Page 34 - 2014augsept

You're Not Tiger... so drop your ego and make golf FUN! By The Geezer Golfer, Bill Saxon olf is supposed to be fun. It is a lifetime sport for any age or sex. Sometimes, however, we make it a stressful, frustrating activity. For a long time now, I have played golf and watched it on TV. I wanted to Gbe like Jack. Now, I want to be like Tiger. I have played many a round from the back tees (like a man), but I did not enjoy them much. Three digit scores do not bring much satisfaction. Eventually, I moved up to the middle tees and began to score better and enjoy it more, but nowhere close to par or the elusive birdie. I wondered what it would be like to move up to the forward tees so I could actually reach a green regulation. But, hey!, I couldn't do that. That's for women and old men. It was pointed out to me that I was an old man. Wow! I'm moving up. My scores dropped to mostly two-digit numbers and golf is fun again. Now, I can be competitive with my younger, more fexible golf partners and my language contains far fewer expletives. I came to the realization. You should chose your tees based on your skill level, not your age or sex. Most courses now have multiple sets of tees, as many as six, that serve a wide variety of skill levels. Many of the golf clubs now list which tees you should play from based on your handicap. There is no more men's or women's tees. So, no more ego issues to prevent you from enjoying your round. As your skill level changes, so does your tee box. It would be ridiculous for LPGA pro Michelle Wie, a girl that drives the ball 300 yards, to play the forward tees, while a make beginner, who drives the ball less than half that distance, plays from the back or middle tees. No challenge for her, no success for him. No fun for either. Do you know what is meant by the terms course rating or slope rating? Neither do I. It doesn't matter. I enjoy playing now because I can putt for a birdie like Tiger. ■ page 32 | www.celebrationmagazine.com