren't consistant enough to need 'em all anyway.
4 Marking putts - Putt out, putt out, putt out. How many times have you waited on approach shots
because the group ahead is playing in the US Open!
5 Iron covers - Refer to number one
6 Lost balls - They are cheaper today (and better) than when I started. If you're afraid of losing those
expensive pills you've been hitting, catch a clue. You ain't good enough to be hitting them!

Oh and by the way, that time between 9 and 10 is called the turn, not lunch!

Good Luck!
Ric at Joes

Ric, carts are a problem from the perspective of design, laziness for those who could walk but won't and because they're a shitty attempt by course owners to monetize everything. Then there is the time impediment. I'm cool with accommodation. I'm also way cool with places like Bandon saying you must walk. What I'm not cool with is a place that is walkable -- we're not talking The Falls here -- that mandates carts.

For golf crap, I do allow a place for laser rangefinders and the like. While I think 98 percent of us do just fine with "140, 160, whatever," most guys always are gonna wanna pace it off so we might as well speed 'em up with a device. I mostly use mine on the range.

All good points and understood. Unfortunately, for the most part, the cow's already out of the barn. Operators like the cart revenue and most golfers are buying whether they need one or not. It kills me to see 20 and 30 somethings in decent shape riding. I didn't start riding until it seriously affected my enjoyment of the game and then I still fought it. At least it seems that the few courses being built today are emphasizing or mandating walking the course.

Now on to matters seriously endangering the game. Some of those hot dogs at the turn......................

Good Luck!
Ric at Joes

Have the burger dog at the brilliantly revamped North Course at Silverado in Napa! BEST turn food short of spam musubi.

It's amazing how good and bad some of the food at the turn can be. It ain't rocket science to have a few decent items available quickly. One of our local courses set up a stand alone trailer that sits between 9 and 10 at the first tee. It only took 25 years to come up with that one.

Funny story about the dog at the turn. We were playing the above mentioned course and I grabbed a dog at the turn. This of course was in my health food phase! Anyway, when it was my turn to hit on 10, I wedged my dog between two clubs on my stand bag. Yes, this was in the bygone era when I walked. At any rate. I hit my tee shot and turned to walk to my bag. I then saw one of the more discenable blackbirds I'd ever seen. It swooped down and grabbed my dog, but only my dog. The bun was left fully in tact, wedged as it had been! Two of the others saw it too and we couldn't stop laughing. Thank God I'd put Grey Poupon on it!

Good Luck!
Ric at Joes

I schleped my bag on Tuesday. Followed two nimrods in a cart. I waited on half my shots, easily, and played two a good way around. No better testimonial to the snail quality of cart golf than a fat guy on a way hilly course keeping better pace.

BTW, Ric, they appeared to be 20-something flatbellies.

That's one thing that really pisses me off. I'd give anything to be walking again, both for the exercise and it keeps you in the game. Then I see a couple of punks that weigh less than 150 on a six foot frame riding. It just doesn't make sense!

Good Luck!
Ric at Joes