Discovery Bay Women's Golf Club

Ladies:

We’re halfway through the golfing year and I was wondering how are your golf games? Are they what you were expecting for 2014? Maybe thinking about why you golf might give you some insight, as it’s often said that “golf is a mind game”.

WHY DO WE GOLF?

Recently I got up at 6 a.m. for an early tee time and thought to myself, “Why am I doing this? Why do I sometimes drive for two hours to play a round of golf? Why do I wake up in the early hours to ensure getting a good tee time for the following week?

Golf has a level of humiliation not found in other sports. We’ve all experienced mishits that dribble just 50 yards down the fairway, or the frustration of a skulled chip shot, right?

So ladies ask yourself this question…… “Why do YOU golf?”

Bear with me while I muse this question, maybe think about it along with me, and we will try to find “our” answer. You may be surprised.

The pursuit of chasing a little ball around acres of land from tee to green has been a pastime for years and years and, if we looked down from above, it would seem sheer madness to play such a silly game, but we do………………. Why?

The trite answer is, “For the Love of the Game” but what about it do we love?

For some the answer that pops instantly into their heads is this first one:

1. For the friendship,

Many ladies like to socialize and golf provides a perfect way to pass your time and be with friends. Many times socializing, rather than the game itself, is the primary focus. Good group dynamics can make for a good time. However, if your partners’ slow or too fast play, constant chatting, or Rule breaking annoys you………….find another group to play with.

But there are other reasons…..

2. To be with family.

Playing with your spouse and going on golf vacations together can bring couples closer, ha, ha. Playing with your kids and grandkids is a joy too. You can teach them the game, show them how to play, and then they grow up and beat you all the time! (I found that out at last week’s kids’ golf camp). Even this is a plus, a small price to pay for togetherness.

3. For the Competition.

Some people are motivated by winning, and golf is the perfect venue for the challenge. Every time they play they are driven by success and the “Win”. Is this you? If it is, more power to you for your single mindedness and drive. However…….be sure that when you lose you don’t go home depressed and disappointed.

To get the most out of the game you love, you should play with like-minded golfers but be prepared to accept a loss and live to fight another day.

4. For the businesswomen among us the golf course is a great venue to interact with customers and form alliances. How you react to bad shots or bad lies shows your business associates a lot about you character. If you play by the Rules you show them you can be trusted. This is a very valid reason to play………to further your career, or increase your business.

5. For the walk in the park.

Some golfers say that their reason is to get exercise and enjoy the scenery. Commendable but………Do you walk the course or ride in a cart? Do you actually look at the scenery? Do you take in all the beauty of the wonderful day out in the fresh air and get exercise? Make sure you do or it’s just a good walk spoiled. Find what you really need to nourish your soul. Perhaps you should go on a hike or a bike ride instead?

6. For the calm and solitude.

Some golfers love to escape from the thoughts of daily life such as, “What am I making for dinner, shouldn’t I be ironing, or what did I need to get for my kid’s homework project?” Their round of golf, focusing solely on their game, good or bad, shuts out all daily noise from their minds.

An admirable reason and they often prefer to play alone to find the Zen they are searching for.

7. To learn more golf skills and lower their index.

Wonderful, these golfers plan their rounds as a true learning experience to work on skills’ improvement unless…………by expecting too much from themselves it results in constant frustration and disappointment. Often inflated ideas of our skill levels lead to this, but on the other hand not pushing oneself results in underachieved potential.

Realistic goals are the key to their enjoyment.

8. To have the perfect round.

Now this is the Nirvana of golf, the brass ring always just out of reach. You birdied 7 and 14 last time you played, and got pars on 8, and 13. The round before you birdied 2 and 6 and got pars on two other holes so why can’t you put them all together in one perfect round? This is a very strong reason why some of us play. To one day have the perfect round!

Is this your reason? All I can say to the average golfer is, “Good luck with that dream.” But if this makes you happy keep on chasing.

So ladies, are you any closer to knowing why YOU play golf? Which reason is yours? Maybe it’s a combination of all of these reasons, or one I missed.

Identify why YOU play and find the best way for YOU to have the best experience playing the game you love so you can play it to the best of your ability. If you don’t you could find yourself constantly complaining, always blaming something or someone after every round, or feeling unfulfilled when you should be SO happy. So very, very happy that you’ve had hours of free time which you spent in the way that made you the happiest.

Maybe you are wondering why I play? …………….

Some of you who know me will know why, but let me just say it is not the 8th reason, I am a realist!

I hope this helps you.

Hilary

Casual Water and the Portable Sprinklers on our Course.

Ladies:

A recent topic has been the question of the Rules when our ball lands close to the portable sprinklers that we are now seeing on our fairways and in the rough.

I have been asked by some of our members to clarify how we take relief from these movable obstructions and what exactly IS casual water. So let’s look at a situation you could be in on hole #9 where they regularly have dry areas to water.

Your ball lands up against a hose connected to a portable sprinkler, what are you allowed to do under the Rules of Golf?

If your ball lies in or on the hose/sprinkler head or, if the hose/head is so close to the ball it interferes with your stance or area of intended swing, this is what you can do.

Use Rule 24-1 Movable Obstructions

(i) If your ball is close so your stance or swing is interfered with:

You may move the hose or the attached sprinkler head, if the ball moves in the process; it must be replaced without penalty.

(ii) If your ball comes to rest in or on the hose/sprinkler head then, without penalty, the ball may be lifted, the hose removed, and the ball dropped as near as possible to the spot directly underneath the place where the ball lay in or on the hose, but no nearer the hole.

Now let’s take the situation where your ball rolled close to the sprinkler, but your stance and intended swing are not affected but water is spraying out over the area where your ball lies. Do you get relief from Casual water and what exactly IS casual water eh?

Casual Water: Casual water is any temporary accumulation of water on the course that is not in a water hazard and is visible before or after the player takes his stance.

You would get free relief if a temporary accumulation of water is seen around your ball before or after you take your stance or the ball is touching the casual water.

The only way you could get relief for your ball being “sprinkled” upon is if there was enough water in the area for it to be deemed “Casual water”. You ball would need to be lying in a visible puddle of water, or water must be visible around your ball or feet without you pressing them down. Just because water is spraying it does not mean it’s accumulating!

Here is an excellent explanation from the Decisions book:

25/4

Water Visible as Result of Undue Effort with Feet

Q. In a wet area, casual water is not visible before or after the player takes his normal stance. However, by pressing down hard with one foot, the player causes water to appear around the sole of his shoe. Is the player entitled to relief under Rule 25-1b?

A. No. Water visible through undue effort with the feet is not casual water – see Definition of “Casual Water.”

Think about it, why should you get relief if it’s not Casual water eh? If it was raining and your ball was being rained on you would have to play it as it lies, right?

If you move your wet ball, and it is not in casual water, you will be penalized two strokes.

As much as it’s a nuisance, the sprinkler water is keeping our course greener and a little sprinkled water does not hurt you or your ball.

Play the ball as it lies. Follow the Rules!

I hope this helps you,

Hilary