Summer time is a great time to hang with friends. Whether it is hiking, biking, camping, or even just going to the lake, it is time to grab your buddies and go play. However, some of the most intense and fun times can be had on the golf course, especially if you have a good group who commit to playing regularly.
Golf is a strange game; hitting a small, dimpled ball with a variety of metal sticks around a beautiful park into a number of tiny, precisely cut holes. But golf is more than a competitive game that is a little unusual. It is an often-used excuse to hang out with good friends for long periods of time on a regular basis.
With that said, we need to take note of the plethora of playing groups around the Flathead Valley. I would bet that every golf course has several groups that play regularly with some even reaching the 8-12 range in terms of the number of players.
What is crazy is that many of these groups take on names that are indicative of the cast of characters who make up that group. At Buffalo Hill, where I am a member, our group is called Stumps Pumps, but then there are the Golf Angels (retired teachers), Metcalf’s Noon Bunch (Mr. Metcalf is 92 years old), Whiffs (businessmen/league team), and Brannigans (businessmen/league team), and the “Newly Retired” Saturday Morning Group. Of course, there are many other groups both formally and informally named.
Let me tell you a little bit about our group. These guys have been playing together for over 25 years. Now, I haven’t been playing with them that long, but I have recently made my way into their group over the last year or so. A tough proposition, if you want to know the truth.
Of course, they all have nicknames based on some physical feature or lack thereof or otherwise. There is our pencil-whipping scorekeeper, Stumpy, and our handicap guru and tee-time maker, Tommy. Then there is the ambidextrous Billy G, and Mr. Interesting, Sheff, and finally, Happy Harland. Others that join us occasionally are Long & Tall, Fat Guy with Glasses, Wally, Cub, and DW.
Our group is known for a few things. One, we play by the rules. There are no gimmies. We putt everything out even if it is just a couple of inches. Also, we play the ball as it lies. No bumping the ball to get a better lie. Secondly, we turn every score into the handicap system whether good or bad. We want true handicaps. Thirdly, we play by the honor system. We call penalties on ourselves even when no one is looking. Everyone wants to feel right about their round of golf after we finish. And finally, we play for money, not a lot of money, but just enough to keep our attention. In fact, there are so many little games that we need an official scorekeeper to keep track of it all.
Golfers (along with fisherman) are known to want to talk about their exploits. We have a rule for excessively talking about one’s golf game and it is called the 90-10 rule — 90 percent don’t care how you played and the other 10 percent hope you played worse than they did. And if there is whining involved, there is a common phrase that they will throw back in your face: “shut up and play better.” There are no excuses in our group.
Golf is a funny game, but when friends are involved there is a great reason to go play. I believe it is good to compete especially as you get older, and just because you are working and raising families doesn’t mean a little time on the golf course isn’t good for your soul. It’s summer time. Tee it up!