Golf is an odd game, isn’t it? Why does it require so much stuff?
Asunny weekend afternoon in April brought with it the annual golf bag switch over and a rummage through the boot of my car to see what had been lurking in there for months without being thrown out. It also brought with it a realisation – I’ve become some sort of golf hoarder!
Who needs 200 tees in their golf bag? Or two woolly hats? Or somewhere between 12-20 golf balls including a few I wouldn’t even practice with but have decided to collect on a recent trip to the bushes at the back of the sixth green? There’s just no need to be carrying this around, surely?
The search continued into the boot of the car – a spare fairway mat just in case I forget the one which lives in my golf bag October-March, another dozen or so balls, tees of varying lengths and levels of brokenness (I never use a broken tee – call me superstitious).
Confronted with my problem, it was time for a clear out – starting with a flapjack which was past its best after a couple of months alongside the aforementioned stash of golf balls. Out too are the fairway mats for another year or so, and all the broken tees and Top Flites.
So today I am down to the far more manageable car boot of: golf bag and 14 clubs (obviously), two pairs of golf shoes (just in case the pair I’ve worn for the last 12 month or so do…something), push trolley, spare putter (just in case I have a falling out with my favoured flatstick of the last eight years), alignment stick (though I feel a bit silly using it sometimes and use a wedge), a spare umbrella, various putting aids I haven’t used more than once, a snood and a spare woolly hat (you never know what’s round the corner after all).
There is also: waterproof trousers and jacket, a waterproof bag hood, a jumper, a cap, a woolly hat, four new gloves, three ‘practice’ gloves, an umbrella, a rangefinder, two towels, a dozen balls, 100 or so tees, enough ball markers for a Ryder Cup team, three pitch mark repairers, a scorecard holder and three spare cards for my home club, three sharpies, 12 pencils and two water bottles. I live about five minutes from my home club and have to check this is all in place every time I pack the car. I fear I still have a problem…
Are you similarly well prepared (Ed – mad)? Or have you gone the other way and managed to minimise what you carry? Tweet @deanbailey92 and @negolfer and we’ll feature the best of your tweets in the next edition.
