LESSONS TO LEARN FROM THE GAME OF GOLF. LESSON #1: SPOTTING A FAKE!

We all hear that golf is a game that teaches values. It does. But we seldom hear how many life lessons can golf teach us as well. For instance, take managing a tournament; most people take it for granted that things "just happen". I assure you though, if certain things were not taken care of, most people would notice the area that was overlooked. In short, we rather make it look easy.

There is no bigger "tournament killer" than a player with a FAKE HANDICAP, one intended to take advantage of the field (i.e.: lie with premeditation) and therefore, the tournament. Nothing hurts a tournament more than when one of these players ends up winning, and the only ones with "egg in the face", are the organizers. That is why it is fundamental that tournaments are played within the spirit of the game and with USGA Rules where applicable, and of course, with someone knowledgeable to apply them in equity to all.

It is not unusual for me to receive calls from all over to check handicaps of some of our players who go play elsewhere. I do the same in Gallup when necessary, and our locals pretty much know that I won't allow them to play with a higher handicap than they deserve. If they do not want to join the Men's Association and earn a handicap, I assure you that will err on the side of caution: give them one as low as they can handle when they play well. Why hurt those who are more serious about the game and who take the time and effort to establish a handicap every year?

Acting strong as such, has its draw backs, mainly personal, but that is part of the job. Harvey Penick mentioned in his book "And f you play golf you are my friend", of the pro who had to leave his club in Chicago because he lowered a member's handicap. The member had told the pro, "give me my three strokes back, I've had people killed for less than that". Chicago does have a reputation, but I assure you, those strong feelings are not exclusive to Al Capone's hometown, particularly when someone is used to getting away with everything. I have one personal example: several years ago, one of our golfers bragged to me that he had bought his son in a "Calcutta" (where people "buy" teams and play for a pot) in Arizona and that the son's team had won first place of over $10-12K. I congratulated him, but then he said: "Yeah, he played as a 'C' player, ha ha". Only problem was, "the kid" was a solid "A" player! I was perplexed, surprised and angry, as I value our local reputation of honest handicaps very much.

My answer was "Way to go! Teaching your son the art of stealing! You should be proud!". It didn't go very well (maybe it was the tone of voice, it couldn't have been what I said). I know it because the next day, I received a call from the city manager that this man had complained that I embarrassed him (I did? ). Thing that angered me is that the guy not only cheated, he won, everyone knew he is from Gallup, got paid, left town, and then, instead of at least trying to conceal his theft, he is bragging with arrogance! The field got cheated, the tournament got cheated, Gallup got cheated (of good reputation) and the organizers "got egg on their face" for failing to check things out!

"Misleading" (cheating) with "FAKE HANDICAPS" doesn't only happen in golf. I've learned that too many people take (or at least try) advantage of others. To avoid surprises I learned that, just like for a golf tournament, I also need to check for references and not just take someone's word for their own qualifications; whether it is your next plumber or someone who will work in the same company. Never be afraid or embarrassed to check things out... you'd be surprised what you can find!

Think of this example: say you have a plumbing problem at home, then you make things worse by trying to save money doing something that you are not qualified for. Finally, after the problem got worse and your pride got bruised, you accept that you need help: you will hire a plumber. If it is a small job, you probably will go with the first one who is listed in the phone book; but what do you do if it is something bigger, the least you do is call some friends around and get references for a reliable plumber, or maybe call places that sell plumbing supplies, these people know of most every plumbers' qualifications. Furthermore, if someone overheard that you have a project in hand and comes to you, would you hire him on the spot without checking some basics out? There is one more thing, if you are smart, you'd tell your wife what you did, after all, you had good intentions to begin with. Otherwise, if you "conspire" with the plumber to conceal the truth, and later your wife finds out... watch out!&*%$#@*! (That part did not come from golf, just from personal experience!)

Again, always err on the side of caution and check things out, you don't want to end with rotten egg on your face!