Personal Golf Rituals

[p_brownstone]

Does anyone else have a particular Golf “ritual”, or habit, which they feel they must do when playing?

I mean rituals like putting the left shoe on first when changing before a game, or only wearing a white Golf Glove etc.?

For years I have always had to have 4 Golf Tees in my pocket when I start a Round – 3 long ones and a short one, and all must be a different colour.

Just wondering if I’m the only weird one - or are obsessions like this fairly common?

Patrick

[Jai Dee]

The only ritual I adhere to with golf is having an ale (or 2) after the game at the 19th.

[loytoy]

For me on the way to Siam Country club I would stop at a friend of mines, (Baldi god bless his soul), outside the butterfly bar and his lady would have omelette and chicken soup ready for me to be washed down by a whiskey and soda. Tee off 7.50. No wonder I was never any good at golf. Yet I did have fun. Sure miss Baldi.

[cleggit]

The only no no for me is using yellow tee pegs. They are bad luck - honestly !

[OneeyedJohn]

Unco-ordinated attire equals unco-ordinated golf

[Prudent_rabbit]

Lucky Glove, and yes Yellow tees are very bad luck, but white ones very good, also, never play a ball when its just come out of its sleeve, its attracted to water, let it stay in your bag for a while and last but not least, when bringing your clubs home, put them in a dark place if they were bad, but let them look at the TV if they were good

[cleggit]

I think i am going to stop reading this thread or i am going to be paralysed next time i hit the course

[dclaryjr]

Does anyone else have a particular Golf “ritual”, or habit, which they feel they must do when playing?

I mean rituals like putting the left shoe on first when changing before a game, or only wearing a white Golf Glove etc.?

For years I have always had to have 4 Golf Tees in my pocket when I start a Round – 3 long ones and a short one, and all must be a different colour.

Just wondering if I’m the only weird one - or are obsessions like this fairly common?

Patrick

Nothing quite like that. I do have a favorite shirt that I always wear for my weekend rounds, and I always take the Sharpie (black) to three new balls the evening before a round. I have a plastic template that I use to mark a line on the ball.

[mark lamai]

mate #1 mumbles to himself "stay calm" before each shot.

#2 always plays better wearing black.

personally i like balls with a nice typeface,

ben hogan script is very nice,

Titleist is a good ball but the type looks crummy,

and ignorant folks call it it a "tit least"

used to think a thorough cleaning of clubs the night before an important round was a good thing,

now i know its the curse of death.

the biggest problem with golf is that all the clubs in your bag have ESP.

so they all know you love ur 3 wood more than ur driver,

the 2 iron gets so lonely and unloved and refuses to perform once per round coz she knows u dont love her as much as the others.

putter is so confused by ur attentions, u use her every hole but still bang her head on ur foot.

5 iron knows u prefer to hit a hot drawing 6 or a low cut 4, so whats she gonna do when u pull her out?

1 iron is crying alone in the garage since u bought a 60* wedge, are u brave enough to put her in the bag again with protestations of undying love, will she believe you, and are really sincere?

8 irons are capricious coz they know they are the one always used when u are in doubt,

she doesnt like being the wallflower used only when all the others look to dangerous.

the 9 and the 4 are so jealous of each other, always vying for your #1 affections,

both are so versatile , creative and flexible, so never hit a 4 and a 9 on the same hole.

sand irons are the most stable emotionally, must be the thick edge,

they dont get jealous and always do their best for you, (they are not made in Isaan).

ah 3 iron, the Julia Roberts of golf clubs, when u need a fading 175 metre to a right side pin,

tall and strong and smiling at you,

mutual respect is crucial, any false bravado will be penalised severely,

let her be herself and do what she does best, give her faith and true devotion for her abilities.

lastly, the night before a round you should have ur clubs beside you as you watch tv,

and just engage in pleasant banter with them during commercial breaks.

this quality time can often resolve long festering jealousies and inferiority complexes among them...

[dclaryjr]

lastly, the night before a round you should have ur clubs beside you as you watch tv,

and just engage in pleasant banter with them during commercial breaks.

this quality time can often resolve long festering jealousies and inferiority complexes among them...

LOL!! I'll have to try that one!!

[StickKettleOn]

My god, i am a nightmare for this.

Very strange ones for me.... When on the tee, i have to do something 15 times, split into three lots of five. For example, i may have to place my tee in and out of the ground 5 times, then place the ball on the tee five times, then tap my driver head on the ground 5 times. I do all of this very quickly, so no one notices. Crazy behaviour, but i must do it. Worst of all, if i accidently hit my club head six times, i have to repaet the whole thing.

Also, the first tee must always be kept. If it breaks (i use wodden tees) i must keep it on me for the whole round anyway... usualy wedged between my head and my cap all the way round. If i loose it, i am cursed.

Under no circumstances can i play with any tee other than white.

If i have a very bad hole, i throw the ball away - even though it is perfectly fine. Its for this very reason that i only buy lake balls. I used to play with Calloways and Titelists but even then i would throw the ball away after a bad hole.

Finaly, i can not use a ball marked number 1. This derives from when i first started playing and knew nothing - i used to think the balls had different numbers to indicate something in terms of performance. In those days, i never used a 1 ball as i figured it was not suitable for my game. Out of luck, i still never use a 1 ball, even though (obviously) the numbers on the balls are simply there to stop you getting mixed up with other players balls of the same brand.

Also i never, ever accept a gimme on the 18th. The ball must be holed, even if it is on the fringe of the cup. Otherwise my next round will be cursed.

Its funny actualy, in life i am not remotley superstitious - i dont believe in ghosts, the afterlife, karma, bad luck et al. But with golf, i suddenly turn into a freakshow of crazy superstitions!

[mark lamai]

lovely stickkettle,

you got it bad

can i come watch you play sometime?

[StickKettleOn]

Sure Mark but it may take a while.

I was just thinking actualy, has anyone got any stories of major fark ups or no-no's from when they first started playing, and didnt know the rules? Some of mine where awful - i didnt watch golf when i first started playing and new little of the rules. For example, me and my two regular golf mates, also newbies, if finding ourselves in the bunker we would build little mounds of sand under the ball to give a nice high almost teed up lie.

As for playing people through.... three of us on our 12th shot each? Middle of a par 4 fairway? Two ball single handicapers behind us, waving franticly? We would just wave back, assuming they where friendly guys.

And why did we get seriously bollocked for taking a buggie on the green at that nice 18th hole? Misserable sods, we drove slowly.

I cringe when i look back on it and the list goes on. My and my pals started playing with top of the rage Big Bertha irons, Tailor Made drivers, the latest bags, shirts, trousers, shoes.... I guess we just looked like half decent golfers and no one ever asked to see our handicap cards (what are they?) on the nicer courses back in England.

[chuckd]

If I have a bad putting round, I tie my putter to the bumper of my car and drag it all the way home.

This sometimes helps the next round.

[Prudent_rabbit]

If I have a bad putting round, I tie my putter to the bumper of my car and drag it all the way home.

Oh I like this, after last Saturdays farce my putter was in serious trouble, now locked in the cupboard!

For example, me and my two regular golf mates, also newbies, if finding ourselves in the bunker we would build little mounds of sand under the ball to give a nice high almost teed up lie.

Used to move leaves out of the way in Bunkers, till someone suggestd otherwise! Also repairing the green (spike marks) before you putted, the best one, thinking a gimmee actually meant that it was so close that just count it as going in!!!!!! doh!

[chuckd]

Here's something else to think about.

Do you inhale, exhale or hold your breath during your swing?

[StickKettleOn]

Inhale and hold, till my temple vains are popping.

Hands up how many of you do the following, whilst reading a line on the green; squat, and hold the putter shaft against the line, with one eye closed and a serious look of focus on you face, even though you have no idea what difference looking at the shaft makes.

[chuckd]

Inhale and hold, till my temple vains are popping.

Hands up how many of you do the following, whilst reading a line on the green; squat, and hold the putter shaft against the line, with one eye closed and a serious look of focus on you face, even though you have no idea what difference looking at the shaft makes.

I don't do this as, at my age, I wouldn't be able to get up from the squat. I just stick my finger in my mouth and then hold it in the air to see from whence the wind bloweth.

I then spit over my left shoulder, hitch up my pants, take nine practice swings whilst imagining the line and then three putt.

[dclaryjr]

Inhale and hold, till my temple vains are popping.

Hands up how many of you do the following, whilst reading a line on the green; squat, and hold the putter shaft against the line, with one eye closed and a serious look of focus on you face, even though you have no idea what difference looking at the shaft makes.

Nope...no plumb bobbing for me.!!

When I played a few rounds in Thailand, all the caddies I had would pick a line for you by the way they placed the ball. I just had to judge the speed--worked fairly well.

[JaySee]

I always play in all black... black cap, black shirt, black bag etc. but i only use white tees. I mark my ball the same way each time (3 red dots above the Titleist logo) and always wipe the club face off the inside of my leg after my practice swings to ensure a clean club face before i hit the ball.

[richard_smith237]

Always hope for the ugly Caddy while driving, as hoping for a cute one always ensures I get the slow one with missing teeth.

Tee’s in the right pocket.

Coin in the left pocket.

3 gloves per round.

Always line up the writing on the ball in line with the shot (tee off and putting).

Counter act slice, by pointing the little man out of they fly in my underwear (stops me thinking about slice!)

Counteract draw – more change in left pocket.

Never have wallet in pockets.

Never wear a watch while playing.

Phone always on silent.

Do not accept calls from or call back the missus in the middle of a round.

If a big night was had the night before and a beer cannot be tolerated, a shandy at a drinks stop is acceptable.

Tap the club head on the ground before driving.

If there is Sand close to a good landing spot on a drive, aim for it (logic is that I’ll never hit the target).

[Spee]

Does anyone else have a particular Golf “ritual”, or habit, which they feel they must do when playing?

Just wondering if I’m the only weird one - or are obsessions like this fairly common?

Very common!! And you think your's are weird??

1. Tees, 50p coin for ball marker and pitch mark fixer-upper in the right pocket.

2. Glove in the left pocket. Glove is always off for putting.

3. Mobile phone stays in the car. No one needs a telephone to play golf.

4. Practice strokes for chipping and putting only. No practice swings for any shot away from the greens. Play fast. Save the practice swings for the practice range. See the shot, feel the swing, grip and rip. Same pre-shot routine, every shot, every time.

5. Always play the ball down regardless of local or friendly rules. Winter rules, rolling lies in the fairway, etc., are for pussies, not for real golfers.

6. Always count every stroke and take the proper penalties where required. Play by the rules. Not playing by the rules, taking Mulligans, etc., is for pussies. not for real golfers.

7. Always gamble when playing with others. Playing golf "for fun-sies" is not fun. "Money won is twice as sweet as money earned."

8. No scorecard. Keep score in the head by counting strokes above or below bogey golf. Bogey golf is "even par" for me. Always make someone else keep score as I will forget to and only realize it 3 holes after the fact.

9. Always take a good healthy #2 prior to heading to the course. Never want to be 4 or 5 holes from the clubhouse feel the urge to purge coming on.

10. Avoid the "big dick" complex. If it takes a "big hard 7" to reach the hole, then select put the dick back in the trousers and select an "soft easy 6".

[cheshiremusicman]

lastly, the night before a round you should have ur clubs beside you as you watch tv,

and just engage in pleasant banter with them during commercial breaks.

this quality time can often resolve long festering jealousies and inferiority complexes among them...

Dear 'Mark Lamai' my wife has asked me to tell you that she is most annoyed that I am just about to go out and buy another television set for my clubs to watch when I am not there! Any recommendations as to make and size would be most appreciated. I play Callaway by the way, if that makes any difference?.