I'm sure most of you agree. But men, what would happen if you got paired with a female golfer who's better than you? Would your ego take an unbearable hit?Golf Digest asked the following question on Facebook and Twitter Monday night:
Let's assume you're a guy who shoots in the mid 80s. Would you rather play with a woman who shoots in the 90s, or one who shoots in the 70s?
The results are in: Fifty four percent of you would rather play with a woman who shoots in the 70s; 22 percent of you don't care, as long as the woman is pleasant and knows golf etiquette; 15 percent of you just want to play with someone who’s cute and single, even if that means she doesn’t know which end of the club to grip; and nine percent of you wouldn’t be able to stomach the idea of getting beaten by a woman.
First, I'd like to ask those of you who only care about "hotness factor" to honestly tell me: Does the idea of playing golf with a hottie who can't break 120 really sound like fun? Wouldn't you rather entertain her with some other activity? Think about that for a second.
As for the nine percent of you whose egos are woefully fragile, how is playing worse than a woman different from playing worse than a man? I'm pretty sure the year is 2012. As Jim Brown says, via Twitter, "If you can't appreciate good golf, you should quit."
Apparently for some men, playing worse than a girl is an issue. Take a recent experience I had on a golf course in Bronx. I arrived as a single, joining three random guys. While I always get the oh-no-we're-about-to-play-with-a-woman look as I head to the first tee, guys usually exhale after they realize I know how to swing a golf club. One curmudgeon in this threesome, however, became blatantly irritated that I was beating him. "I didn't hit mine pure," he said after I outdrove him. And, "I'll go hang myself now," after I hit it closer to the flagstick than he did. He didn't even shake my hand after our round. What a nice New Yorker.
(Related: Are women mistreated in the world of public golf?)
Most of you, however, refreshingly accept the notion of playing with a better female golfer. Justin Cathcart says, via Twitter: "The challenge to step-up my game would be huge and it would be fun for me to try."
And I'll let you in on a little secret: while you're mentally comparing scores and grinding over putts, we're out there to have fun and compete against the course. Trust me, a good female golfer plays with more mediocre men than you can imagine. Loosen up a bit. We'll only remember you for being either pleasant or an ass, not for being a lousy golfer.
--Ashley Mayo
