Every year about this time, the Buffalo District Golf Association (BDGA) holds their local championship. And every year, as I read about this event in The Buffalo News , it somehow gets me worked up a bit. Let me try and explain.
While the BDGA championship is open to all registered players in the district (both private and public course players) with an index of 8.9 (I believe) or lower, you will never see a public links player win this event or even have a decent showing. In fact, I’m not even sure if public course players enter this event. If you were to ask yourself why this is, the only logical answer is that private course players are better golfers than public course players. And, by results only, you would be right. But, I’m not ready to concede that point completely.
For, in my opinion, the private players are so much better because the deck is so overwhelming stacked in their favor. Take this year’s winner, Raman Luthra for example. I’m sure Mr. Luthra is a nice fellow and probably possesses some natural athletic ability, but, had he (or his family) not had the financial wherewithal to have private lessons from the age of 14 until now or had the privilege of playing at a superior course with practice facilities and a teaching pro at his beck and call or just had the chance to go out and play without waiting in a bag line or enduring 5 hour rounds at the local muni, I’m guessing you would never see his name at the top of any local golfing list.
The other thing that riles me up a bit is the coverage of this event by The Buffalo News. The News treats this event (and the female version) as major local news events. I’m actually fine with this except for the fact that The News rarely gives little or any coverage to any of the local Publinks events. Now, I’m not asking for three day in depth coverage, but, they could at least throw us public course players a bone or two.
So, in the end, privilege wins out as it often does, but, us public course players will still keep hacking away with the knowledge that all of us golfers play the same game and we all get out of it just about the same results as the amount of time, effort and money that we put into it.
I’d write more about how inaccurate and unintelligent this article is but I’m too busy practicing at all of the more than adequate public facilities around (Glen Oak, Harvest, Diamond Hawk to name a few) where you can spend hours working on your game for under $10.
I hope that folks continue to comment on this post with consideration and respect. You may disagree with Rico, but do so thoughtfully. We strive for intellectual debate on BuffaloGolfer.Com.
Wow,
I have quite a bit to say on this matter. I can’t comment on this without telling some of my story.
Spring 2011 I set out to become a good player again. I was a decent player in my late teens early 20’s. I carried a 5 handicap during these years.
I am 48 now. I practice about 10 hours a week. I also have a full time job and 3 kids. I am quite sure Luthra works a full time gig also. I am a public links player. I bought a practice pass at Harvest Hill for 350 dollars. I turned it into a season pass after I saw the place and liked it enough to join but at first that is what I did. So don’t write that there are no options for a public links player. There are if you are willing to make the effort.
I take a regular lesson once a month. I won’t say with who because that is not the point of this article.
My point is that there are options for a guy who does not want to join a club or does not have the financial means.
I suggest to you this, Raman Luthra (I do not know him) won because he has TALENT. Not because he is a country club kid. I have access to the same things he does. A great practice facility and a top notch teacher. Same as him.
I do not play in the district because I am not good enough period!!! I carry a 6 now but I could not beat these guys. They are battle tested, played college golf and are used to the pressure of tournament golf.
I played all summer on the golf Channel Am tour and was horrible. I decided to play there to try and gain experience playing in competition. I have not learned yet how to control my nerves. I would shoot 74 at Harvest and shoot 90 out there.
It is a different game when it is tournament golf. Luthra won because he has talent and has learned how to preform when it counts.
What you suggest though is utter nonsense. It is a slap in the face to Luthra or any other guy who is a good local player. To suggest they win because of there status or privilege.
He has talent that I don’t but I tell you he does not work harder than me and I am a public player.
So, I guess the gist of all of the comments I received is that access to better facilities, etc. has little to do with success and that, if I can extrapolate, public course players could be just as good if they just got off of their lazy butts and put some real effort into the game. Of course, I’m being facetious, but, I stand by my premise that access to better training, whether trough your own money or someone else’s money, can be a great advantage. If that were not true, then why would anyone spend hard-earned money to get private lessons when they could merely saunter over to the local driving range, plop down ten bucks once a week and end up a scratch golfer? And, finally, for the last time, I did not ‘attack’ Mr. Luthra, I used him as an example because he was the latest BDGA winner.
This is why golf does not grow or guys get better. It is a very expensive game to play.
I cannot begin to tell you the thousands of dollars I have spent over the course of the last year.
As a matter of fact let me try. Because it takes a hell of a lot more than plopping down 10 bucks a week at the local range.
Clubs- Stupidly expensive if you want quality fitting equipment. If you don’t care then 299 dollar irons from Dicks will do.
Driver= 499, I have a couple of hybirds and a 3 wood= 900, irons=1,000, putter=250 (Yes, that is my one expense that was a bit of overkill but the cameron putter is awesome) let’s not mention balls which are so overpriced it boarders being violated in a certain area of your body.
So between clubs, balls, bag and shoes it is 1800 to 2000 just to have the right to plop down 50 bucks a round.
Membership= I get away easy here 1400 a year for a Monday thru Thursday pass at Harvest Hill. Of course I have to pay on Fri, Sat and Sun. Still a good deal but only because of the practice facility.
Public play= average now is 45 to 55 for a good quality course. yes you can spend less but even the so called lesser courses have gotten into the 30 to 40 range.
Practice= Here is one of my biggest pet peeve in golf. most public driving ranges are 10 bucks for a bucket of balls, WHY? how is it that much? most of these places have broken down mats, garbage golf balls.
Trying to get better I spent 180 dollars a month in the paddock dome over the winter. Two 90 dollar cards would last me 2 weeks. Sometimes I bought three in a month.
Lessons= 80 bucks for an hour. 1/2 hour does nothing. I go once a month.
So this every year adds up to a stupid amount of money. All this for a 6 handicap.
If you don’t have the money to develop your game then yes I can agree with you. You have no real chance.
I have the means, luckily and I could not beat Luthra on his worst day. That is where talent enters in.
It is a sad thing to say. Money rules golf like alot of other sports. It should never be that way.
Talent should always rule, even if you have no money.
I could go on and on here. I have so much to say about the reality of this game. I wish I could quit.
I have spent too much now to quit. It shouldn’t be that way.
umm, tim?
you just contradicted everything that you wrote in your first comment and justified and/or reinforced everything that rico wrote. heck, you even agreed with him “if you don’t have the money…you have no real chance”. I’ve been a CC member, my family has been CC members for longer than I’ve been alive. I’m no longer a member for several reasons, not the least of which is the economic absurdity of it all. and while there are definitely some great people at the clubs, the whole country club mentality just doesn’t agree with me. I also don’t want to be “obligated” to one course when there are too many adequate and enjoyable courses out there.
I have a passion for the game but realize that I’ll never “go pro” and I still enjoy playing whether I’m playing a pristine private club or a muni.