For some of you reading this, you may have already heard some of the media talk about steroids in golf. For the rest you, it may come as shock that the words “steroids” and “golf” would be used in the same sentence together. Over the last year professional sports has been tainted by steroid use among our heroes. As Barry Bonds chased probably the most sought after record in sports, many have become apathetic due to the claims of Bond’s steroid use. This year’s Tour de France’s overall leader was comfortably in the lead deep into the race when he was removed for lying and suspected steroid use. Yet I never thought I would read headlines that equated steroids with golf. However, this is where I found myself a couple weeks ago.

Steroids in golf? You’re kidding me? I had to check out a couple different news publications and slap myself once to make sure I was reading it right. Yet much to my dismay, leading up to last weekend’s British Open, golf great Gary Player stated that he knew of at least one golfer who had used steroids. I commend Gary Player for stepping up to comment on it, but his comments were quite untimely leading up to one of the biggest tournaments of the year.

As a golfer myself, it hurts that the sport I’m most passionate about is now under the radar for drug use. Nobody wants to hear about their heroes being suspected for drug use, yet we’ve found ourselves in a place of constantly asking a champion these days: “I wonder if they used steroids”?

I don’t fault Gary Player for his words; however I do fault someone else. I fault no other than Dick Pound, chairman of the World Anti-Doping Agency. Dick Pound for years has been the lead horse on stomping out steroids in sports. Whenever stories of steroid use have surfaced, Pound has been right there sharply rebuking those who have been suspected of steroids, as well as advocating for more drug testing. He’s stood toe to toe with the likes of Floyd Landis and Lance Armstrong. Many have criticized Pound for his often slanderous comments toward specific athletes and his unprofessionalism.

Shortly after Gary Player’s comments, Dick Pound responded by commending Player, but then went further by stating that these comments bring a needed “wake up” call to the golf community.

Up until now, I’ve been rather neutral in my feelings for Dick Pound. I recognized the bluntness of his character, but knew that someone had to play the bad guy to weed out steroid use in sports. However, I’ve moved from being neutral toward Dick Pound to being disgusted with him. Who is Dick Pound to say that in essence golf needs to wake up to steroids? This is one small claim about one person using steroids. Pound has much bigger things to be worried about. There have been reports in past years where it was believed that up to 50% of baseball players were using steroids. Every year teams are dismantled in the Tour de France due to steroid use. And Dick Pound is concerned about one suspected golfer?
Has Dick Pound ever played golf? Has he even watched it? It makes no sense that a large number of golfers would be using steroids to elevate their game.

Do performance enhancers really help golfers perform better? Well to answer this question, let’s crunch some numbers. In 2006, Jim Furyk was second only to Tiger Woods on the money list and in the Official World Golf Rankings. In driving distance Jim Furyk was tied for 159th place. He was tied with Michael Connell (Following stats were taken from http://majors.golfweb.com/stats/leaders/r/2006/101). You know Michael Connell right? Right, I don’t know him either. Listen, I’ve lifted weights for a grand total of about 8 months throughout my whole life. If you put the right club in my hand I can give it a good whacking right down the middle of the fairway, often further than guys who are better and stronger than me. Now you put that sand wedge and putter in my hand and it’s a totally different ball game. Drives don’t win tournaments, chips and putts do.

Pump me up on steroids, give me a baseball bat and I’ll hit home runs, scoring runs for my team. Pump me up on steroids, give me a golf club and I’ll hit my first shot a mile and then my second shot to the next tee box, helping me none. If you want to take steroids and be a golfer, tour the world competing in driving contests. That’ll get you some fame on ESPN. Didn’t you see last year’s World Driving Championships?
If steroids are a problem in golf then human beings as a whole have dipped to a new level. In the meantime, World Series Poker Players beware; Dick Pound is coming after you next.

checking the oil on the lawnmower

Originally uploaded by idigvb

We’ve all been there. Our car starts making that weird noise and we have to pull over and check everything out. Some of us start panicking. What do I do? Should I use my onstar? Should I call my husband? Should my car be violently shaking?

Often our first reaction in these circumstances is to check our oil, which by the way is the proper first step. However, while still panicking, we sometimes can find ourselves reaching for our seldom used 2-iron or sand wedge to check the oil instead of using the standard dipstick. This should be avoided at all costs!

At this point you may be asking: “Hey Spence, what’s so wrong about using a seldom used golf club to check your oil”? Great question, I’m glad you asked. Well first of all, if a golf club was meant to be used as a dipstick, then they would be standard equipment on all vehichels, being latched underneath the hood. Secondly, using the end of you club as a dipstick could lead to the grip being lacerated and therefore being deemed unusable. Third, residue could build up on the grip of the club which could greatly affect your swing. And lastly, it’s simply unsafe and not proper golf etiquette.

So next time you find yourself broken down on the side of the road or just checking your oil at home, please don’t reach for that sand wedge. Use properly installed devices to check your oil. In the meantime keep your eye on the ball and your head down.

Many times over a legend’s career the question is raised: “Are they in a slump”? This question has arisen this golf season with Tiger Woods, especially after the British Open, where although he lingered near the top of the leaderboard, he just never made a run of the lead. So is Tiger starting to drop off?

So often in professoional sports we want to quickly celebrate a legend’s victories, but we often just as quickly bury them in their defeats. Tiger Woods isn’t dropping off. He has 3 victories this year, two second place finishes, and is numbers one on the money list and the World Rankings. By the way, both of his second place finishes came in majors. He did have plently of opportunities to win both of those majors, but he didn’t. Tiger Woods isn’t a god and he’s not the best golfer of all time, yet. Let’s not forget that right at the time of the British Open last year, we watched in awe as Tiger put in a string of 7 consecutive victories.

Michael Jordan missed game winning shots, Babe Ruth struck out, and inevitbaly Tiger Woods is going to lose many majors. Although Tiger Woods seems to be rather quiet this year, he could have that breakout round at any moment that propells him through the season and brings us to a place of awe once again. Maybe we should be quick to offer a little encouragement, then be quick to offer a little criticism.

Last week we talked about improper storage of your golf clubs. Well this week i wanted to discuss proper storage of your golf clubs. Your golf clubs should be stored in an easily accesible location. They should also be stored in place where you can see them often. Now, I personally keep mine right above my bed. They are situated perfectly so that when I sit up every morning, I’m staring directly at the head of my Big Bertha Driver. Now I know you’re probably asking, “Spencer why in the wide world of golf is it necessary to do that”? Well that’s a great question.

I have my golf clubs strategically placed for a number of important reasons. First of all, when I wake up in the morning to the sight of my clubs, I’m taken to a place of awe and remembrance of the greatness of the game of golf. Secondly, it reminds me that whatever I’m suppose to be doing that day, well golf is just more important. Lastly, by getting a good look at my clubs every morning, I’m able to get a good idea of whether I need to clean them or not. It’s always important to keep your clubs clean. Dirt and grime often attaches itself to the club face, which if not cleaned, can negatively affect a golf shot.

Let me remind you, that this is just the place that I keep my clubs. Hopefully you can keep your clubs properly stored in a place that works as well for you as it does for me. However, I don’t suggest you putting your clubs in between you and your spouse in the bed every night. Your spouse may get jealous, plus people may think you’re crazy.

It’s 3:34 a.m. and I have to be up for work in 3 hours. I could’ve waited until I got home from work tomorrow, but with this fresh on my mind what’s another few minutes.

Tonight I had a random occurence and experience, that I won’t go into, that unexpectedly has humbled me and taught me about the reality of life being much bigger than ourselves. One of the aspects that draws me to golf more than other sports that I enjoy is this notion that the game of golf is so much bigger than one individual. One day you can go out on a course and play the best you’ve ever played. The next day you can go out under the same conditions and play the worst you ever have. Because of this aspect to golf, I think there should be a sense of awe when approaching the game.

Now I know some may be calling me a heretic by claiming that golf has god-like properties. I’m not saying that. What I am saying is that in my years of experiencing and particpating in golf, it has helped lead me to realizing that life is so much bigger than ourselves.

I realized this most vividly when I had the awesome privilege of going to the practice round of the Masters a couple years ago. It was like heaven. The sun reflected off the clubhouse just right to make it look like a heavenly mansion. The dogwoods were so perfect and detailed. And the men I followed around that day were like immortals themselves, controlling the ball with such grace and power. Now to many, this is really cheesy and sounds fake and superficial. Yet there was something out of this world that I experienced that day.

So also tonight, I’ve been brought to a place of humility, seeing that all of life points to something much bigger than ourselves, namely God. How grateful I am that I get to be a part of a game that would help teach me that. It’s 3:55a.m. now and I’m going to bed.

I’ve never imagined that in my lifetime I would read under the sports headlines about golf players using steroids. Yet that is where I find myself today. Sure enough right there in the headlines of ESPN reads “Player says he knows of at least one golfer who has used ‘roids”. In the article golf great Gary Player discusses of at least one person that he knows for sure that has used steroids. You can just about bet that with the steroid controversy across the spectrum of sports over the last couple years and now especially with this statement from Player, that professional golf will be moving toward strict drug tests and policies.

This raises an interesting question. Do performance enhancers really help golfers perform better? Well to answer this question, let’s crunch some numbers. In 2006, Jim Furyk was second only to Tiger Woods on the money list and in the Official World Golf Rankings. In driving distance Jim Furyk was tied for 159th place. He was tied with Michael Connell (Following stats were taken from http://majors.golfweb.com/stats/leaders/r/2006/101). You know Michael Connell right? Right, I don’t know him either. Listen, I’ve lifted weights for a grand total of about 8 months throughout my whole life. If you put the right club in my hand I can give it a good whacking right down the middle of the fairway, often further than guys who are better and stronger than me. Now you put that sand wedge and putter in my hand and it’s a totally different ball game. Drives don’t win tournaments, chips and putts do. If you want to take steroids, you might as well just tour the world competing in driving distance contests. Then you’ll really have made it to the big time. But you better hurry, before they start testing too!

Robins Nest 1

Originally uploaded by Mr Gee

Take a moment to ask yourself: “What’s wrong with this picture?”
We’ll come back to that.

I believe most would agree that most things in life are meant to be used in a very certain and purposeful way and therefore not to be used improperly. Let’s take for example, say dollar bills. Dollar bills have a specific purpose to be used in order to buy things. You don’t use dollar bills to start a campfire or to build a house with. You use it to buy things.

Similary, golf clubs have a specific purpose. They are meant to be used to learn and master this beautiful sport we call golf. Now let’s ask the question again: “what’s wrong with this picture”. What’s wrong is that someone’s golf bag is being stored in their garage! You know what I use my garage for?! Well I don’t have a garage but if I did I’d put all my crap in there. Have you ever been in a nice and neat garage? Like you would want to have a candle light dinner in it every night? Right, neither would I.

I recently went over to a friend’s place for lunch and while rummaging through their garage would you believe that there in the corner sitting on the shelf was this huge, beautiful black golf bag fully equipped with Callaway Big Bertha Irons and an Odyssey putter! In the corner of the garage! You can imagine that my knees buckled and almost gave way at such a sight.

I tell you this to remind you what your golf clubs were meant to be used for. It’s a much greater calling then the lure of the junky garage. And now join me in my campaign to have every club removed from garages across America by ‘08. “Freedom ‘08, save the clubs”. “Educate, eliminate, assimilate.”