While on the course today I reached down to replace my divot that I took.  As I went to replace it, I noticed that it really didn’t fit the hole.  I then looked to my right and saw another divot mark and lo and behold…..this one fit.  As I looked further up from my position I saw another loose  patch of grass; then another and another.  I finally found my divot and did my best to replace the other two I found along the way.  Then my OCD kicked in.  

You know how when you’re looking to make a purchase on, let’s say a car, you suddenly notice every model of that car that you never noticed before?  Or you want to paint your front door a different color and you start looking at every door within a six block radius?  Well, that’s what happened to me.  I started to see all these divots on the fairway that I just plain overlooked before.  I think I counted and replaced or poured sand into nine just from the 150 yard marker to the green.  The worst part is that some of them were at least a day old by the way that the grass on them was dried out.  

What is going on here?  It can’t be that they didn’t notice what had happened.  I mean, one of them was the size of a trout.  Could it possibly be that their caddies were lazy?  No, this course is for carts only so no caddy necessary.  Perhaps there were no sand bottles on their carts?  I got it!  No one ever told them that it is not only poor etiquette and ill-mannered, but it also leaves the course in bad shape for the players following them.  Well, let’s be clear…..I’M TELLING YOU NOW….REPAIR YOUR DIVOTS!!!!!  

No, not you.  The other golfer.

I’d like to have a tee shirt made with that on it but, since I can’t wear a tee shirt on the golf course, that makes it a moot point.  Maybe I’ll just yell it out to the foursome ahead of me.  No, that won’t work either because I’ll just sound like a crotchety old man and if they’re younger than me then that could lead to an altercation that I will definitely not come out on the winning side of.  I guess that I just have to show how it’s done.

As golfers of a certain age, we need to lead by example when we’re on the course.  Replace or repair our own divots and, if possible, replace or repair someone else’s too.  Just say, “Don’t worry I got it.”, and hopefully they’ll get the hint for the next time.  This great game of golf is coming under fire lately and if we can show that there are rules and etiquette, and can help fellow golfers follow them by example and encouragement, then I think that we can all be enjoying this ‘game that can never be won, just played’ (quoted by Bagger Vance himself), for a long time to come.

Oh, and don’t get me started on the ball marks left on the greens.

Play well,

Dan

I must admit that when I first saw the Martini Golf Tee I thought that it was just a novelty and brushed it off.  I mean, how can something that looks like a martini glass for a woodland fairy be of any real use?  And what about the price, around six bucks or so for a pack of five?  Seemed ridiculous!  Well, now I’m here to tell you how wrong I was.  I think that these tees are one of the best ones out there, especially for aging golfers or those with physical challenges.  ‘Why?’, you ask.  I reply.

As we get older not only does our speed and reflexes slow down, but also our steadiness,  Sad, but true.  Towards the end of a round it sometimes seems that the consistency that is oh so important is harder to maintain.  Even something as minor as teeing up the ball can be a struggle.  You either don’t maintain the same tee height or even worse, you don’t place the tee upright enough and the ball starts falling off the tee.  Face it, it happens.

This is where the Martini Tee shines.  Not only does the tee come in different lengths, but you can also get tees with a stop feature.  This will guarantee that each and every time that you tee up, the ball will be at the same height.  Need to tee up a little lower due to wind conditions?  Try the 2 ¾”.  Short par three and using an iron?  Use the 2” tee and press it in until the cup rests on the ground.  Like to ‘tee it high and watch it fly’’, or going long with a driver that has a head the size of a horse?  Use the 3 ¼” tee with a stop and tee it up the exact height each and every time.  No more teeing the ball too low and wondering what happened to your loft that you had six holes ago.    

Another handy trait of the cup shape is that it will hold the ball.  According to Martini Tees, the ball will stay in the cup up to a 20 degree angle of the tee.  That’s one less time that I have to bend over to reset the ball on the tee. Also, this gives you the flexibility to tilt the tee towards the hole allowing for better alignment and possibly even more roll.  Try that with a standard tee.

 Add to that the durability of a tee made of a proprietary polymer resin and you have a tool that lasts for multiple rounds without snapping or bending out of shape.  This I can attest to after smacking the tee instead of the ball on more than one occasion!  Plus you have a choice of colors to choose from and sometimes, with aging eyes, certain colors make it easier to focus and to see the contrast against the turf.

In case you’re wondering, they also conform to USGA and R&A Rules of Golf and are made in the USA!  So, keep those old wooden tees for cleaning your grooves or for practice and try Martini Golf Tees by the pack or by the shaker full.  Chances are you’ll get used to them real quick! 

You can reach out to them at www.Martinigolftees.com and don’t forget to let them know that you found them at SeniorGolfDigest.com.

Stay safe and play well,

Dan