VERN BURNS
Former Mini-Tour Player
reporting from Afghanistan
in the middle of a war zone
Blog: July 2012
Integrity
The game of golf should always be synonymous with the word Integrity. The rules and exceptions are in place to maintain this Integrity to keep the game fair as it pertains to its participants. Now the course itself will seem unfair in many cases. Especially when YOU make an error in judgment or miscue a shot.
Many players look around immediately after an errant shot or look at the club to place blame on something other than themselves, their lack of practice, lack of focus, lack of lessons, someone made a noise, someone moved, or perhaps the beer ingested during the round. Of course there are those golfers who simply expect high scores and horrible results and use the excuse “I don’t do this for a living”….
I truly wish that golfers would stop trying to change the integrity of this wonderful game by changing the rules! We have all encountered and personally know these players. Many of you are who I am about to speak of.
The Man or Woman who tees their ball up in front of the markers breaks a rule. STOP IT!!! It’s a rule. It levels the playing field by making the course consistent in length for every player.
The Man/Woman who hits a good drive down the middle of the fairway yet has this unbreakable habit of ‘Rolling the ball’ for a better lie.
STOP IT!!!
It’s a rule. Many claim that the course isn’t in great shape and we should be able to roll the ball if you hit the fairway. A sort of ‘reward’ for a good shot, the so called player will say. No, No, No–you play a ball where it lies!!
If it rolls into a divot repaired with sand PLAY IT!! If you don’t know how to hit the shot, go and get some practice. Those of you out there who place a coin to the side of your ball, when marking your ball on the green, then when it’s your play you place the ball in front of your marker? That is an infraction of the rules!!!
When marking the ball you must place the ball in the exact place from where it was lifted. Many of you actually gain a little more confidence by, depending on the size of the marker, moving the ball an inch closer to the hole before putting, being “SLICK” actually CHEATING!!!
Those of you who tee up a Top Flight and when you get to the green place down a Titleist because it’s better for you to putt with. STOP IT!!! Play one ball from the tee until the ball is holed.
All of us know the player that ‘NEVER’ LOSES A BALL!!!– You strike the ball into the trees and all the other players, stop helping you look for it. And then you yell, “Here it is!!!”. STOP IT!!
Sew up the hole in your pocket (from where you dropped another ball) or acquire some kind of decorum and integrity about YOURSELF!!!
I have seen men strike a ball out of bounds; I watched the ball bounce down a road on the other side of a fence and as we approach the area the man yells, “Here it is!! It must have hit the fence and bounced back in.” This person will then stand there and argue adamantly with you in order not to take a penalty stroke, STOP IT!!!
I personally handle this type of situation by NEVER playing with that individual again!! It’s a shame that we have golfers who will bend the rules, make up their own rules, and move a ball when no one is looking. It’s bad for our youth when learning the game and it’s pitiful for a grown man or woman to approach a game in this manner when your true opponent is the actual course. And it is tragic that anyone will LIE TO THEMSELVES while playing a game of golf!!
Golf has always had the element of gambling. A friendly two dollar bet at the country club or “muni” will always be. It is imperative that integrity is placed on this area. When a golfer gambles the “Gentleman’s/Woman’s Game” has now placed character in the bowl with integrity, fairness and honor.
I’ve seen bets in the thousands of dollars. I’ve seen all the situations mentioned in this blog amplified.
I’ve seen a man go into his golf bag, remove a gun and threaten the life of another golfer for not paying a wager. I’ve also seen grown men run to the parking lot so fast after losing a bet that they left their golf clubs behind.
I’ve seen men physical fight because their egos and pride had gotten the best of them and, like children, they couldn’t see any aspect of reason.
The Game, The Rules, Your Integrity….
Why do we change the rules to favor a situation? Is it because we want to win at any cost? Is it because we’ve always changed games in life, i.e. Dominoes, Bid Whist, Monopoly, Gin Rummy…. When you visit someone’s home and a game is at hand there is always some “TWIST”!! And someone always yells out “WELL THAT’S THE WAY WE PLAY!!!” and the look on their face says if you don’t like it, don’t play!!!
Or, is it society that has conditioned us to read between the lines and find the loopholes or use any means to gain an advantage. Certainly this does not apply to all people; however, when it comes to golf I truly hope that YOU maintain YOUR INTEGRITY!!!
I am truly grateful to share with you my thoughts and my experiences. And I’m grateful that you take the time to read my Blogs.
To my readers:
Be good to you!!!
All the best,
Vern Burns
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