How many times have you joined a stranger for a round of golf only to quickly find they really did not understand Golf?
There are more and more people starting to play golf, which is awesome, but unfortunately, they are obviously lacking the understanding of exactly how golf is played.
Why is GOLF not addressing how people are introduced to the game of Golf.
Many new golfers are only out to hit their driver a mile and have no interest in using their irons…and for some of the new golfers I am seeing on the course recently do not seem to not know what a putter is for.
What is Going On?
I recently join a stranger at the golf course who said he had been introduced to golf by a friend who invited him to a party at Top Golf. Really…learning to play golf at Top Golf??
Said he “fell in love with the game” after hitting golf balls from the third story of the Top Golf driving range.
I asked what game were they playing.
He seemed to be puzzled with the question I asked and quickly remarked…”we were playing Golf”.
I quickly found out they were not playing GOLF.
It was this young man’s first time to go to the golf course and wanted to get experienced playing Golf before he joined his friends to play Golf.
I was to find out that all he wanted to do was hit his driver.
Where Things Started Going Wrong!
Our adventure together started off the 1st tee.
He jumped up to the back tees and hit his first ball a LONG way..but off to the right.
He quickly reached in his pocket and without saying anything..tee up another ball and blasted one over 300yds to the Left.
Then before the second ball hit the ground he had a third ball teed up and was in his backswing for his third drive that went well over 300yds slightly off-center of the fairway.
I shrugged it off thinking he was taking mulligans…OH, how I was wrong.
I taxied on up to my tee box and hit my typical dinky drive. So we were off.
The Misunderstanding of Golf Was Demonstrated
Once we got to one of his balls he took his driver out. This is where I discovered the young man’s misunderstanding of playing golf.
Naturally, having never been to a golf course he would more than likely experience some awkwardness on what to do and what club to hit. However, he was confident in his choice of clubs to use by answer my question on why he is playing a driver…he stated “I’m only interested in hitting driver”.
So, he reached down, tee up the ball in the fairway, and pounded the ball 100 yards over the green.
I commended him on his shot and remarked that he probably could get up and down using a wedge.
His reply was ..”Nah…I’ll pick that ball up and go to the next tee”. He then raced off to the next ball in the fairway and went through the same process of teeing the ball up and hitting it as far as he could hit it. Then did it again with the third ball.
Can It Get Any Worse?
I went ahead and went to my ball to hit an iron shot to the green only to find the young man was 100 yards directly in front of meet walking quickly to his next ball.
I yell up to give him the heads up I was hitting and he yelled back…OH, I thought since you weren’t going to hit your driver you picking up. I just shook my head and shrugged remarking…What Tha F&$K.
No Wonder the Pace of Golf is Slow!
So As I, looked back at the tee it was now backed up waiting on me to hit while I waited for this dude to walk across the green to go find his three balls. I make my shot…and my usual two putts and walked over to the next tee where I found the young man had already hit his three balls.
I quickly hit my drive and we scurried off to find our balls. As we drove out to find the ball I asked where he took lessons for golf. His quick reply was..”OH, who has time for lessons…I just hang out at Top Golf and hit balls till I am tired or till I have had enough beer.”
My reply was…”So, you have never been taught how to play the game of golf?” His reply was..”Oh, yaw, one of the guys I hang with showed me, but this is the first time I have been to a golf course to play.”
When I explained that how he is playing golf is not how golf is played he seemed to not be real surprised. He was more defiant by stating, “Yaw, I see the guys on TV playing!! Who has time to learn how to hit all those clubs? All I want to do is hit the Driver…let that Big Dog Hunt!”
I said, “So you have never had any golf lessons?” He replied, “No, don’t have time for that. Playing the old way is boring”.
That Dog Won’t Hunt!
As we arrived at his first ball, which was in the middle of the fairway two fairways to the right of the hole we were playing, I suggested that he just pick it up since he had two others in the fairway of our hole.
He seemed to not like that idea and quickly whipped out his driver to make attempt to hit it two fairways over which was directly over the players in the next fairways.
Eventually, we got back to my ball where he let me off to hit while he went to tee up the other two balls which he hit way beyond the green….again.
After I putted out and joining him on the third tee where I cordially requested he go on ahead to play his game and I would play with the threesome who is now glaring at us from the green behind us.
He jumped in the cart and took off.
Where GOLF Needs to Step In
I guess Golf is changing. But is it changing to something that GOLF really needs or wants?
Are the alternative forms of Golf taking away from traditional Golf? Or are they the future of Golf?
Will Golf ever allow golf to be taught quickly or will they stay the course of long-term golf lessons so as to keep golf instructors in business?
Will Golf ever address the pace of play and reward golfers for improving their golf skills by keeping the pace of play quick?
All good questions that highlight the problems Golf has that need to be fixed before everyone who plays golf has to hit 400-yard drives to get a tee time.
Let me know how I can help.
