Golfer's Number One MELTDOWN

Let me spit it out right now. S-L-O-W play is the number one reason golfers go ballistic and meltdown on the course. At least, according to a discussion group I initiated and moderated on LinkedIn last fall. Hundreds of golfers worldwide opined on the reasons and remedies.

Here are the top four reasons this nasty behavior manifests on some of the most beautiful places on the planet:

1) Slow play       2) Cheating         3) Lack of etiquette          4) Getting hit into

Slow play accounted for 51% of all votes. The other three pulled about equal respones, each accounting for another 15-18% of the responses. Clearly, slow play was the biggest winner, or should I say biggest looser. I will comment further on the last 3 in future posts. But for now, here are some of the offered remedies from the study:
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 Understand how to play ready golf. Each player needs to be responsible for getting to their ball and ready to execute their shot, even if it's not their turn. If you are ready to hit your ball, go ahead. As long as no one is in front of you, grip it and rip it.

Pick up you ball when your score on any hole is becoming embarrassing. It is good for clearing your mind and provides you with a fresh start.

In match play, when you are hopelessly out of the hole, take the high road and concede the hole.

Give up the "Pro Golfer" approach to reading putts by looking at it from five angles.


Add your score on the NEXT TEE, not the green just finished.

Upon reaching the green, position your cart or golf bag in the walk off area toward the next tee. Never go backwards to get your cart or bag.

Here is one I contributed: When playing with your little and inexperienced youngsters, have them tee off from 50 -100 yards off the green, instead of the tee. This way you do not hold up players behind you waiting for your youngster to chase their ball down the fairway. The kids like this too and they do not have to compete with your tee shot.

A sage course marshal told me the first 6 holes of every course set the tone for pace of play for the remaining 12 holes. If the course is clogged on these holes, it is going to be a very long day. Be ready to play at a good pace on your first 6 holes to keep it all moving.

 I am sure you also have some valuable advice on how to ameliorate slow play. Please offer your remedies for slow play by adding your comments to this post.

Thanks for playing your round in no more than 4:10.

He Shoots. He Scores, He is . . Even Par Every Day.

Isn't it funny, perhaps even curious, how some things just happen? A while back,  on board a westbound 757 out of Chicago heading for Albuquerque, I had the most memorable encounter, even for me.

Soon after takeoff I reached for my copy of Ben Hogan's "Five Lessons" with plans to re-read it for the 5th time. Yes, the 5th time. You see, the first lesson, "The Grip" is 18 pages long and must be mastered before moving to the second lesson.

No sooner do I open the book when the passenger next to me says, "That sure is a great book." I nod and continue reading without commenting. "What do you shoot?" he asked next. "Low to mid 80's" was my reply. I am not anti-social, but I make it a practice of not engaging in small talk with strangers while flying. His next comment really caught my attention when he mentioned he "shoots par every day."  The way he said it intrigued me. "You mean you have shot par or occasionally shoot par.", I replied. "No, I shoot par every time I play."

I soon discovered my fellow passenger, a professor from Cornell, played his campus course every day after his classes and did indeed shoot par every single time he teed it up. The imaginative and beautiful way he achieved this was pure and simple: he stopped playing, quit his round, and walked off after completing 72 strokes!!!. He shared his goal each time out was to go as far as possible in 72 strokes. Instead of concentrating on swing tips and other mind sapping golf instructions, he  only thought about getting as far as possible around the course in 72 strokes. His game improved dramatically with this approach. He repurposed his goals. Why couldn't I do that myself?

Well, I have never forgotten this tale and utilize it today with a slight modification: I do finish my round and post my actual score. I make a mental note, and also one on my scorecard, of exactly where I finished my 72nd stroke. My goal is keep it moving closer and closer to the 18th green. Nothing in my head except going as far and deep into the course as possible. I know if I make it past the 15th hole  I have a chance for a good score; past the 16th, a very good score; past the 17th and I am at the gates of a very low round, and even par maybe. Broke 80 three times last year with this approach.

Kind of gives a new meaning to "going deep" doesn't it?

Rob Pritts, Renaissance Man For Sure

This is a reprint of my blog I posted earlier this year on Rob Pritts. It is well worth re-visiting again. Rob is my featured guest. this week on  The Retired Coach Radio Show

Tune in live this Wednesday at 10:00 am  or circle back later at your leisure for the podcast.


 This is a remarkable story. See if you agree.

Last week, while on a golf related assignment, I had the opportunity to visit with Rob Pritts, CEO of Back 9 Promotions, on the phone from his Atlanta office. During our 45 minute conversation, he shared his journey with me. It will restore your faith in mankind.

A successful banker with 15 years of financial success at the corporate level with a major lender became yet another laid off, downsized professional looking for work. While figuring out his next employment step, he became aware of a neighbor with stage 4 lung cancer in need of financial assistance. The neighbor, a single dad raising two children and unemployed himself due to his never ending medical appointments, was in dire straits. Mr. Pritts understood the suffering this family was experiencing and wanted to do something to alleviate their pain. At the time, he was not financially able to aid his neighbor, so he did the next best thing. He figured out what he could do was raise money for his neighbor's cause. After all, Rob was a banker, with immense fiscal knowledge and deep connections to his community. This led him to initiate a group effort for a golf marathon in hopes of raising $500 to help his neighbor. What followed was certainly an unintended outcome of being unemployed.

In less than 2 weeks, his group raised $8,000 and Rob envisioned golf events being able to provide financial support to others needing assistance. Out of the vision, Back 9 Promotions was born.

Rob now runs golf fundraisers nationwide. In fact, I have already volunteered to work at his August event in Richmond, VA. Back9Promotions is about helping others in the back 9 of life that need a mulligan. Those who need a good bounce of the ball and a sense of hope in a sometimes hopeless situation is what Back 9 Promotions is all about. Their admirable goal is to assist charitable organizations raise funds via golf to enhance the lives of others who face overpowering challenges in their lives.

For more information on this great man and company, take the time to visit his web page Back 9 Promotions  and discover how you may join his cause and help raise funds for those less fortunate.

Oh, What A Night!

Last Monday I traveled to Charlottesville, VA (some 80 miles) to take in the Maryland vs. Virginia women's basketball game. As a season ticket holder this was nothing exceptional on my part. Plus I was in need of a break from my golf social media assignments. This promised to be a close encounter with both teams sporting  very young lineups. It was. UVA shot 31% from the floor and Maryland had 28 turnovers but the Terrapins still won by a single point. The night belonged to Virginia fourth year superstar, Monica Wright, who set the Virginia total scoring record and surpassed Dawn Staley's long standing milestone. Staley is now the head coach at South Carolina.

The game was on ESPN and I had the opportunity to meet and visit with two of the folks I follow on Twitter.  Having lived in Connecticut for many years I naturally became a fan of the UCONN women's highly successful basketball team. The first recognizable star and ambassador of this program was Rebecca Lobo who was serving as the sideline reporter for this game as well as tweeting updates on the contest. We chatted for a few minutes after the game and I shared with her I was one of her 12,394 followers. Hey, how many of them actually met her, like me? I congratulated her on her recently announced induction into the collegiate basketball hall of fame and mentioned how much I enjoy her commentary.

Also spent some time with Carolyn Peck, ESPN analyst. As one of her 1,927 followers,  I mentioned how much I enjoy her tweets, especially  her trials and tribulations traveling to all her games. Peck, a former coach, led the Purdue Boilermakers to the 1999 women's national championship.

These two gracious women were kind enough to spend a few minutes with me before they headed off to their next assignment. Exciting for me; most likely not a big deal for them. Perhaps this was a social media encounter of unintended outcomes. Just a few enjoyable minutes with 2 of the 1,624 people I have been following from my desktop.

Tiger Could Use the Green Weenie

The Pittsburgh Pirates, back in the days when they were competitive, were like all baseball teams a superstitious bunch. To prove the point they would aim a green weenie like sponge at the opposing team to help them achieve results and win some games. The original green weenie was a sponge that covered the top of a crutch used by an injured Pirate. It soon became a promotional item of epic proportion. Tri-state businesses sponsored Green Weenie give-aways and fans were asked to point the weenie at the opposing batter or pitcher. I was there for one of the original promotions and cherished my prize from that moment on. Always with me and  on display in the various offices I occupied over the years to ward off slumping sales or office idiots. Use to take it with me to all of my kids athletic contests to keep their opponents at bay. I believed in the magic, but soon learned a valuable lesson in this type of hocus-pocus Sometimes it can backfire. Like the time I was aiming it at the opposing hockey goalie when my son, Tucker, skated past the goalie and unexplainably, fell to the ice with an injury. Lesson learned. After that, I put it away, only to be discovered many years later by my seven year old granddaughter, Ava. Needless to say, she was fascinated by the tale.

This past Christmas I presented my classic, original green weenie to her, along with instructions on how best to use it. Ava is now the keeper of this family sports heirloom. She has the perfect make-up to manage this artifact: curiosity and spunk. After all, who really chases sea gulls at the beach besides Ava? She put it use immediately.Took it with her to her first Globetrotter's basketball game and pointed it at their opponent, the Washington Generals. She called me right after the game to let me know the Original Green Weenie was working very well. It's in her hands now. It will be just fine.