The Games We Play Both Figuratively and Literally

We all know women within our golf groups who love to play "games" to win.  Wow, that's a nasty lie in the bunker.  Good luck getting that out.  Or, Too bad you're so far left in the fairway.  Now that limb is going to be in the way.  I'd like to say that I am stronger mentally than to let something like that bother me,
 but I'm no Annika.  Sometimes though, I really like to give it as good as I get  particularly with those who like to dish it out.  One lady, when she's putting, doesn't want you anywhere within her line of site.  She's constantly asking you to move. I guess the only place she wants you is behind her and off the green.   So, one day I was playing a match against her and I asked her 4 times to move.  I didn't care where she was.  The other two players, knowing full well how my competitor is, well, they're practically peeing their pants (which at our age isn't that difficult).  And the competitor couldn't say anything because she knows she does it.  The next time I played against her, she didn't do it.  So there.  Or, I over heard this on the course during a match.  The foursome in front of us is still in the fairway.  One competitor says to the other, you can go ahead and hit.  I'll hit into them.  I saw the look on the other lady's face and knew her competitor was in for it.  The "longer hitter" lost. 

But there are also the "literal" games we play.  The one's I use as Golf Coordinator to try to make each play day more fun, interesting, and challenging.  Right before a tournament I'll use more standard games of skill so we can hone those skills for the tournament (like least putts or most fairways).  Here are some sample games:

LRC- Left Right Center:  If you hit the ball in the left rough/bunker, you put an  "L" below your score, if you hit it in the right rough/bunker, you put down an R and if you hit it any where in the fairway, you get a "C".  At the end of the round, you add up your LRC's and that will tell you why you had such a good or bad score.  Hit only 5 fairways and hit 10 to the left.  Ouch!

Hate'em:  Before your round you pick two holes that you hate and for that day on those holes you give yourself a par.  You still play the holes and keep your correct score (for handicap purposes), but it will show you how well you could have done IF ONLY you had really made pars...

Cha Cha Cha:  Team game- On the first hole you have a cha, you write down only the lowest net score, next whole is cha cha, you write down the two lowest net scores and then cha cha cha (is Max from Dancing with the Stars going to come out without a shirt on?), you write down the 3 lowest net scores.  The next hole begins with cha again.  At the end you add up your cha, cha cha scores and you have a team score.

Bad Ball:  Team Game-  Each team is given a colored ball which is "the bad ball". The object is not to lose the darned thing.  EEgads it's my turn and it's a par three over water!  With each hole you rotate who hits the ball.  The team who returns with their "bad ball", is the winner. For the Halloween tourney, we call it "the devil's ball". 

Mulligan Madness:  Fun for a guest day.  BEFORE play, each player gets to choose two holes in which they would like to use a mulligan.  The mulligan can be used for any shot from a drive to a putt.  The mulligans can only be used on those two holes.  Some strategy is needed here...

Flag Day:  Each player is given a flag with their handicap written on the back.  Once they reach that number of strokes, you plant your flag at the green .  The person with their flag the longest is the winner.  It makes you really think about your game and you don't want to be the first to plant that darned flag. 

With all of our games, we always make them optional.  They're there as a challenge, if you want it.  We have some women who say, nope not for me, which is fine.  On to a different thought:

I played my first two rounds of the year this last weekend.  Finally a beautiful one.  Shot a 93 and 88 with 32 and 30 putts.  That tells me I need to get to the green IN REGULATION! Those *@#$*@#$*@#$%* irons!