Tee Thursday: Golf and the greater good

If you think about it golf is the sport that heals the world What other sport has more charitable events You could absolutely play in a charity tournament every day of the golf season if you longed to That announced it s vital to realize that charity golf outings are a bit different than your usual round Because they re designed to raise funds for central programs and missions charity golf tourneys are designed to keep everyone happy From usually not needing a handicap to formats that somewhat level the playing field a charity golf set up is designed with two goals in mind Raising funds and making it fun Before I played golf seriously I played in a lot of charity golf tournaments There while I d yet had a chance to fall in love with the sport never mind take lessons I got to experience success I got to savor the beauty of being on the subject I got to revel in the camaraderie In other words I got to have almost all the feels a true golfer has out there all while making the world a better place Win-win if you ask me So how is one to go about finding good charity tournaments and then being a top participant It s easy once you know how Here are specific attempts toward finding and then championing a great charity golf event Find your passion First if you don t have a friend or loved one who supports a certain tournament a great starting spot to find upcoming tourneys is at Massgolf com There you ll find an extensive list of upcoming tournaments in the Bay State and links to learn more about what they assistance From kidney treatments to sports programs at local schools there s a tourney for just about everything that requirements advocacy out there I suggest you think about what you re passionate about A cure for diabetes perhaps Sponsorship a new playground in your population Addiction recovery Think about what you care about and then see if you can find a tourney that supports that If one doesn t come to mind right away peruse what s upcoming and see which one speaks to you Understand your role Preponderance charity tournaments are played as Scrambles a set-up that gives everyone on the band a chance to shine and every club a chance to win In it each participant on a unit tees off and the group selects the best shot All players then play their next shot from that chosen spot repeating this process until the ball is holed out Have a ringer in your foursome A scramble means no one competitor can make or break a total count So if you re the least experienced of your group you can be a hero by volunteering tribute at certain points of the match For instance when it s time to putt since everyone will be putting from the same spot volunteer to go first You ll give the rest of your squad clues on how the green is urgent and how to get the ball to the hole best In other words even if you miss you re helping the club with a chance to sink the putt And when teeing off rather than going all out for the greatest distance the least experienced participant can instead go for accuracy Place your drive on the fairway even if it s not a great distance and you ve given your stronger players permission to go big since if they end up in the woods or the drink you have a solid well-placed drive to take the second shot from Look at you advanced beginner Setting your gang up for a great tally Great players need to understand their role too Having an off day Don t bring the group and the tourney down with angst and theatrics Stay positive and enjoy the company and the act of helping the charity A grouchy participant can ruin the entire round And do not coach or lecture the weaker player on your gang Nothing makes someone freeze up and play worse than that Your role is to make the key shots sure But when you cannot Just go with the flow As the participant the rest of the squad looks up to you ll be setting the tone Bring your wallet There will be betting silent auctions and other chances to donate to the cause and that s the main reason you are there Be generous and take part in all those little extras Not only is it fun and you can win or number certain great prizes it ensures success If a friend has invited you and paid your entry fee be generous and offer to pay into particular of the side games putting contests closest to the pin ball drops and more for them Even if you miss that long putt for first place you ll be a winner with your generosity Golf can feel like a selfish competition sometimes It takes a lot of time and costs a decent amount of money Play charity here and there and it all comes around to helping Heal the world with your fairway shots Sounds like a win for everyone