Question:
down here, probably at least half of the pros i know drink quite heavily and that includes while they’re golfing.
In other words, they are alcoholics. Nothing positive here. Rob — RSG Rollcall: http://u1.netgate.net/~kirby34/rsg/hamiltonr.htm
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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – "Joe Steichen" what is it about golf that people associate so strongly with drinking? [.....] It has always struck me as a bit odd that golf courses may very well be the only places in our civilized society where you are encouraged — indeed, often REQUIRED — to take a cart, to purchase beverages (some of which contain alcohol) from the refreshment cart, and to play fast. So in essence, the golf course industry promotes drinking and driving and rapidly firing flying projectiles. Heck, if this were happening anywhere else in our society, there would be a public outcry for the enactment of laws to prohibit it. Randy
Doubt it would be tolerated at the local tennis club or God forbid a shooting range!!! What gets me is that we are all aware of the problems of drinking and driving, yet here is a golf course actively promoting it!!! What really bothers me is after the round, when the yahoos have drank their way into oblivion, after a 6 hour round, is that they climb in their cars and drive away!! The golf course operators are, IMHO, laying themselves wide open to lawsuits should a tragedy occur. Has anyone heard of any lawsuits being brought in these circumstances?? David — RSG Roll Call http://u1.netgate.net/~kirby34/rsg/sneddond.htm
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Beer goes well with kangaroo BBQ… Stuart
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It’s just my opinion — and others are free to disagree — but if I see people playing golf and they’re chugging one right after another, those people are not, in my view, *real* golfers. They may be sportsmen who are out playing a game to have fun, but I’d be shocked if they knew much about this great game, its traditions and rich history. Hell, they probably don’t even remember where they parked their car. And 999 times out of a thousand (or maybe even more frequently), they can’t play a lick.
maybe you live in the bible belt? down here, probably at least half of the pros i know drink quite heavily and that includes while they’re golfing. all of them can play quite well too. i drink while i’m playing and i’m better than "can’t play a lick". if it’s a weekend, i’m playing 18 holes, and the pace is horribly slow, drinking usually helps my game. drinking gives me something other to do than to just sit there and wait. So in essence, the golf course industry promotes drinking and driving and rapidly firing flying projectiles.
golf courses do not promote drinking alcoholic beverages. they have them available if you decide you want some. ever golfed a course that didn’t serve alcohol? i’ve golfed plenty of them. should i think they were promoting drinking coke or powerade or water? charlie Before you buy.
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Personally, I don’t like to drink beer while playing. It affects my concentration / co-ordination (and the way I play…I need every bit of it 
). But if it makes you happy or helps your game…..indulge. I save the beer for the 19th hole. That’s just me. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -"Joe Steichen" what is it about golf that people associate so strongly with drinking? You put guys outdoors in the hot summer sun and there’s going to be beer consumed. That’s just a fact of life. I don’t think it has as much to do with golf as it has to do with guys being outdoors with other guys in the hot sun. *Real* golfers — I mean the ones who take their games seriously, who are students of the game, and who spend their time on the course focusing on giving their best effort on every shot — don’t usually drink alcoholic beverages of any kind while they’re playing. That’s not to say they *never* do, but in most cases, they don’t. It’s just my opinion — and others are free to disagree — but if I see people playing golf and they’re chugging one right after another, those people are not, in my view, *real* golfers. They may be sportsmen who are out playing a game to have fun, but I’d be shocked if they knew much about this great game, its traditions and rich history. Hell, they probably don’t even remember where they parked their car. And 999 times out of a thousand (or maybe even more frequently), they can’t play a lick. That’s not to say they have no right to be out there enjoying this great game. They most certainly do (though I hope I’m safely home by the time they venture out on the road). Personally, I don’t drink. I don’t have a problem with people who do (though I’m not too keen on being around them if they’ve had too many). I just don’t like the taste. But even if I did drink, I don’t think I’d be especially prone to drinking while playing golf. I play for enjoyment, and I get a lot more enjoyment out of it when I play my best. That said, if drinking beer would enhance my chances to play my best more often, then by golly, I could acquire a taste for it. But something tells me it doesn’t quite work that way. It has always struck me as a bit odd that golf courses may very well be the only places in our civilized society where you are encouraged — indeed, often REQUIRED — to take a cart, to purchase beverages (some of which contain alcohol) from the refreshment cart, and to play fast. So in essence, the golf course industry promotes drinking and driving and rapidly firing flying projectiles. Heck, if this were happening anywhere else in our society, there would be a public outcry for the enactment of laws to prohibit it. Randy
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So in essence, the golf course industry promotes drinking and driving and rapidly firing flying projectiles. Heck, if this were happening anywhere else in our society, there would be a public outcry for the enactment of laws to prohibit it.
I was reading about golf injuries and fatalities yesterday and it occured to me that if golf were invented today, lacking years of tradition, there would be a Federal law requiring safety helmets, face guards, throat protection, an atheletic cup, etc. And knee protection. I just read about a pro who hit out of the rough, bounced the ball off a tree and back at himself, breaking his kneecap with it. Ouch. — It’s only a hobby … only a hobby … only a
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I like golf. I like beer. I can’t enjoy both simultaneously. Drinking severely louses up my golf game (like it can stand any more damage). Playing bad golf severely louses up my enjoyment of drinking. The only time I’ll drink on the course anymore is during those dreaded corporate events – and, even then, I won’t have a beer until we get to the Diet Coke, however, is another matter. I don’t see how ANYONE can get through a round without a couple of Diet Cokes. Diet Coke – Breakfast of Champions.
I’d rather have water of a sports drink… dsc – acssysdsc
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But yet again, maybe that’s why they call it "Tiddly" Winks. JT
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Well it is in Australia, but then again, so is Tiddly Winks. JT
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Then I began wondering, what is it about golf that people associate so strongly with drinking? Let me point out that I have no problem with those who like to drink while they golf. To each his own. But I’m not sure I understand the correlation that is so strong in some people’s minds. We were looking at a little over two hours this afternoon since the pace was so slow. Did it never occur to these guys to play the round and have a few beers afterward? I’ve grabbed a beer off the cart when I’m on a golf trip or whatever, but I don’t see it as a necessary component of the game. Hell, I’ve worked very hard at improving my golf game. I don’t need anything to make it harder to focus. I was just wondering if anyone has any thoughts to share.
For some of the folks that I work with, beer, etc. seems to go along with everything. Beer and sex. Beer and wake up call. Beer and work. Beer and music. Beer and sunshine. Beer and rain. etc. etc. etc. ad infinitum and unfortunately ad nauseum. I suspect the combination of golf and beer has more to do with beer than with golf. I recall an interesting drama that I witnessed last year. One group two groups ahead of me was clearly intoxicated – bellicose slurred laughter being the primary indicator. And some of us talk about slow —- man, these guys spent probably 5-7 minutes apiece trying to hit each shot sometimes with extremely poor results including some wiffs. The group immediately ahead of us frequently screamed at them to get moving and even fired some drives at them as I recall. Fortunately, the inebriated group only played er uh partied for 9 holes. Made me think of investing in a cell phone. Jeff Finkbiner
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Well it is in Australia, but then again, so is Tiddly Winks. JT
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I like golf. I like beer. I can’t enjoy both simultaneously. Drinking severely louses up my golf game (like it can stand any more damage). Playing bad golf severely louses up my enjoyment of drinking. The only time I’ll drink on the course anymore is during those dreaded corporate events – and, even then, I won’t have a beer until we get to the Diet Coke, however, is another matter. I don’t see how ANYONE can get through a round without a couple of Diet Cokes. Diet Coke – Breakfast of Champions. — http://home.midsouth.rr.com/joecartpath RSG Roll Call: http://u1.netgate.net/~kirby34/rsg/reedj.htm
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Here in Atlanta I would say that greater than 75% of the people I see on the golf course have a cooler of beer in their cart or they’ve just bought a few from the "beverage bi" as they like to call her. Lots of times I’m the only one not drinking. The only time I drink at the course is after the round and then maybe one or two. One ex-foursome member of mine used to drink like crazy. He managed one the local Hiltons and he used to bring boxes of those little miniatures with him. He averaged about 10 or 12 of those during a round. The first few times I played with him I lost a ton of money because I kept upping the ante after he had about 7 or 8. I figured there was no way he could hit the ball after that many. Wrong! The more he drank the better he got. I changed my tactics and tried to squeeze him while he was still sober, hoping that I could rack up enough winnings to cover me when he hit his prime, around number 10. That’s bottles my friend, not holes. Even though he drank like a fish he loved the game and respected it. He never caused a problem (except to his ex-wife). So, I don’t care if people drink while they play as long as they respect those of us who don’t like to while we are playing. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I was home this afternoon and had a few hours to kill before I needed to be anywhere, so I headed out for a quick nine at the local course. Forgive me for being so naive, as I haven’t played on a weekend in quite some time. Hence, it turned out to be a not-so-quick nine. No problem for me, since it was about 75F and sunny today. I was content to enjoy the afternoon in any event. Now, to the point of my post. I wound up playing along with a pilot from New York who is based in Detroit. We played the first two holes, waiting on the group ahead before each shot. On the tee of the third hole, we caught up to the twosome in front of us. The two guys turned around and nodded, seeming polite enough. Then they began bitching and whining about the rangers not speeding up play. These are the same two who spent half their time looking for their tee shots in the rough 50 yards in front of the tee. I doubt that they would have been very quick anyway. I casually observed that the rangers at this particular course spend most of their time looking for golf balls. These two launched into a tirade about the a-hole who made them leave their cooler in the car, so now their beer was getting warm in their golf bags. Their foul language caused us to politely decline their invitation to play along. Then I began wondering, what is it about golf that people associate so strongly with drinking? Let me point out that I have no problem with those who like to drink while they golf. To each his own. But I’m not sure I understand the correlation that is so strong in some people’s minds. We were looking at a little over two hours this afternoon since the pace was so slow. Did it never occur to these guys to play the round and have a few beers afterward? I’ve grabbed a beer off the cart when I’m on a golf trip or whatever, but I don’t see it as a necessary component of the game. Hell, I’ve worked very hard at improving my golf game. I don’t need anything to make it harder to focus. I was just wondering if anyone has any thoughts to share. Joe
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Living in Europe and having played in many different countries I’ve never seen anyone drink beer on a golf course. After the round, sure, but never when playing. I suppose a such person would be considered very strange being unable to enjoy golf in itself. Maybe we take golf even too seriously here?
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I was home this afternoon and had a few hours to kill before I needed to be anywhere, so I headed out for a quick nine at the local course. Forgive me for being so naive, as I haven’t played on a weekend in quite some time. Hence, it turned out to be a not-so-quick nine. No problem for me, since it was about 75F and sunny today. I was content to enjoy the afternoon in any event. Now, to the point of my post. I wound up playing along with a pilot from New York who is based in Detroit. We played the first two holes, waiting on the group ahead before each shot. On the tee of the third hole, we caught up to the twosome in front of us. The two guys turned around and nodded, seeming polite enough. Then they began bitching and whining about the rangers not speeding up play. These are the same two who spent half their time looking for their tee shots in the rough 50 yards in front of the tee. I doubt that they would have been very quick anyway. I casually observed that the rangers at this particular course spend most of their time looking for golf balls. These two launched into a tirade about the a-hole who made them leave their cooler in the car, so now their beer was getting warm in their golf bags. Their foul language caused us to politely decline their invitation to play along. Then I began wondering, what is it about golf that people associate so strongly with drinking? Let me point out that I have no problem with those who like to drink while they golf. To each his own. But I’m not sure I understand the correlation that is so strong in some people’s minds. We were looking at a little over two hours this afternoon since the pace was so slow. Did it never occur to these guys to play the round and have a few beers afterward? I’ve grabbed a beer off the cart when I’m on a golf trip or whatever, but I don’t see it as a necessary component of the game. Hell, I’ve worked very hard at improving my golf game. I don’t need anything to make it harder to focus. I was just wondering if anyone has any thoughts to share. Joe
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It isn’t any different over the Ambassador Bridge, either, Joe. Why beer drinking and golf are seen as mutually acceptable joint pasttimes are beyond my ken. It is now of course sanctioned, if you like, by the courses themselves. Seeing that they were losing revenue by people bringing their own, they chose not to ban it outright and enforce it, but to rig out a cart with coolers and a girl to drive it around. The mighty $$ wins again. If you want to have *a* beer on the course – fine but I really do not see the neccessity of it at all. In the UK, I have never, ever, seen anyone drinking on a golf course – they realise that golf is played on the course and beer is drunk in the bar and never the twain shall meet. Certainly wish it was like that in N.America – which gets me onto the subject of golf carts David — RSG Roll Call http://u1.netgate.net/~kirby34/rsg/sneddond.htm
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – <SNIP I can understand the aspect of drinking beer on the golf course. And, I won’t say that I will never drink on the course again. I know, at some point, that type of outing will occur. It’s just not the norm anymore. I can also say that, to the best of my recollection, I have never had a bad encounter with anyone drinking on the course. I assume most are pretty casual about it, and, are their for a nice day out with friends. Golf, like most other activities, can definately be spoiled by the few who probably do the same thing in other social settings. I didn’t mean to imply that their behavior and their drinking were entirely related. These guys were the type you can picture in a biker bar starting a fight. That they were drinking seemed to be just another factor. I’ve observed the perception of golf as a beer drinking game even among people who don’t golf. Some people, upon hearing I’m headed out for a round of golf, will automatically ask "Having a few beers eh?" No, I’m going to play golf, a very challenging and humbling game as I see it. Today’s events caused me to finally ask, but I’ve wondered about this perceived link for quite some time. Joe
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"Joe Steichen" what is it about golf that people associate so strongly with drinking?
You put guys outdoors in the hot summer sun and there’s going to be beer consumed. That’s just a fact of life. I don’t think it has as much to do with golf as it has to do with guys being outdoors with other guys in the hot sun. *Real* golfers — I mean the ones who take their games seriously, who are students of the game, and who spend their time on the course focusing on giving their best effort on every shot — don’t usually drink alcoholic beverages of any kind while they’re playing. That’s not to say they *never* do, but in most cases, they don’t. It’s just my opinion — and others are free to disagree — but if I see people playing golf and they’re chugging one right after another, those people are not, in my view, *real* golfers. They may be sportsmen who are out playing a game to have fun, but I’d be shocked if they knew much about this great game, its traditions and rich history. Hell, they probably don’t even remember where they parked their car. And 999 times out of a thousand (or maybe even more frequently), they can’t play a lick. That’s not to say they have no right to be out there enjoying this great game. They most certainly do (though I hope I’m safely home by the time they venture out on the road). Personally, I don’t drink. I don’t have a problem with people who do (though I’m not too keen on being around them if they’ve had too many). I just don’t like the taste. But even if I did drink, I don’t think I’d be especially prone to drinking while playing golf. I play for enjoyment, and I get a lot more enjoyment out of it when I play my best. That said, if drinking beer would enhance my chances to play my best more often, then by golly, I could acquire a taste for it. But something tells me it doesn’t quite work that way. It has always struck me as a bit odd that golf courses may very well be the only places in our civilized society where you are encouraged — indeed, often REQUIRED — to take a cart, to purchase beverages (some of which contain alcohol) from the refreshment cart, and to play fast. So in essence, the golf course industry promotes drinking and driving and rapidly firing flying projectiles. Heck, if this were happening anywhere else in our society, there would be a public outcry for the enactment of laws to prohibit it. Randy
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For the unfortunate people that don’t get to play every day, those once a week or less golfers, a round is a big event to them. I see them, usually with their big once a week cigars and hidden coolers full of beer. They tend to be drunk by rounds end. They also seem to get out of rotation at the turn and screw up the line-up. We refer to them as the amatuers around my parts. I would like to see a course with no club-house at the turn. don
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Then I began wondering, what is it about golf that people associate so strongly with drinking?
Stupidity perhaps? There’s no mention of beverages in the Rules, and you don’t learn it in a golf lesson. It’s for after the round, or a refresher at the turn, not between shots for 4 straight hours. I’m sorry, but I’m also sick of social alcoholics who rely on beer to ‘have fun’ and justify their lack of personality and appreciation for the real things in life. Dave – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Joe
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If you like Beer, and you’re hot and thirsty, help yourself. I’ve always had a great deal of respect for the recuperative powers contained in a Miller Genuine Draft. Beer is quite nutritious, much better than `sports drinks’ or sodas. On the other hand, I would recommend keeping your intake down to two or three a round. If you’re drinking one a hole, you’ve got a serious problem. Personally, a couple of beers helps my short game, smooths out the stroke. Much more than that plays hell with my full swing.
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The beer industry has convinced a large number of suckers that ANY social event requires beer, and thus we have a substantial cadre of individuals who MUST drink beer every time they are involved in any public social event. No doubt, they think they are "cool" like the actors in the beer commercials on television, when in fact, they are merely alcoholics.
They may be alcoholics or they may just be drunks… there is a difference. dsc – acssysdsc
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Living in Europe and having played in many different countries I’ve never seen anyone drink beer on a golf course. After the round, sure, but never when playing. I suppose a such person would be considered very strange being unable to enjoy golf in itself. Maybe we take golf even too seriously here?
Maybe some of my fellow Americans take their beer too seriously? And I don’t mean in the way real beer lovers take their beer seriously… more along the lines of "I can’t enjoy myself if I’m not drinking." I’ve had too many in my family like that. — Hey, I ran Windows the other day, and it didn’t crash!
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Wait a minute. I’ve seen it on the course in the U.K. too. Art
If you want to have *a* beer on the course – fine but I really do not see the neccessity of it at all. In the UK, I have never, ever, seen anyone drinking on a golf course – they realise that golf is played on the course and beer is drunk in the bar and never the twain shall meet. Certainly wish it was like that in N.America – which gets me onto the subject of golf carts
<snip
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The beer industry has convinced a large number of suckers that ANY social event requires beer, and thus we have a substantial cadre of individuals who MUST drink beer every time they are involved in any public social event. No doubt, they think they are "cool" like the actors in the beer commercials on television, when in fact, they are merely alcoholics. Rob – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I was home this afternoon and had a few hours to kill before I needed to be anywhere, so I headed out for a quick nine at the local course. Forgive me for being so naive, as I haven’t played on a weekend in quite some time. Hence, it turned out to be a not-so-quick nine. No problem for me, since it was about 75F and sunny today. I was content to enjoy the afternoon in any event. Now, to the point of my post. I wound up playing along with a pilot from New York who is based in Detroit. We played the first two holes, waiting on the group ahead before each shot. On the tee of the third hole, we caught up to the twosome in front of us. The two guys turned around and nodded, seeming polite enough. Then they began bitching and whining about the rangers not speeding up play. These are the same two who spent half their time looking for their tee shots in the rough 50 yards in front of the tee. I doubt that they would have been very quick anyway. I casually observed that the rangers at this particular course spend most of their time looking for golf balls. These two launched into a tirade about the a-hole who made them leave their cooler in the car, so now their beer was getting warm in their golf bags. Their foul language caused us to politely decline their invitation to play along. Then I began wondering, what is it about golf that people associate so strongly with drinking? Let me point out that I have no problem with those who like to drink while they golf. To each his own. But I’m not sure I understand the correlation that is so strong in some people’s minds. We were looking at a little over two hours this afternoon since the pace was so slow. Did it never occur to these guys to play the round and have a few beers afterward? I’ve grabbed a beer off the cart when I’m on a golf trip or whatever, but I don’t see it as a necessary component of the game. Hell, I’ve worked very hard at improving my golf game. I don’t need anything to make it harder to focus. I was just wondering if anyone has any thoughts to share. Joe
– RSG Rollcall: http://u1.netgate.net/~kirby34/rsg/hamiltonr.htm