Because I love the game. Because I love getting outside and being active. Because I love having something my friends and I can get together and do that isn’t simply sitting around a bar.
I learned a long time ago that I’m not even close to being good enough to truly “compete.” Does that mean I never throw a couple bucks down? Absolutely not. While handicapping is great and makes for even matches, do your juices really flow if you beat someone but got 10 pops? I stopped actively keeping score at least 10 or 15 years ago and I am a much better player now. Before then I had never broken 70. Now I do it at least a couple times a year. Most of the time I have no clue I did it until well after the round when I start to think back and add up the scores.
If I was a low single digit, then yeah, I could see competing. But I’m not going to get my juices flowing if I’m playing someone much better than me and getting a stroke a hole.
I should make it clear that while all my competition comments are firmly tongue-in-cheek, I am the son of a coach and there’s a part of me that really loves that golf is one of the last places where a 54 year old dude with a bad back and an artificial knee can still get into the final group of the Sr. Club Championship and then choke it away, like I did last weekend.
I can’t play the sports I used to play but I can still feel the competitive pressure, and that’s a huge part of why I love golf.
There was a commercial that I love back in the 90’s. I won’t remember the details exactly but I think it had Miller Barber, Tommy Bolt, and some other old PGA Tour guys negotiating a bet on the 1st tee. They debated playing bingo bango bongo, wolf, a nassau, etc. It went around for a bit and finally one of the guys said, “Can’t we just play for fun?”
I think it panned to Tommy Bolt and he immediately said (with no pause), “Let me think about it. I thought about it. No.”
I still use that line in lots of cases, and I’d love to see that commercial again.
As soon as I finished the ep, I went looking for the turquoise/red Sullivan that @Tron was wearing. It’s either not released yet or they’re sold out…
Great to see the stuff in the pro shop being worn by people, you get such a better feel for what you’re ordering (though I’ve loved almost everything I’ve bought in the small shop).
Underrated line that has made me chuckle a lot was from the airports ‘we need a designated survivor’ and the lady’s reaction of ‘oohhhh’. Not entirely sure she knew what the hell was being said
Putting LOL at the end of a sentence doesn’t make competition not important. Or, actually, make your argument any better. LOL. See? Competition is the string that ties the whole Tourist Sauce together, and gives a side story that moves throughout the season and from season to season.
I have no argument
golf is about relationships
competitions are about competing
quota this quota that, wtf is quota?
Tourist Sauce is about Touring
so fun!
I’m going to be a contrarian and say I’d be in the camp that wishes they did a more traditional golf destination. Lots of adventures still to be told in the UK in particular, but plenty of other cool places that could be options.
I’m sure I’ll enjoy the episode and the season but I like getting golf trip ideas from the series and at this point in my life I do like to keep a cultural/adventure vacation/holiday separate from a golf one.
