The Search for the Best 100 Quotes About Golf

Golf Newsletter #5

Today, I am asking for your wisdom, something you have learned you can write down in a sentence or two that has helped you become a better golfer or helped you enjoy the game more. So, I am asking you to write this golf newsletter.

Below, I will give you one idea I learned from a PGA member years ago on the first hole, after meeting him just minutes before as the Head Pro put us together to play 18 holes with his son, who was also a PGA pro.

Please either comment below or send to herb@herbrubenstein.com one or two ideas, phrases, or even your own quote or something you heard someone else say. In future newsletters, I will include some of these ideas and will post all of them in an article on my website. Let me know if you want me to put your name or the source of the idea in future newsletters and the article I will be writing about these ideas. I am happy to do so.

Here is one of the best ideas I have ever heard regarding golf. I hit what I thought was a great tee shot on a par four. Maybe 260 carry with a sweet draw. It hit right in the middle of the fairway and I was thinking maybe birdie. I got up to the shot and noticed that Nicklaus had “crowned” the fairway at 265 yards and my ball had rolled just off the fairway to the left in the first cut. When I got to the ball, I saw a tree limb blocked my shot to the green, and there was a big pond right in front of the green. I looked at the situation in disgust and said, “I can’t believe this ball ended up being blocked by this limb.”

Immediately, the father, who was in the golf cart and had already hit his second shot, got out of the golf cart and came up to me almost nose to nose. And he said in a loud, gruff voice.

“WE ARE NOT GOING TO TALK ABOUT SHOTS WE HAVE ALREADY HIT, ARE WE?

I immediately responded as I was really, really impressed. I said, “That is why you are a PGA pro.” He said, “No, but it really helps.”

He was right. So, from that day on nearly 25 years ago, when I am playing golf, I never talk about and rarely even think about a shot I have already hit. I hope when you play with someone who habitually talks about shots they have already hit during the round, you tell them what this PGA pro told me. And you can be a little nicer than the PGA pro if you want to also say, “The only place to talk about shots you have already hit is the 19th hole!”

I have been forever thankful that the PGA pro got in my face and said those words. It has helped make me a better golfer and made my playing golf more enjoyable, and by my repeating it on the course to others, it has cut out a lot of noise, complaining, and chatter that my playing partners would make when we play golf.

Thanks for reading my newsletter, and I look forward to hearing from you with an idea or phrase that has helped you improve and enjoy the game of golf.