Only a Club-Breaking Cheater calls Golf a Sport!

Throughout the year, we bloggers at Golfstinks like to poll our valued readers on all things golf. In 2010, we received some interesting poll results and this past year was no different.

We conducted several polls in 2011, and below we highlight the results of five of them. What have we learned? Well, that golfers are drinkers and club-breakers and cheaters, of course!

Let's begin in October, when we asked how you cheat at golf. Mind you, we already knew you were a cheater...we just wanted to know how. Are you a rule-bender or a rule-breaker? Turns out 78% of the 37 respondents are rule-benders (golfers who will take the occasional Mulligan or gimmie putt, etc.). Just 8% of you were rule-breakers (golfers who will kick their ball to a better lie or conveniently forget to take a stroke when the situation warrants it). Which leaves 13% of you as liars - or those who claim to neither bend nor break the rules.

Back in February, we wanted to know if you've ever broken a club in anger. Well, the majority (62%) of you haven't. But of the 48 golfers who took this poll, 29% said they've broken a club in anger once. Interestingly, 8% admit to being an "occasional" club-breaker. We wish we were a little more specific in this poll answer (e.g. what does "occasional" mean)? Either way, golfers beware: Club-breakers are out there, so don't let them get their hands on your new Callaway!

In September, we asked the age-old question; Is golf a sport? We received some interesting comments both for and against it being a sport (many see it as just a "game"). But the poll results were not as split. Of the 51 respondents, 62% said yes, golf is indeed a sport; while 37% said no it wasn't. There's still time to vote is this poll - so feel free to add your 2 cents!

In another February poll, we wanted to know how often you visited the 19-hole after your round. Well, according this this poll (and its 59 respondents), it seems about a third of the golfers out there typically belly-up to the bar after nearly every round. What's interesting is that another third typically skip the 19th-hole altogether and head home. And what about the final third? Well, for them it depends - about half the time they'll head in for a drink or some food, while the other half of the time they'll just hit the road. Ah the lonely life of a 19th-hole bar tender...

Our final 2011 poll is from June, when we wanted to know if golf daily deal sites were putting traditional golf merchants out of business. Well, 47% (out of the 69 respondents) answered in the negative, while just 26% said "yes" - golf daily deal sites were indeed killing traditional golf businesses. What made this poll interesting though was that 26% also said it was "too early to tell" if golf deal sites were bad for traditional establishments. Thus there seems to be some concern about these daily deal sites and their potential impact within the golf world - which may not bode too well for an already struggling industry.

So, all you club-breaking cheaters who call golf a sport - Keep an eye out for more interesting golf polls from Golfstinks in 2012!

Related Posts:
You Beer-Drinking, Cigar-Smoking, Club-Throwing, Late-Arriving, Sorry Excuse for a Golfer!

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Attention Public Golf Courses: Make Room for Judge Smails

Ready to trade-in that private club membership yet? No matter; there's a chance your golf course will do it for you. According the National Golf Foundation (NGF), 94 18-hole private courses switched over to public courses in 2010.

Compare that to only 22 that switched from public to private and you start to realize what the golf real estate boom of decades past (coupled with the current economy) has done to private golf clubs. What's more, public golf courses have increased in number in the U.S. nearly 6 percent over the last 10 years; compared to private courses, which have increased just 2 percent.

That being said, I'd like to take this time to welcome private club members to public golf course life. If your country club has been downgraded converted to a daily fee track, don't fret - there's still plenty of top drawer fun to be had. You just need to brush-up on some of your public golf course etiquette:

Firstly; Please take heed of the dress code: Collared shirts must not cost more than $30 and must never be tucked in. Shorts (I'm pretty sure long pants are forbidden) must not have little whales, ducks or other wildlife embroidered all over them. Also, wearing an ascot around your neck or sweater across your shoulders is an open invitation for a 9-iron enema...consider yourself warned.

Second; Please don't linger in the club house before or after your round. Range balls aren't free, so there's no reason to show up too early for your tee-time. And if you're not scoffing-down a bucket of hot-wings in the 19th-hole post round, then you probably should be driving home...after all, you should carve-out some time on the weekend to see your spouse and children.

Third; There's going to be a wait on a few holes and you need to remember to remain calm. Take a deep breath (bring a paper bag to breathe into if necessary). This anxiety will pass once you come to terms with the fact that the round is going to take longer than 3 hours. Also, while you're out on the course, you may get stuck behind a foursome that will appear to have never played golf before. Don't worry - this is the Tennis Shoe Crowd and they are a completely normal occurrence. Simply play through when they are all in the woods searching for their drives.

Let me think...are there any more tips? Well these are a good starting point. Remember, there's going to be an adjustment period, but don't let that discourage you. Playing on a public golf course is nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, think of all the interesting people you will meet...like me! Just try to keep your chin up (not because you're depressed over losing your elite status, but because if the Tennis Shoe Crowd is teeing off, you don't want to get smacked in the face with an errant shot).

See you in April!

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Throw, Throw, Throw your Club like an A-Hole on the Green...

...Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily yell and be obscene. Everybody! Throw, throw, throw your club...

I can't tell you how many clubs I've seen go flying across the golf course in my lifetime. I've been guilty myself of tossing a club after a wretched shot - though I'll typically throw it towards the base of my golf bag (it releases the anger, yet there's no need for me to walk 30 yards out of my way to retrieve it).

I have one golfing buddy who will throw a golf club at least once a round - and he doesn't do it for amusement either - he's genuinely so angry at himself that he'll let it fly like Peyton tossing one from mid-field into the end zone.

When my fellow stinky golfers and I first started playing with him, we'd all laugh out loud (much to his chagrin) while watching his 7-iron float down the fairway. One time we had to make a human chain so we could retrieve his club from a pond! But then the amusement began to wear off. The problem was he'd remain angry and it would keep him from enjoying the rest of his round.

For a time, we would just chuckle under our breath when he'd let the war sticks soar, in hopes he wouldn't get more angry from our laughter. But now? Now it's just kind of annoying. I want to say: "Come on man, it's only a game." Ah, but those words are like fingernails on a chalkboard to someone like him. He's a good guy, but takes golf (in my opinion) way too seriously. And there are plenty of others just like him.

What is it about this game that brings out so much anger? I guess one possibility is the competitive nature of sports in general. As I mentioned above, I've thrown a few clubs in my day, but I don't think I was unapproachable afterwards. I would quickly snap out of it by the time I bent down to pick up my club. But the competitiveness in some people won't let them forget so easily.

Hey, getting angry at yourself after a terrible shot (or after a series of terrible shots) is understandable. But you need to quickly put it behind you. Golf is a calm and patient game - if you don't embody those qualities out on the course, you may be forever frustrated with this sport.

So if you're a frequent club tosser, keep in mind what you're projecting about your personality to your playing partners. Are they laughing on the outside, but shaking their heads at you on the inside?

How Often Do You Throw Your Golf Clubs?

PS: In no way do I condone club throwing. And my apologies if "Row, Row, Row your Boat" is stuck in your head the rest of the day like it was for me yesterday after I wrote this.

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