I hope my tee time's not up!

As golfers we can incorporate almost everything from our lives into our love of golf. We have pens designed in the shape of drivers. Paperweights shaped like golf balls. Napkins emblazoned with pictures of holes from famous courses. We have books about golf; our favorite sports teams are logo'd on our golf bags; men now wear bracelets to help ease the pain in our wrists which will in turn help our golf game. We can get mats for our cars that are golf themed as well as silverware, paper plates, everything! Even the argyle pattern for golf apparel is now trendy in every day fashion. We are so dedicated to golf that we will leave events early to make our tee time or show up late for an event because we have to finish out our 18. We golfers go on golf vacations or simply squeeze in a round while on our vacations or business trips.

Yes, we golfers are unique. We are obsessed. We are in love with the game and we will do anything to play a couple of holes. I'm sure most of us like to think there are amazing courses waiting for us to play once we pass on into heaven. And now it seems there is a way to ensure many rounds of golf in the after life. A cemetery in Bellevue, Washington has opened a section that is designated for avid golfers. It features a tee box, green, sand trap, waterfall, bronze golfer statue and even a leader board! You can bury your loved ones here or you can reserve your "tee time" on the leader board.

I can appreciate most everything that involves golf. I love the game and I play almost everywhere I go. There's typically nothing that can prevent me from missing a tee time. However, this is one tee time I'll pass up!

A New Meaning to Water Hazards

At Brisbane's (Australia) Carbrook Golf Club they have brought new meaning to the term water hazards on the golf course. In one of their water hazards they have bull sharks! Apparently the sharks came to the lake/water hazard when the river flooded with salt water and brought the sharks along with it. When the waters receded the sharks became stranded in the pond. Considering that I thought sharks were salt water creatures, I would have expected them to die in the fresh water lake, however, they did not and they are actually breeding! They are living on the fish that inhibit the pond, as well as the occasional chunk of meat that is fed to them by some of the groundskeepers.

While I enjoy a new challenge on the course I'm not sure how I feel about man-eating sharks infesting one of the water hazards that are on the course I am playing. Yes, they are man-eating sharks. I suppose it's a great way to draw the curious and dare-devil golfers out there to your course, but I have one piece of advice:  If you hit your ball into this water hazard don't reach in with your hand to retrieve the ball. Take the extra stroke and drop a new ball!

It's still golf season in the South!!!!

I fall victim to the same things:  college football, NFL football, and hunting seasons. With all of this stuff going on during the weekend, not to mention kids' school activities, who has time to make it to the golf course? In the South, golf courses are completely barren of golfers this time of year and, even though I'm a born Southerner and lived here most of my life, I'm amazed every year by this.
Why do we stop golfing in September? The weather is finally not sweltering and the courses are in prime condition as a result of less traffic over them. Do you know what New Englanders would give to be able to golf this time of year? Most of their courses are closed for the season. We are spoiled in the South and we just take it for granted. Today, I encourage you to get off the couch and take your sticks out for a round. You can finally get a tee time on that course that you were dying to get on all summer--trust me, they want you to come play a round! You might even be able to get it a lesser rate than it was during their peak season. Come on! What are you waiting for? The cool morning air and low 80 temps of the afternoon are beckoning......