Mission : Complete our first golf tournament, Valentine's Day 2013.
Objective : Just have fun!
Whitney says : When
I take on a new hobby or interest, I like to completely delve in head
first. So when I started golf in January of this year, I didn't think
twice about signing up for the Valentine's Day Sweethearts tournament at Pacific Link's South Shore Golf Club in February, 2013. You are probably thinking, "Is she crazy? She
had only been playing for less than 6 weeks!" and the response to this
is that I was crazy! First of all, I did not yet know
all of the etiquette around golf, let alone all of the etiquette about
tournament play. I also did not play very well and often 'FISHed' the
ball. Luckily, this tournament was a best ball tournament and was for
couples. Best ball means that each person in a pair gets to hit
their own ball, but you play the best ball (the one closest to the pin).
So what that means is that even if I played terribly, we could rely on
my husband's ball to keep us moving forward.
This
particular tournament had fun couples rules, such as playing with your
partners clubs, or hitting the ball on the green with your driver.
Luckily, all participants had a lighthearted attitude and were just
happy to have the junior members participating.
The tournament was also
played "shotgun" style, where each pair started on a different hole.
Unfortunately, this meant that we started on the 16th hole. The reason
this was not a great thing is that I had only played 9 hole rounds
prior to the tournament. My husband and I were paired with Shelley Y.
and her man, so that took a little pressure off as well. Overall, the
tournament was a lot of fun and a great learning experience. I have
compiled a few pointers below of what to do when playing in your first
tournament:
- Know the golf etiquette rules and tournament etiquette rules well.
- Make sure you play a few full 18 hole rounds prior to playing in a tourney.
- Limit alcohol consumption during the tournament. You want to stay focused and on your game.
- Wear your most comfortable golf gear so that you are not distracted by clothing malfunction.
- Play 'ready golf'. Always be prepared at the tee with your club and ball, and always bring a second ball with you to the tee.
- If you have a
difficult hole, use the short time between holes to take deep breaths
and shake it off. A new tee is a new opportuni-tee!
- Above all, for your first tournament, just play to have fun. Don't focus on winning or being competitive!
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Dawn says : Couples Tournaments can be a lot of fun! This tournament was extra fun
because we won! This 18 hole shotgun was paired with another couple.
Each couple had to play according to the rules for each hole. For
example, both had to be touching the putter (pictured above), can only
use even numbered clubs, must use your foot as your club, etc. Everyone
had a blast with team colors and themes. We chose vintage golf, in pink
of course! Dinner, drinks and awards followed. What a great way to spend
time with your sweetheart.
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