WANG'OMBE: Golf ‘Pharisees’ shouldn’t terrorise hapless newbies

I am eagerly looking forward to the staging of the 50th edition of the Barclays Kenya at Muthaiga Golf Club.

The countdown has started and we now have less than one month to what I believe will be the best ever golfing show in Kenya.

I do not think that there is a better way to experience the Barclays Kenya Open than to be out at Muthaiga between March 22 and 25.

The atmosphere and the involvement when we will be watching players in action will be priceless.

EXPERIENCED THAT MOMENT

It does not compare to watching any golf tournament on television.

When watching the Barclays Kenya Open at Muthaiga, the problem of the television producer suddenly switching to a player who you have no interest in will not exist.

If you watch golf competitions on television as much as I do, you will have experienced that moment when panic strikes when you were waiting to watch your favourite player get out of a greenside bunker and then suddenly they switch to some players who you have never heard off.

For those that are planning to start playing the game – ahem Kobi and Maqbul – there is no better place to get a feel of the game than the Barclays Kenya Open.

There is no better place to start than watching some of the best from Kenya taking on very talented and hard-working golfers from Europe and the Americas.
It is a contest that calls for mastery, strategy, discipline and courage.

The game of golf, and more so at the Barclays Kenya Open, will be a test of self-control, a trial of honour and ultimately, it does reveal one’s character.

Talking of character, why are we as human beings so eager to put those we see as newbies down? I am hearing stories of emotional maltreatment of new golfers.

This is done by a distinguished lot of golf Pharisees who will not suffer fools gladly.

The golf Pharisees, some who have an above average knowledge of the Rules of Golf, have been known to terrorise the hapless newbies who are unfortunate enough to be drawn with them.

This is by far the worst way to use the knowledge of the Rules of Golf.

In some cases, they should just keep their mouths shut.

At the end of the day, we go to God’s outdoors to enjoy ourselves, get close to nature, breath in some fresh air, get rid of mental cobwebs and get some genuine tissue relaxation.

The last thing we need, is a tiff. Not so for the golf Pharisees.

They seem to seek them out especially when they happen to play with a newbie.

PEARLS OF WISDOM

There is one gentleman that I am very fond of playing with that constantly breaks one of the obscure Rules of Golf.

The gentleman who is about the same age as my father, usually shares some pearls of wisdom as we go about the game.

Initially, I did not want to deny myself these gems that he shares and did not point out that he was breaking a Rule. However, as time goes by, and seeing as he does not gain any significant advantage by doing so, I have learnt to ignore it.

The peculiar habit that the gentleman has is allowing his caddie to mark the position of his ball every time he is on the green.

His caddie does not seek his approval nor does he make an effort to authorise him.

He and his caddie seem to think that it is perfectly okay to do this.

The Rules of Golf require that a ball be marked by a player, his partner or anyone authorised by the player.

In a singles stroke play competition therefore, the player must give his caddie authorisation each time he wants him to mark his ball. A blanket authorisation at the beginning of the round will not suffice.

If I let a player get away with a Rule infringement, especially one that I reckon doesn’t give an advantage like in the case of this particular gentleman, during a round of golf, I am very careful not to discuss it.

If we happen to discuss it before the end of the end of the round, then I would be remiss to let it slide.

The Rules require players not to agree to waive a Rule of Golf. If they do, then they Must be disqualified.

I am hearing about these golf Pharisees more and more. A few newbies have been reduced to tears due to the harsh admonition by these Pharisees.

LENTEN SEASON OF LOVE

I am not saying that we should hold hands and sing a hymn with fellows who break Rules willy-nilly.

Such knowledge of the Rules should be used to help and not to condescendingly discourage those with little knowledge of the Rules.

At the Barclays Kenya Open, since very few of us will be playing, let us go out expecting to have fun and not look at those new to the game as gentiles. After all, we are in the Lenten season of love.