I wont make this a poll. It would be too easy to lie. So lets look at the word "poser", which has a definition of pretending to be "cool". I am wondering how many people on this forum, actually play for the playing sake, and relish making a par, or a birdie and get slightly miffed at themselves for poor play. And what they write down on the card, turn in for handicap, or how many skins you have won by the 18th green is what matters. NOT how cool u look on sunday afternoon with your 2:10 tee time in front of the crowd at the golf course.

Or how many people on this forum, think that "paintfilling" your irons, or having a really cool bag, or headcovers, or dressing with matching shoes, shirt, belt, socks and shoes is the great part about golf.
How about throwing matching boxer shorts in there if you are a guy.

How many people, enjoy the smell of a new glove, or how balls smell fresh out of the sleeve. The smell of grass in the spring summer or fall when it is cut. The smell of the greens when they are cut, on an early saturday or sunday morning and it takes the dew off the green. The leaves rustling in the trees, the just plain peacefullness a golf course will bring to a person. The smell that you have when you get home, and its a mixture of mud, grass, sweat, and just being outdoors for hours. This is the smell that your wife makes you leave your clubs in the garage.

When I play matchplay, skins, scats, lowball low total, the points game, or any of those other forms of entertainment in golf, then you see two guy's that look totally opposite. There are the one ones with the 100 dollar shirt's and the fancy belts, have the biggest brightest bags, the latest driver available, and change putters every week. And you find the players with clean but used clubs, that have gouge marks in the sole from where the actually played the ball as it laid, instead of rolling it to not scratch a club. These fellow tend to wear shirts from JC Penneys, or Walmart. Have a plain comfortable pair of golf shoes and dont really give a crap what they look like in the parking lot to the whole golfing crowd.

Now me personally, I could care less how pretty my clubs are, they get cleaned by myself after every round. They will eventually get bag chatter or a gouge taken out of them. I had much rather write down a good score and turn it in on my handicap, than to look the coolest, latest prettiest golf poser. You can lambast all your want, but even though there are a number of good or great players that have the cool painfill and all the latest gadgets, the brightest clothes and shoes. Most of the time they are just what I said, a poser.

So which are you a poser or a player? Is your love for the game, or the equipment?

I own some pretty cool stuff but also consider myself a player. My tournament average was 70 last year.

good thing there isn't a poll. I have a gut feeling it'd be 100% to zero.

i readily admit i love the game like a scratch player, and take it that seriously, and enjoy looking good (no, not flashy colors and belt buckles, just dressing nicely) while at the same time am a legit 12-15 handicap. i can shoot anywhere from 75-85, usually right around 82.
not sure if i am a "poser" or not. i guess i don't PRETEND to be good if that is what you mean.

Is there room for someone that is both? First and foremost I love the game, the minutiae, writing down the proper score and playing a gentleman's game.

However, I like the stuff too. I don't buy new clubs every year, but I do buy lots of golf clothes and I like to match. Maybe it's the combination of all these factors that makes me love this game so much.

I like to consider myself a player w/ a touch of poseur. I like my equipment to be nice and shiny before and during every round. I take every round very seriously and write down true scores. If I take a 7, then so be it. I'm not big on wearing the latest and greatest golf gear though. I normally wear cords and a nice lacoste or burberry collar shirt w/ my old tour 360 shoes.

I don't think it's as clear cut as you think.

Basically there are those handful of golfers at every course (I would imagine) that play old Mizuno or Titleist blades, havent changed grips in years, have an old r510 driver, 1 wedge and an old ping putter, plain khaki pants and a plain shirt, who go out and shoot 72 every round. I think every club has a guy similar to that, just a natural golfer, doesn't care about equipment or look and just plays.

But there are so many more golfers I know who paintfill their clubs, want to grind their wedges, have 10 putters 6 drivers that rotate in and out, have the newest ashworth shirts with pinstriped pants and new MyJoys who go out and shoot the same 72 every round they play.

I disagree because most of the people who have all the new stuff are either kids under 24 who are 75% of the time a really really good golfer, or guys who care about their appearance on the course and are still decent golfers.

It's very rare to find people over 30 who are worried about being a poser...I think you are mistaking "wealthy" or "well off" with "poser"...if you have the money to buy $100 shirts, use the newest equipment, have a fancy bag, fancy shoes, etc. why not have that?

To some people fashion of golf is more important, I don't remember reading anywhere the only way to enjoy golf is to be a player or be serious. Some people would rather look good and not scratch up their irons than play good, I don't see what's wrong with that.

I play golf because I enjoy it.

Sure I have my paintfilled irons, I built them with my own two hands, so I wanted it to have a little personalization. Sure I try and look decent on the course, but then again I do whereever I go.

When I'm on the course though, golf is the only thing on my mind, now what color I should paintfill my putter when I get home or such.

Sure I'm no "player" handicap wise, I don't have the opportunity to play as much as I like, but I play golf becuase I enjoy golf. The rest of the stuff just keeps me occupied when I'm not on the course.

Golf equipment is like the tools in my garage, each serves a purpose and needs to be used accodingly. Sure some of the tools are pretty but, like anything else I purchase regardless of cost, it must be used for its designed purpose otherwise it's a waste of money. My purpose it to play golf using my equipment. I look and behave like a golfer should when golfing.

I do love standing over a club head, relish a new golf ball, the feel of a new golf glove and wiping off the grip and club head before use. But, most of all I like thinking my way through a shot before addressing the ball, feeling the conditions and then standing over the ball, pulling the trigger and watching the ball fly as intended and landing where I wanted.

I am a golfer -

I enjoy EVERYTHING about golf. all of it from the moment you realize you are a better player than you were last season and can stick a shot with ease to the feel of brand new golf shoes gripping the turf. From the drive to the course on the morning of a tournament with anxiety tugging at your nerves to the first time you open a shipping box and pull out a masterful work of putting craftsmanship. It's all there in golf. All for the enjoyment. No posing just reality like a badly created internet thread.

Good Post

I guess I am a poser. I love the gear. I am going to paintfill my irons. I do like my grips to match. And I think I need new Rocket Tours to match my bag. I don't golf as much as I want to and I am no good at all when I do play. Breaking 100 is a great score for me. I will never be a great golfer and I play for the enjoyment of it. Part of the enjoyment is the gear. I have always been a gear guy. When I played hockey goalie, my mask was painted to match my team. I love Demarini bats for softball.

I'll start off by saying that I was pretty put off by this post initially. What do you say to those individuals, as mentioned above, that go out and shoot even par or better - but at the same time - they can afford the newest/latest greatest equipment, dress very well (even... gasp... bright/loud colors!!), etc. I don't know if I'd call them posers because they are playing golf the way they want to play.

I'm no Camillo Villegas by any means, but I like to look good on the course, I clean my irons religiously, and update my epuipment when I want to and have the means to do so. I also go out and shoot my 5 hdcp. or better almost every time I play. I don't feel like I am a poser, and I don't think, just because you don't dress like the "posers" you're describing or wish to change equipment as frequently as them, it makes anybody better than anybody else. We all love golf - why do we care about what someone else is wearing or how they treat their clubs?

I take pride in my equipment. I guess the question is do you take your golf seriously or not. I don't see why we have to be one or the other. I enjoy the game and like to look good while I do it.

If I wasn't fat, I might be a poser.

If I didn't suck, I'd be a player.

Since I DO suck -- and tell everyone here just how much I suck in my sig -- I play because I love this game. I love the sensual pleasures you described: the smells of the course, the feel of the equipment, and the exhilaration of hitting a particular shot as well as any man alive (even though it may be only one such shot per round or two). I love the connection it provides with my father and the uncle who I grew up with in my immediate family. Rest in peace, guys. I love the knowledge that I can hit a shot out of trouble or a bad lie, because I insisted to myself that I do it all the time rather than improve my lie. I love that I am improving, a little at a time, even though I'm aging. And I love that God allowed me to keep playing this game, when people told me I'd never walk again after a bad injury.

I think the real question is. Does it even matter?



Kudos mate. Maybe you are more of a golfer then me as i couldn't play the game knowing that i am not good or never will be a good golfer. No offense meant there.

Whatever peoples motivation to play golf, the important thing is that they are enjoying it.

Nick.

Ronzo,

I don't care what the handicap. If you improve 10 shots in 36 weeks you are a PLAYER in my book. Great job!

Kevin

Wow, that's a serious five paragraphs you put together. You definitely have the biggest heart and most passion for Golf I have ever seen. I respect you a ton after that post.

Thanks, Kevin! My index is plateaued right now because I'm forced by economics to play a short, tight course that's poorly suited to my game until the winter season down here ends. (Courses like that just KILL my index, mumble, mumble.) But I know I'm getting better: I'm more consistent, my short game and putting are better, and my attitude is better. I can't wait to play in our off-season on the courses with higher ratings and slopes; I seem to score equally badly on both types, lol. But the differentials will be better.

You might want to get rid of the pink shaft in your WITB to validate your post.

I'm a poser but I want to be a player like the OP

I think this is a wasted thread. I'd venture to say 75% of all Country Club Members are out there keeping up with the Jones and wanting to be seen. I've worked at 3 different Clubs for the past 20+ years so I've seen it and listened to the eye rolling conversations. I, personally, wear whatever shirts I can get cheap and cargo shorts. I'll wear a t-shirt sometimes if allowed with my camo cargo shorts. I love to play and love to try different equipment also. Nothing wrong with havin nice stuff. I'm about a 12 HC who would rather play than practice. I play for money and usually it's straight up NO HC. I care when I play like sh*t and it does bug me, but I don't loose sleep over it.

Now has anyone yet admitted to being a "poser"?

I consider myself a player. I play the game because I love it. I hate making bogies and having a bad round. That being said, I do like to look nice and my bag and stuff does match and look all fancy. Do I give a flying flip what you think of it? NO. Why does it matter if someone likes to look good while they play? I like to have nice things and look nice because I want to and can afford to do so. Not because I want Joe Blow to think I am cool.

I love the game of golf. I have ever since my dad bought me my first set of clubs for Xmas 9 years ago. There is nothing better than waking up early and being the first guy on the course and being able to play the game the way that I see fit. As for equiptment/gear, I like the new gear and I do play really nice clubs that have my custom mods done but that doesnt make me a poser. I was a 2 handicap before having complete knee reconstruction and now I am fighting my way back down there (6.1) again after balloning to a 15 or so.

My rounds with friends are always competitive and something is always on the line, weither its lunch or a couple bucks a side. I play Golf to compete with myself and those who I play with....And I hate loseing. Golf is a game that is ment to be played for enjoyment, and if you feel like "posing" make you better go a head and Pose.....

Great topic thanks

I just enjoy playing.. sure my the contents of my bag are not exactly cheap, but there was a time when it was easily double if not triple what it is now..Poser..NO.. Just a HO

I like my Jan Craigs, I think they are less flashy then OEM covers. My bag is kinda flashy but I just got it, before that it was a 50 dollar basic black Ogio for walking. I have a nice stained up titleist bag too for the days I feel dirty.

I dont wear jeans on the course, just some khakis and I seldom match perfectly.. ok my belt matches my shoes but I only have 2 colors...black or brown. After that it's whatever I have on and if the shirt has a collar I'm set. I dont wear a glove, I use balls that my marshall FIL find for me, that you probably lost I generally never play on weekends.

My equipment is not all pretty..well only the stuff Joe did looks good. The stuff I did you will find a little excess epoxy and unfinished ferrules... I dont care. While a dont have rock dings on my current set, it's only a matter of time before I get "unlucky".. bag dings.. yeah I got those. My clubs only get cleaned before the next shot if needed..paintfill ? who cares.

Posers are what they are.. who cares. They are helping the economy and your pocketbook too..if you bet with them. Let them be.

For the record, I'm a 6 handicap that plays by the rules, doesn't have to have the latest and greatest equipment but still keeps them looking good, and I dress with a sense of classic style. I'm neither a poser nor a player - just simply a golfer!

That being said, your definition and personal feelings about what makes someone a "Poser" is WAY off base. It has nothing to do with what shape someone's irons are in or what kind of clothes they wear, as people have different personalities and different things that are important to THEM! Golf is no different than any other aspect of one's life. Some people are stylish and play their best when they feel good about the way they dress, on the golf course or at the office, etc.

I know guys who have the latest and greatest, staff bag and all, that shoot 100 on a very good day. However, they play by the rules, don't hold anyone up, and know that they aren't good, yet still love and appreciate the game and all it's inherent challenges! They are hacks and they know it, but look like tour players in the clubhouse! By your definition, this makes them posers, which is far from the truth! I much prefer to play with guys like this than the "players" that b#&ch and moan all day when their game is a little off and they have to pay up the $10 they lost in a match. They get no real joy out of the game and continue to take away from others with pi$$ poor attitudes.

A poser is someone who claims to be a 3 handicap (but has never shot better than 90 in their life), has all the latest gear that they couldn't afford (Credit Cards are great for keeping up with the Jones'), dress exactly like their favorite pro down to the shoes, and looks down their nose at anyone who does not do the same thing as them - much like you seem to be doing to the people who dress nice and have the latest gear!

Anyone that has to put someone down that doesn't represent their idea of a golfer or pretends to be someone / something they are not is the true definition of a POSER in my book!

EXACTLY my first thought.

I originally was upset with your post, because and I still feel it has the intent of causing flames and name calling. In the end, I will summerize my feelings about how people dress to play golf, and the equipment they own versus your attitude towards "posers".

I am 52 year old professional, played golf for 28 years now, and was taught early on, even playing on public courses. That you dressed appropriately, and acted in a gentlemanly manner in you actions on the golf course. Not out there with a cooler full of beer, throwing clubs and cussing, and embarrassing other people.

I own more golf clubs and bags than 99% of the average golf population. Ego, no.... Left handed, if I want to try it I usually have to buy it. Don't have the time to play all this reselling and trading game, so my stock of equipment keeps getting larger and larger. That doesnt make me a poser.... It just means because I get a new one, I don't have to get rid of a old one.

Next, 28 years in the millitary, I take great pride in my appearance, and know that people will make a first impression of you based on your appearance and grooming. Is that important to me - yes.... There opinion and judgement, also affects how they will view you and your integrity. Integrity is number 1 with me and always will be. You and your attitude will not affect my integrity. I love golf because it is a game that requires integrity. I quickly judge the integrity of golfers each time I play with them, and no matter how they are dressed it does not affect my integrity decision. How they play by the rules and score is all I need to know a person and there integrity. If they knowingly do not play the game by the rules I have made my decision as to character and integrity. I would not and do not engage in any business dealings, or gaming of any kind with this type of person.

How a person dresses or what they play has never been a factor in determining there integrity.

I feel equipment or dress does not make a person a poser.

How they play the game, and what they record and tell other people on how they play the game is what determines if they are a poser.

What a person has monitarily has nothing to do with being a poser....

What a person does with there integrity has everything to do with being a poser....

So I will say, I am a golfer, a player, that is well dressed, with nice equipment....

As far as I am concerned, a poser is a conartist, cheater and deciever....

Your screenname make me wonder.... Justaman5? Are you against fake people, envious, or just trying to cause a class war.... I think America spoke when we elected our new President, its time for change. And I think it may be time for you to change and move on to doing things that will make our nation a better place.

I am not attacking you, but asking you to think about what you are writing and what kind of turmoil you are trying to create.

R.
Dennis Higgins
aka MiuraPro

This notion that the better you play, the less you care about your appearance (and vice versa) is just complete BS. Complete and utter BS.

There will always be people with more money than sense. There will always be talented people who grew up having a tougher road to hoe than others. And then there are people SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE. Did you forget about them?

Why promote this whole "us vs. them" nonsense?

I guess I would be somewhere in between.

I have only been playing for 3 years and I love the game. I do get some of the latest and greatest stuff, but only as occasional gifts from family, etc. My problem is that I do not have the time to become a true player under your definition. I carry a legit 14 HC that travels because I would rather play 20 different courses than the same course 20 times. I have 2 boys under 4 years old and I just can't get out of the house for more than 1-2 rounds a month and head out to hit balls at most once a week.

I do like to look decent on the course when the weather in the NW allows.

Truth is that I spend time at home in the evenings doing research and trying to learn as much as I can about the game so that when I get a chance to play, I can make the most of it.

I may look like a poser, but that's because I haven't played enough to rough up my clubs yet.

I completely agree. I don't see the point of calling people out. I myself don't make fun of stealers fans, but I could never see myself draped from head to toe in team gear. I guess that because I'm from the Philly area and oh yeah they won the freakin SB.

I'd like to consider myself a player, but at a 7 index I still think I'm more of a hacker. I don't consider myself a club hoe, but I do make sure my sticks are in good shape and are what will benefit my game the most. New technology can be a real benefit, so why not have the best gear you can afford. And Yes, I bought my Cameron simply for the cool factor but it's been in the bag for over a decade now. I don't think having cool gear makes someone a poser or cool for that matter.

By the way, I haven't heard the term poser since the 80's and that was from those hair band freaks.

i think most of the people who are regular visitors and posters on this site would qualify for both categories.

I believe most of those "old school" players probably wouldn't be on a site dedicated to golf and golf equipment. those guys who have those old beatup mizunos and can go out and shoot under par are probably not on this site checking out the latest gear.

we are all on here (or so I hope) because we love the game and have seeked out others who share the same passion. i'm sure all of us are to some degree "club hos" however i'm sure all of us are serious about our game, whatever our handicap. sure, there are plenty of people who are searching for flashy equipment and flashy clothes, but those guys just in for the looks would probably just go to the local golfsmith or golf galaxy and pick up the nicest stuff on the rack regardless of their skill level.

the same goes for many sports. i have skied all of my life and i've seen my far share of guys who just buy the nicest stuff and want to look good. as the saying goes, "its not how good you look on the hill but how good you look in the lift line". the same goes with golf. you definitely will see those nike'd out golfers with the newest equipment and the tiger red shirt on. however i believe those guys aren't the ones who actively search out sites like these and really want to know the latest and greatest equipment that will potentially help their game.

I'm gonna go with both, "fake it till you make it"

I look like a tramp on the golf course i reckon. Im lanky and skinny so nothing really looks that great one me haha! I have a plain pair of addidas shoes that need abit of a wash but in britains winter they will just be covered in mud again after tommorow.

So, I would say im a player, and I play quite good, shoot between around the level to +3 range. I got a blue titliest pencil bag that is pretty muddy/ I actually cleaned my clubs yesterday cos they were getting abit embarresing to be around, and they look pretty nice now. Callaway x18s, cobra f speed driver, a rubbish benross 3 wood, 2 ball putter and cleveland wedges. I just wish I could afford better balls cos they do make such a huge difference to a better players game, but i settle for nxt's these days, unless im in the bigger tournament.

But if I could be a player and a poser id like to be both, but i hate guys with electric trolleys at age 25, with big bags, all the gear, bright trousers, thinking there the bomb, some pretty swing but there just rubbish most the time! They care about what they look like too much, and have some real technically sound putting stroke, being all soft hands and everything, but cant hole a putt on the 18th green to win a little club match to save there lives! There the people that piss me off!

Hearing the word poser reminds me of highschool and all the 'tude that swarmed around the "in" crowd trying to remain "in". Just by definition if you do anything you are "posing" You may not think you are... but you are.

"Not to design is to design by default" Gregg Berryman (Legendary design Prof.)

Not caring what you wear is designing an outfit that says, "I'm trying to look like someone who doesn't care or is a classic golfer or is playing golf like a player looks"

Everything everyone does is a designed choice. It's just the communication or product that differs between us.

When I was 18, I used to think that poser was a horrible thing to be called. Now in my mid 30s I think the entire concept is stupid.

People make what they want of life. Whether I look sharp on the course, or like a dirty rumpled laundry bag, my motivations are my own. First tee jitters that are cause by nerves or being tight are acceptable, nerves about people looking at you, and judging you from the clubhouse, are bull.

I love all the things you describe about the smell of the glove, wiping off green shavings from a well struck iron, love when I save par, hate when I make double bogie, treasure birdie. Honestly, I don't have enough time or money to give to the game, so my progress has been slow and would not consider myself a player, but I take it seriously and love it. I'm lucky enough to afford good gear, but its a few seasons old, muddy, and if its dinged up, I don't care so long as it still hits!

Recently, when I play, I've been trying to dress it up a bit. Not to put on airs, but when you look good you feel good, and it helps me stay focused. Also, as someone who is stuck with muni golf, I think looking serious encourages those who are not, to not screw around so much. You know brown Nike SP-8s, which I got for a steal, pressed slacks, and a compression top underneath a sweater, or polo.

Is Charlie Hoffman a poser for wearing a green glove and green footjoys? Is Anthony Kim a poser for having a diamond incrusted belt buckle? Is Adam Scott a poser for wearing $500 worth of Burberry clothing every round? Just curious?

This whole thread is high school-ish. If you get caught up with someone else's image and/or game, that's on you.

But I will answer the question... neither. I don't pretend to be a great player or require all the latest stuff, and I got mediocre game. Also, I've been in injured reserve and haven't touched a club since Sept. Not sure if I'll be able to swing a club for another month or two.

When you make millions from playing golf its pretty tough to be a poser. Hoffman is wearing a green glove to support a cause and hes doing it for free. Kim can buy and wear those buckles because hes good and golf supports his lifestyle. Are you a poser for dressing up and sucking? No I don't think so. However you enjoy the game is good enough for me. I personally don't dress up but my clubs are nice...and I'm not happy when I shoot over par. I wear a T-Shirt to the course more often than a polo, call people whatever you want but it sounds like the guys calling others posers are the ones that insecure about their game.

Dizz........ I couldn't agree with you more! I am a 7 handicap and I enjoy wearing nice clothes to the course and having nice clubs in my bag. Honestly I think it is a confidence thing for me. I guess I am considered a "POSER".

I don't really get this post. Is this a question about golf, financial status, an observation or rant?

Since we are on a golf forum (A really great one at that), in some way we all love some aspect of the game. So it doesn't really make a difference who's a poser or player.

I would consider myself a player and I am out there to play the game and shoot the best possible score I can, but I do have paintfill on some of my clubs and I take out the paintfill on my irons, I like to match when I go play golf but my clothes match whether I am on the course or not. I would consider a poser a person who is out on the golf course who has the sole purpose to look nice and lie about the score they shoot and a player one who believes in sportsmanship and the honor behind golf.

justatool5

My regular gang of 8 at the home club does not fit either definition
Our caps range from 2-16 in the summer, legit all scores in

We all have customized clubs / bags / headcovers / paintfill etc

Some of us dress better than others

We follow the RULES TO THE LETTER and have friendly money games every time we tee it up

We all love golf but we are all serious players that are members at a nice club and all play 60+ rounds per season

Your post may have been better titled .. are you carrying a vanity h-cap?

By the way i don't think your post was bad - it was just to start a discussion

I have seen the guys you describe though ....
Guys that dress OK and no zero about equipment that play to a +3. And of course the guy that says he is a 1 cap and never breaks 80 in a tournament (while dressing like Jesper or Camilo). But hey - they can do their own thing, doesn't bug me at all

Poser? That was a total flashback to the '80s. Made me look around for kids on skateboards.

I think by that definition, I am a poser. I've worked like a dog to pay off my student loans only chunking around par 3 courses while I coached my schools golf team.and now that my salery is starting to ease ahead of my mortgage and car payments, I definitely try to find the best gear and clothes that I can within my budget. I bought my irons new, but they are the only thing in my bag that is new. My FT-5 was used - $200 a year and a half ago (this was the start of my 'problem' with golf equipment). No fairway wood. My X hybrids were $50 each. Irons - new (but I did save gift certificates from tournaments I had played in to knock $50 off the costs). Wedges - all older models or used, $75 or less. Putter - DFII Rossie $27 used. I polished up all of the shafts and heads, scrapped out the dirt in the grooves and notches. Shined the chrome on the heads and shafts. For Christmas I used gift cards to buy a bag that was comfortable, but sported the logo that matched the majority of my clubs. I shine my shoes after I play in the mud and muck around here. I sit in the parking lot of the club or on the practice green and wait the 20 min. until the twilight rates kick in or until the Monday/Tuesday playing special kicks in. If a ball is sitting on or near a rock, I move it. Nobody is giving me a new 5-iron and I don't want to buy a new one. If I'm in one of the traps that doesn't have sand in it but a sand and gravel mix, my partners and I all pull our ball out and either drop in one of the 'sandy' bunkers or we drop behind the sand and count an extra stroke. It gets harder and harder to finde wedges under $75 that still have grooves on them. I play Pro V1s I have found on the course. Thanks fellas, I've never bought a box of 'em, but currently have 27 of 'em in my closet. My friends and I have a good time. We have no illusion of taking our skills onto any tour and the only real problem we have is that the best kept course in town is private and restricts guest playing privileges to the weekdays and as teachers we can't play Monday to Friday. (Until the summer, then watch out. I take every discounted time I can afford.)

I don't keep a handicap because I don't play tournaments. I don't play for money, just a round of drinks at the end of the day. (And I always pay for the round from the cart girl - she's cute, single and just about my age.) When I say my score is about an 85, that is what I mean. I unplugged a couple of lies, dropped out of a bunker that was more rock than sand, and maybe on the rounds when the cart-girl visited with us a few too many times we give and take putts that might not be inside the leather unless your using Yao-Ming's putter. In the two or three events that I play a year that are scored for prizes, I'm earnest and honest with my scores. And I generally lose. (but I have inordinate luck with the draw prizes - go figure). My slacks or shorts are pressed, my straw hat is clean, and my clubs look brand new.

I love my sticks. I worked hard to be able to enjoy them and I baby them a little. So, yeah I guess I am a poser.

But you had better be careful with the derogatory connotations of that term. I also coach the golf team at my school, perhaps one of the poorest district areas in all of our province. I've bought OLD sets, cleaned and refreshed the clubs and given them to promising athletes (and not so promising athletes that could really use a break from somebody). I buy boxes of topflights so my team has new and unscuffed balls to play with during tournaments. My boys learned enough, that without one kid on my team having a membership to a course in town, we placed second in the citiy championships and competed in the regionals against kids two years older. Boy did we fluke out. And I swear one of the boys nearly cried when I gave him brand new sleeve of D2s for his match. So while I am a poser and cannot claim to be any kind of real player, is that such a bad thing? I have earned the right to have some pride in my equipment, appearance, and game. I pay for it with time developing young men (and sometimes women) when others really don't want them on the course or practice ranges because they are loud, rambunctious, joyful and maybe just a little ignorant of the decorum expected at the Golf and Country Club. (But I will also be damned if I wasn't the one that yelled the loudest when my #5 golfer holed out from 30 yards for us to place second in the city champs. Greatest shot ever. Tiger can keep his putt to win the US Open.)

The old wisdom is best: Dont' judge a book by it's cover, you never know what is inside. Of course, this book has a pretty snappy cover. Them saddle shoes are pretty flashy.



Sorry if that ended up being a rant. I really enjoy the game and felt that guys like me were 'called to account' for our treatment of our clubs or the dress and deportment part of my game. I appologize.

D

I don't get the point here. It sounds like the OP is saying that he could care less about what others think, but the "posers" are obviously an issue with him. Why does he even give a sh!t what others do, or wear, or play or why they play? Or even what they take away from the game when they play

Hmmmmm ....Richard, who's your favorite little rascal???