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He Said, She Said: Can you take money from a woman?

Sunday, July 29, 2012
In a series called "He Said, She Said," Golf Digest Associate Editor Ashley Mayo will address your views on gender-related issues in golf. The former collegiate golfer is 27. She somehow maintains a 5 handicap despite living in Manhattan.

Golf becomes more fun when money is on the line. I’m generally the first person in my foursome to suggest a bet -- anything that won’t break my wallet -- for two main reasons: the added pressure turns the game into a sport; and betting can be a great icebreaker if I’m paired with three guys I’ve never played with before.

But I get upset when I lose and a guy refuses to take my money. I suggested the bet. I played from the correct tees. I didn’t play as well as my opponent. Why should you, Mr. Champion, feel uncomfortable taking my money just because I’m a girl?

That’s why Golf Digest asked the following question, via Twitter and Facebook:


The answers we got varied from “Heck no!” to “OF COURSE!”

Scott, I appreciate your intent. But being a “gentleman” on the course means helping us look for balls and making sure we grab a bottle of cold water when it’s available, not refusing to take our money. We knew the stakes before we agreed to the bet.

Why do the answers to these questions matter, Cilli? Whether you’re married to the girl, dating her or TRYING to date her, a bet is a bet. You should never feel bad about seeing it through.

Smart man, Zach! This is actually a superb idea. Fellas, take note: I’m fairly certain all girls would appreciate this smooth move.

  • Tom Blake, via Facebook: “I wouldn't bet in the first place. It's a no-win situation for me because I wouldn't take her money WHEN I won, but would have to pay up if I lost and that would be double jeopardy.”
Tom, take her money. And isn’t this “double jeopardy” business something you agree to when you bet against a guy? This risk is precisely what makes a bet so exciting, no?

  • Michael Leighton Wolff, via Facebook: “You're supposed to let them win! Haha.”
You’re supposed to let your boss win, Mike, not a girl.

Amen, Andy.

Precisely right, Todd.

  • Kimberley McBee Ward, via Facebook: “My daughter takes her daddy's money every time!”
Kimberly, your daughter is my new hero.

Related: Stina Sternberg's five rules to follow when playing golf with a woman.

Under no circumstance should you ever feel bad about taking money from a female golfer. As Bruce White says, via Facebook, “A bet, and many other things in this world, has no gender.”

--Ashley Mayo

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Punchline writers rip on Lefty's nightmarish stretch of play

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Golf World's Front 9 Punchline Contest gives our readers a chance to be published in each of our issues. That's right, you can see your name right next to golf's movers and chasers.

If you're new to the game, the Punchline Contest gives our fans a voice in every section of the Front 9, in the front of the book of our magazine. Every Sunday, we invite readers to contribute a snappy comment for one item in the Front 9 feature each week. GW feeds the straight line on our Golf World Facebook page; readers contribute the punchline, which we publish (and send them a sleeve of golf balls, too!).

Related: Check out our magazine on Facebook

This week, we asked our Facebook fans for a punchline about Phil Mickelson's surprisingly poor play of late, which we saw up and close and personal at Royal Lytham & St. Annes. Here's the straight line we posted:

After rounds of 73-78, Phil Mickelson continues poor play with MC at the British Open."

The winning punchline, supplied by Gary Faulhaber of Erie, Pa., appears in this week's Open Championship coverage issue (July 30):

"Good thing the voting for the Hall of Fame was done last year."

We narrowed down our punchlines to five finalists. The other four were:

Read more
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"What's wrong with this announcer?" And your other last words from Lytham

Monday, July 23, 2012
It's one thing to watch 8 hours of Open coverage and ride your own emotional seesaw. It's almost as much fun, I think, to relive the event by re-reading everyone else's reactions on the Open forum of our sister site, GolfWRX.com. The 79 pages of 2335 posts are perfect reproduction not only of the play, but also the coverage, the rulings, the commentary as users predict, critique and otherwise opine about what they're seeing. Fun. Here are a few selected posts, mostly from Sunday, along with a couple of emails from Golf World and Golf Digest readers, to give you an idea of how it went. Carvings on the cave wall of one strange major, if you will.

149143972.jpg
First, the coverage critics.
 

Where are you when we need you Johnny Miller? 
Chris Jackson Walpole, MA
Weiskopf has a 2nd career answering telephones for mortuary's if he's interested... 
Tim Meitner
The problem with TV coverage: Tiger, Tiger, Tiger, Tiger, Adam Scott, Tiger, tiger, Tiger, Tiger, Tiger, Graham McDowell, Tiger, advertisement, Tiger, tiger, Tiger, Ernie Els, Tiger, Tiger, Tiger, 54 hole score, Tiger, Tiger, Tiger, swing coach, Tiger, Bubba Watson, Lee Westwood, Tiger, Tiger, Tiger, Tiger, tiger, Hunter Mahan, Tiger Tiger, Tiger, Padraig Harrington, Tiger, tiger, Tiger, Tiger, Tiger, swing coach, Tiger, Tiger, Tiger, Tiger, building new swing, Tiger, Tiger, Phil Mickelson, Tiger, Tiger, Tiger, advertisement, puff piece about Tiger, etc., etc., etc.

John Black

Lexington KY

Sunday morning....and the opinions--predictions--come easy.

 
I think it's too easy. It's boring to watch on TV. The greens aren't challenging. Not picturesque. Just overall a poor location for a major. 
Surfduffer
What's wrong with this announcer? --saying tiger should take an unplayable from the bunker and drop outside 
lkangsteri
...but not so easy as the leaders near the final turn....

Well this has so far been a total anti-climax of a final round. Only Els is making it remotely interesting. Scott has this in the bag ... If he avoids anÅ·thing stupid on the run in. 
Blade Junkie
This thing is far from over. I'm thinking -9 or -10 takes this. 
Tgtaggie
Snoozefest! 
paulshack
Go Adam Scott!  Stevie could end up with 14 majors. 
puttingmatt

Four holes to play. Then two. And then suddenly it was over, for everybody but Ernie.

Second straight major that the winner never held the lead while on the course. 

Noles
Good piont. Kills the mood a bit don't it. 
SurfinTurf

It makes for a weird television experience. I remember thinking that we didn't get to see Webb [Simpson] much because the leaderboard was so packed and it came out of nowhere. Other than the big putt on 18, I felt the same way about Ernie. That is at no fault to anyone. It was just a weird dynamic. 
QMany

Hard to believe it took Ernie 10 years to get his 4th, I thought he would have way more by now. I'm still upset with Todd Hamilton 
deasy55

Latest news--The Open Championship will now become part of the Champions Tour. 
Body_Visions
No one was mentioning Ernie. Not a peep. 
Tbowles411

Stevie looks like he is gonna fire Adam 

jnradioactive

This is sickening. No other sport sets up disastrous defeat like golf. 
Konklifer



It's refreshing to hear a victory speech that doesn't entail thanking God every 10 seconds. 
poizster
Saves God the nuisance of saying "You're welcome" every ten seconds. 
monkeynaut




Thanks to all of these authors and the dozens of others who made following the forum fun. And isn't great to get up on Sunday morning and see golf first thing? And to still have time to go out and play? 

--Bob Carney
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Should professional golfers wear shorts on tour?

Tuesday, July 17, 2012
120717_fowler_shorts_290.jpgRickie Fowler’s legs grace the cover of our August issue, and lots of discussion has erupted over the topic of shorts on tour. Should professional golfers show their bare knees? Or should they endure long rounds in intense heat simply because some archaic rule demands pants?

Golf Digest asked the following question (on Twitter and Facebook):

The responses slightly favor our philosophy: Demanding pants seems silly.

  • Jayme Patterson, via Facebook: “Absolutely I thought about that when they played in MD in that 100-degree heat. No way they should have to wear pants in that.”
It’s modern-day torture, Jayme. Sure, the technology in most pants makes them feel airier than a French pastry, but even the greatest technology can’t make them feel like shorts.

We’d settle for these terms. But why not let them wear shorts whenever they want? They’re big boys and should have that choice.

It wouldn’t offend me, that’s for sure.

  • Al Carrasquillo, via Facebook: “Shorts can be acceptable as along as they are appropriate. We don't need to see the 1970's style of shorts out there either! But as long as they’re tasteful and not too short looking like a men's fitness magazine.”
You mean, those 1980s-style basketball shorts might look inappropriate? For shame. (Just kidding. We agree that shorts should hit the knee.)

  • Reed Kays, via Facebook: “Nope! Make 'em wear long pants and suffer in the heat... only because of the tremendous amount of money they make PLAYING golf!”
Reed, it’s time to stop enjoying other people’s pain. The guys on tour are going to make a lot of money whether they wear shorts or not, why not cheer for their well-being?

  • Brad Lawrence, via Facebook: “No to shorts. What would be next if comfort is the issue? How about tank tops? Flip flops? No shirt? Naked?”
Tone it down, Brad. We’re not asking to turn golf tournaments into nudist colonies. We’re simply asking to raise the level of common sense.

Matt, the season’s FIFTH heat wave has invaded New York City. With humidity, it feels like 110 degrees today, and the clothes I’m currently wearing will seemingly never dry. I’d like to see you opt for pants in conditions like this, simply because you prefer “the look.”

Jon, you aren’t the only person to suggest that shorts “look unprofessional.” Contrary to that belief, most shorts today are long enough and are designed to look just as professional as their longer brethren.

Related: Golf style for dummies


  • Lou Liberto, via Facebook: “Don't baseball players play in the same heat? I haven't heard any request from them...”
Lou, I’m sure baseball players would LOVE to wear shorts while skidding into home plate or diving for a long ball. Or not. (Plus, tennis players DO wear shorts, and nobody questions their look.)

  • Chad Walters, via Facebook: “It's bad enough to see a pigmentation difference between cheeks and foreheads when they take off their hats - why would we want to see pasty white legs?”
Chad, if they regularly wear shorts on tour, their legs wouldn’t be “pasty white.” Plus, since most of them opt for shorts during casual rounds, their stems are ready for the big stage.

Related: A celebration of golfers wearing shorts

Clearly, there might be a few valid reasons supporting the only-pants-allowed rule, but they don't stack up against the reasons that support shorts. We know it takes time for some aspects of this game to evolve, but we feel that the ability to wear shorts is long overdue.

--Ashley Mayo

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Tiger, Phil, Poulter (!?) Your predictions for the Open Championship

Monday, July 16, 2012
As of Monday, the oddsmakers have Tiger as the Open favorite at 8/1, followed by Rory McIlroy (10/1) and Lee Westwood (12/1). In the Open Championship forum on our sister site, GolfWRX.com, those names are getting a lot of attention, but so are some other, longer shots: Phil Mickelson (25/1), for one.


148443636.jpgI really think Phil will either win or have another t-10 this year. I think he has found a new found love for playing links courses the last couple of years. I really want to see him pull off the career major slam b/f he retires
tgtaggie.

But he's hedging his bets on a 30/1 Rickie Fowler (left).

If the weather is going to horrible (like it is expected), I think Rickie might have a great chance. His third round at St. George's last year was arguably one of the best bad weather rounds in a major in recent years.
Surprisingly, Ian Poulter (40/1) and Ben Curtis (80/1), are also getting some attention. Most clairvoyant post:

I will say Ian Poulter wins in a driving rain storm and 30 mph winds 
KYMAR 

(Though Rustynuts says, "If Poulter wins I will be annoyed. I wasted 4 days watching! Can't stand him.") "You heard it here first, Ben Curtis will contend," says zack175. "But I like Tiger or [Martin] Kaymer for the win." Hear, hear, says tw18majors: "Picked Martin Kaymer to win at the start of the year and I'm sticking to it. Rounding into form nicely these last couple of weeks..." Given all the talk of high rough and brutal weather, some like a straight shooter:

I see a straight hitter lifting the claret jug come Sunday. Garcia, Kaymer, Molinari, Z. Johnson, Furyk and Westwood come to mind...
HCEG1

And speaking for many of his fellow posters, rustyputterguy mentions the not-oft-mentioned World No. 1 (15/1).

I would love to see Luke actually show up and contend this week.

Can we get an "Amen" ?

 --Bob Carney

Photo: Getty Images
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He Said, She Said: Should you play WITH or AGAINST your girlfriend?

Monday, July 16, 2012
In a weekly series called "He Said, She Said," Golf Digest Associate Editor Ashley Mayo will address your views on gender-related issues in golf. The former collegiate golfer is 27. She somehow maintains a 5 handicap despite living in Manhattan.

I’ve recently started “seeing” someone (those quotes are there for a reason), and we played our first round of golf together about a week ago. The thought of competing against each other never crossed my mind. He and I would play on the same team, against my two coworkers. Period. End of story.

But a few days after our round, a colleague told me that she and her husband always play AGAINST one another on the course. “We’d kill each other if we played on the same team,” she says.

So what’s the right approach? Play with each other and risk a team loss, or actively root against each other? The varied responses we received when Golf Digest asked the following question (on Facebook and Twitter) suggests there’s no right answer:

Hundreds of you weighed in, and the slight majority of you say that couples should play WITH each other.
 

Exactly right, Franks. That’s why I’ve always preferred to play with my boyfriend. (In related news, that "boyfriend" word makes me queasy.) Winning is fun and losing has always indicated how we'll be able to handle tricky situations. (Better to find out on a golf course than anywhere else.)


You're a smart man, Martin. Clearly, winning or losing WITH her is much less painful than listening to her gloat or complain for the rest of the evening. Trust me.

  • Steve Groner, via Facebook: "Nothing good can come from either scenario."
I disagree, Steve. If you can’t handle a team loss on the golf course, it’s likely you won’t be able to handle mortgage payments, household chores and all those other fun particulars adult couples have to juggle. 


  • Jason Newsome, via Facebook: "Against.... My significant other is still a beginner, and it would be easier to beat her than beat someone else with her."
Winning is not the point, Paul and Jason. If your girlfriend is a beginning golfer but she’s interested in playing with you, put your competitive flare on hold for one round and focus instead on helping her feel comfortable. (The fact that she's even interested in the sport means you've already "won." Don't mess it up.)

  • Danny McCann, via Facebook: "Both will lead to a fast divorce."
I’m pretty sure that if one round of golf spurs divorce, the relationship has much deeper problems.

  • Polycarp Odero Ongadi, via Facebook: "The best way to go about it is to let the ladies decide. It will be wiser that way."
I won't disagree here. Women like my colleague might genuinely prefer to play against their significant others, but part of me thinks that (deep down) most women would want nothing more than to hear their guys say, "Of course I want you to be my partner."

Ultimately, if you and your sweetheart play against each other, the car ride home will always be occupied by one winner and one loser. If you play with each other, that car will either transport two winners (success!) or two losers who can use their latest match to learn about one another and support one another. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

--Ashley Mayo

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Phil Mickelson's rules infraction at the Greenbrier: "Just another reason the Rules of Golf need to be revamped"

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

At Golf World, we love having our fans help us write our magazine. That's why we've enjoyed seeing our Front 9 Punchline Contest grow over the last 10 months.

If you're new to the game, the Punchline Contest gives our fans a voice in every section of the Front 9, in the front of the book of our magazine. Every Sunday, we invite readers to contribute a snappy comment for one item in the Front 9 feature each week. GW feeds the straight line on our Golf World Facebook page; readers contribute the punchline, which we publish (and send them a sleeve of golf balls, too!).

Related: Check out our magazine on Facebook

We narrowed our list down to four worthy candidates this week.

This was the set-up line we supplied:

"Phil Mickelson drops his marker on his ball and incurs a penalty en route to missing the cut at the Greenbrier Classic"

The winning punchline, supplied by Nathan Wilson of Punta Gorda, Fla., appears in this week's Open Championship preview issue (July 16):

"Just another reason why the Rules of Golf need to be revamped."

Other punchline finalists:

Read more
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Reader praises Joe Daley, "a big believer in karma."

Tuesday, July 10, 2012
In his report in last week's Golf World Monday Tim Rosaforte told the story of Joe Daley, whose 4-footer had just won the Senior Players Championship, and of an earlier 4-footer that would have sent most of us searching for another sport.

147538047.jpg
There was more to the background of this career grinder that made his victory so sweet. Daley was the ghost of Q school, the guy who hit a four-footer at PGA West in 2000 that dropped, hit the cup liner and popped back at him. In disbelief, Daley threw his hat down. Two days later, he failed to qualify by one stroke. 
“I wish I could hit every putt like that the rest of my life,” he said. On the 15th green Sunday, after gunning his birdie putt four feet past the hole, Daley hit a putt every bit as good as the one that should have haunted him. This time it disappeared.
Daley told Rosaforte, "I'm a big believer in karma," and so were we all after he outlasted major champions Fred Couples and Mark Calcavecchia for the title. One of our readers wrote to say that he'd seen a special quality about Daley a long time ago.

Dear Golf World: 
Thanks for showcasing one of our local and in my case, old neighbors, biggest victory of his golfing career. I grew up across the street from Joe, then known as Jay, JJ and Splinter (a nickname bestowed upon him during his caddie days) which fit him like a "T."A skinny rail-like kid with a lot of fire, passion and self-confidence, who I literally never saw without a golf club in his hands. I am pretty sure over the years, Joe took so many practice swings outside his house growing up, they didn't need a lawnmower to cut the grass. 
To me it was clear that Joe was destined for great things on the golf course, he always had that glint in his eyes that he would someday be holding the championship trophy. I don't know any better example of perserverance, hard work and dedication -- the ultimate grinder. Way to go Joe, the pride of Plymouth Meeting (if you were still around, they would have you leading the 4th of July parade) down Germantown Pike tomorrow. You deserve all the successes you worked your whole life to achieve. Your very proud old neighbor and friend always, 
Chris Thompson, Media PA
Daley fans will also enjoy Bill Fields' post about the Senior Players Champion just prior to that final round. 

--Bob Carney
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"Hey, it's a golf course, not a flower bed!" What you DON'T like about the game....

Friday, July 6, 2012
We love to check into our sister site, GolfWRX.com, for lively forums on every golf topic under the sun. My favorite subject is "What do you dislike about golf?", which launched about a year ago, and would give any industry exec a pretty fair idea of how to improve things. Every sort of golfer seems to contribute--traditionalists and the hat-backwards-shirt-untucked crowd--and it's surprising on how often they all agree. 

What bugs golfers most? My unscientific summary of a year's posts: 

1. Slow Play. (By a wide margin. Good for the USGA to assess a slow-play penalty at the Open Thursday). 
2. Golf snobs (and "cigar-chomping idiots") 
3. Expense 
4. "Odd" rules (like out-of-bounds)
5. Uneven tee boxes (go figure)
6. One's own erratic play

Excerpts from a recent post by Anchor44, a disabled Navy vet, cover the landscape well:

I hate: 
--Slow play, most of all 
--Knowing that a good driver costs more than a 32" HDTV, or a deer rifle. A set of good clubs cost more than a good riding lawn mower, with no moving parts. 
--Superintendents that don't allow carts off cart paths . Hey guy, it's a golf course, NOT a flower bed. 
--Courses that overbook or tee times that are 5 minutes apart. 
--The high cost of green fees at some courses that really should be grazing cattle instead. 
--People who insist on playing the tips and hit a banana slice 200 yards consistently 
--Golf snobs 
--15 handicappers that take 2 minutes to read a putt. 
--Scratch golfers who take 2 minutes to read a putt. 
--People who would ban carts. I'm a disabled vet and I can't walk more than about 150 yards. But my threesome consistently plays 18 holes in less than 3 hours.

MattTheTaff caught the spirit of things with:

Other people. Seriously. If I'm walking down the 1st fairway with a stranger and ask him "do you take drugs Danny?" and his immediate response isn't "Every day," then he's getting Got Picture But No Sound treatment for 18 holes.

(Matt would enjoy our "18 Most Annoying Golfers slide show.) 

But my favorite post on the subject at GolfWRX.com has to one this week by Lafayette7:

NOTHING !!!!!!!! I LOVE GOLF !!!!!! ............ I don't care how fast I can play, I don't care how slow I have to play. Don't care if I ride or walk. Don't care if the beer cart doesn't come around enough. Don't care if I lose my ball, or if I have to hunt for my partner's ball. Don't care if it's raining, windy, snowing, foggy, hot, cold, bugs, or bad partners. Don't care if the greens are fast or slow, the tee boxes are shaggy or short, fairways are hard or soft. Don't care if it's a good lie or bad lie. Don't care if it's hotdogs or steak in the clubhouse. I don't care if i have to play with a semi round stone and a stick............I'll be out there...........I love golf.........My only real peeve is that every day the sun goes down and I have to come in from the course....but every morning, the sun is back and I'm on my way to the course again.......
Now that's a golfer. 

--Bob Carney
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Readers opine on Sawgrass' 17th and Hossler in last two Front 9 Contests

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Our Front 9 Punchline Contest allows our Golf World fans' to help us write our magazine. Every Sunday, we invite readers to contribute a snappy comment for one item in the Front 9 feature each week. GW feeds the straight line on our Golf World Facebook page; readers contribute the punchline, which we publish.

Related: Check out our magazine on Facebook

We'd like to highlight our last two Front 9 Contest winners—Russ Evans of Lake Worth, Fla., and Kevin Vedder of Westfield, N.J.—for their witty and creative entries. Both will receive a sleeve of Golf World-logoed golf balls!

This was the set-up line we supplied this week:

"Tropical Storm Debby hits Florida, turning TPC Sawgrass' famed 17th hole into a true island green."

Here's the winning punchline supplied by Vedder that appears in this week's issue (July 9):

"Mother Nature might be the only one who can make a course tougher than Pete Dye."

Read more
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