This ought to get some of you talking!

Should smoking on the course be banned, that is the question!

Now, I personally don't mind people smoking, as long as:

1) They blow their smoke away from me.
2) They stand so the wind is blowing the smoke away from me.

I play with my mates dad quite a bit and he smokes a lot on course. But he is curteous, and makes sure he is not making others who do not wish to inhale his smoke uncomfortable. He does this so well, I don't even notice sometimes, which IMO is how it should be.

I have even been offered a cigarette on course before!!! I said no of course!

So what do we think?

Dave

No.

I would say no to a ban. I like to have a cigar on the course once in a while. However, I do think smokers need to be curtious to those who do not smoke.

I've never smoked, can't stand it myself, but NO it should not be banned. I'm rather tired of ban-this, ban-that...

No...next they will ban beer at the course, next will be something else unhealthy, etc.

The only thing I hate is to find a cigarette butt on a green...usually it has burned down and scarred the grass on the green, leaves that dull gray color behind. I don't know who does that type of thing, but I see it somewhat regularly at my local muni.

NEVAR !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At an ultra exclusive private club I can see it but on a public course

agree!
There's already enough being banned...

ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!!!!!! It's bad enough I can't smoke when I go to dinner now you want me to give it up while I am golfing. I thought this was a free country. Who am I offending when I smoke a cigarette outdoors. Sorry to sound so upset but come on.

Paula Creamer is smokin' wherever she goes.


<groan>




sometimes I just can't help myself. sorry.

If you get annoyed by smoke on the course then you are probably standing too close to people.

No ban.

Here's a true story: I was at a concert at Jones Beach (outside) and it was always OK to smoke there. Everywhere you look someone is smoking something So I light a cigarette and one of the security gaurds tells me to put it out. I'm like what? We're outside. Apparently they changed the law and it was now illegal to smoke there. So I said "what about all the people smoking?" and I got no answer!
Back

You mean I shouldn't be standing close enough to the guy on the tee to poke him in the butt with that little pencil that comes with the scorecard while he's trying to tee off? Geez, that's half the fun.

But seriously. What if there is a little slow play up ahead and while you are waiting on the tee, 4 yahoos with cheap, stinky, stogies stroll up onto the tee box with your foursome and strike up a friendly conversation?

What about the cigarette butts you always find on the course?

Sure, people should be more courtious. But these days, courtesy is practiced less and less. At what point to we stop relying on people's own sense of courtesy, and start dictating it for them? I mean, we already have Marshalls to speed up slow play - and that is something people should take care of on their own without enforcement, right?

I played a course in California a few years ago that banned smoking. The reason was due to dry conditions and they were afraid of fires. I enjoyed it myself and the course was quite clean. I really hate seeing butts on the course. That is really my gripe about smoking on the course.

I guess it really depends on who's you are talking about

Here in the States, most places allow smoking on the course - actually I enjoy a good cigar on the course 4 or 5 times a year. I was invited to play Pine Valley, and brought some rather good cigars for the group.

You guessed it - no smoking on the course. On the grounds, ok, but not on the course. Guess someone got tired of the cigarette butts all over the place - and I agree - it's a mess, but I think if you smoke, you should take care of the by-product, whatever it may be...

In a word "NO"...and I'm really likin asitlies' avatar

My Golf Outing Checklist, in order of importance:

1. Clubs
2. At least 2 sleeves of balls
3. At least 2 Havanas
4. Hat
5. Sunglasses

no to the ban on smoking on course.

but, i will say that if you do smoke on course (and i do) rather than leaving your butts on the green or in fairways, find a decent place to discard so it does not bother others.

i once saw a guy put his cigar out ON the green and leave it there.

I know at concerts, some of those bigger joints don't allow smoking.

p.s. In all honesty smoking should not be banned but some smokers should have their azzez kicked for being inconsiderate.

In Washington, it is now illegal to smoke inside any public building, or within 100(?) feet of a doorway (stops all the smokers from congregating 2 feet from the door, forcing everyone to walk through their smoke and all over their discarded butts.) Enforcement seems lax, however.

No Smoking on the course???...........How about: ATTENTION: Absolutely no playing of golf allowed at anytime on this golf course.

No.

No to a ban. Its outdoors after all.

I don't smoke and never have. I prefer not to play with golfers who smoke because the smell of it stinks. I say no to banning it though...but all you smokers please don't throw your butts on the ground. No one wants to see it...its the same as me spitting on the ground and you have to look at it....disgusting!

As a smoker I try my best to remain considerate of those around me at all times; however, sometimes it just can't be helped if a little smoke comes toward you. I know the health dangers of first and second hand smoking, after all the Surgeon General warns me of it every time I light one up, but in my opinion smokers have become the most discriminated against people in America today. I don't mind having to go outside to smoke so that people who don't do so won't be bothered by my habit. I am tired of being looked at as less of a human being for my wanting to smoke. For the record, I wish I have never picked them up.

I'd just like to add that I was not saying ban smoking, I am fine with it as long are people are curteous, don't blow it around my face, and make sure they are stood in a place where the wind won't blow the smoke into me. Most people I play do this, and the round is then a pleasant experience.

You can buy these little wallets that hold cigarette butts now, I think they are called Stubbis. Could be useful if you don't want to litter.

Dave

I'm for banning smoking all together. I am aware that some people can't really stop easily but making it illegal would sure help in quitting. I know that's not a very realistic idea, but I do greatly appreciate all the laws that have made smoking in public places illegal. While it's annoying to some, I think the anti-smoking trend is having good long-term effects.

if you smoke on the course so be it .......but take your damn butts with you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I totally agree with what golfer.61 said! If your going to smoke put the butts in your pants pocket till you get to a trash can...which all courses have somewhere! and i'm a smoker!!!

The worst is when some dumbasses with a cigar or ciggy stands directly upwind of you and you gotta smell that smoke when you are over the ball. Usually they have hit their tee shot and whip out the ciggy to smoke while everyone else tees off. Or you get in the cart and they light up.....do they think I wanna inhale that crap? We played in a scramble with 6 guys on the same hole 2 weeks ago and I was dizzy from inhaling cheap cigar smoke from the 1st green on. It definetly ruined my round.

Banning would probably do no good at my course. Smoking is banned in the clubhouse, but I gotta get there extra early on weekends, because the bathrooms and locker room are full of smoke by 7:30am.

No it shouldn't be banned. Personally I find it disgusting, but no need to ban it. What they do need to ban is people throwing their cigarette butts all over the course.

I actually agree with that. Of course I am biased because I lost my mother to lung cancer. The criteria used to determine whats legal and whats not in this country in terms of, "drugs" is beyond me. There really seems to be no logic to it. I do realize however that banning smoking altogether is unrealistic at best. After all the lawsuits the big tobacco companies have already been through, if it hasn't happened yet it probably won't.

Some of you must have smoke angels that follow you around and keep the smoke away from you. I often get grouped with smokers at my club and even though they try to be courteous the smoke always seems to find it's way to my senses. Its just something they really have no control of no matter how hard they try the wind is going to do what it wants to.

For the record I am an ex-smoker.

I completly with the inaccuracy of the categorization of drugs in America today. The most depressing thing to me is that Alcoholics and drug addicts are viewed as on the whole people who need help and therefore receive unnecessary sympathy. Granted there are cases where people become addicted to drugs in circumstances out of their control and for them I am extremely sympathetic; however, like I stated earlier it is a terrible stereotype that smokers receive today in America. As long as I am courteous with my habit which includes not throwing butts in bunkers and various other places on the golf course, why should you view me differently? Again all of this is food for thought and if any of the above offends anyone I sincerely apologize. Smoking shouldn't be banned, just a**holes!

Boy, ain't that the truth. Guess it all comes down to how good your lobbyists are.

Lobbyist's suck, IMHO.

Of course, so do politicians.

Ok, back to your regularly scheduled programming.

FYI: New York City just banned trans-fats in restaurants (effective July 2007).

I'm also an ex-smoker.

I don't think banning smoking on the course is realistic or very enforcable. I like to enjoy an occasional cigar. I'll say something to someone who is littering up my course with their butts though. I'm pleased that they just banned smoking at the local indoor driving range, seemed I was always getting a steady stream of second hand smoke drifting my way. I hated when a large group of people would stand around watching each other swing & all be chain smoking.

Absolutely NO to a ban!

As long as people don't litter the course with their cig-butts. It really pis*es me off (also when I smoked) to see cig-butts left on the grass !

BTW, I'm an ex-smoker - quit 9 months ago after 25 years of smoking.

(I still miss my smokes after another triple-bogey )

cheers
Soeren

Congrats. That's a pretty major accomplishment. Stick with it; it's worth it.

But now the question is, what constitutes what an a****** is. For example, I've been called an a******, and sometimes I run around with a couple guyz who can be a*******. Everywhere you go these days someone is calling somebody an a******, now the question is...Who among us is qualified to set the standards for who can be legitimately called an a******. Some a******* smoke, some a******* drink, and some a******* don't do either. Some a******* are short, some are tall, some don't weigh very much and some a******* are big. While some a******* are young, there are those old a******* too.

Let me know what you a******* think on this matter.

Mac, I think your **** **** *** **** ******* ***** ********* is stuck

*******

Oh believe me I have been called an a**hole as well, however in the context that I was using it this particular time, I was referring to anyone who throws their cigarette butts on the course. Sorry for any confusion.

I would be much happier if it was banned. It's ok though, when all you smokers die of lung cancer, the course will open up and it will not take 5 hours to play on Sunday anymore.

I can't figure this chit out.........It wouldn't let me type out the word ace-in-the-hole......you know, a card game phrase.

p.s. I hope none on here take me for serious....what could be more fun than to get in the middle of discussion, and poke fun at all.....you know, like stirring the pot.

slow play has nothing do do with smokin bro....becareful where you go and how you judge people.

haha... on that note, keep smoking everyone

I think he was referring to there being less golfers on the course without the smokers, and not smokers being slow golfers.

That is correct, I was referring to a future of less weekend golfers (only a dream). A certain percentage of the golfing population smokes. If they were to not be at the course any longer (not that I wish that upon anyone) it would open up a bit during the weekends which are notoriously slow at any public course where I'm from.

I will say that I think smoking is gross, but if you are curteous about it and it doesn't affect me then I wouldn't think lesser of you; I wouldn't think more of you either though. Of course if you leave your garbadge all over the course and spew smoke all over me, then I don't think many will argue that your are scum no matter what society thinks of smoking as has been documented time and time again in this thread.

We could start putting meth in the drinking fountains and drinks sold by the beverage ladies. That would speed up play considerably. Woo-hoo! 18 holes in 45 minutes, and the sandtraps are cleaner than they've ever been!