I’ve always been comfortable hanging with a group of guys. I chalk it up to my life-long love of sports.
Growing up, the activities I often wanted to participate in happened to draw more male interest. I was the only girl on my Little League team for years. It wasn’t until 6th grade that I switched over to softball.
To this day, there are a number of activities I actually prefer to do with men (no offense to fellow sports-loving females). Watching sports, playing beer pong, playing catch (with either a football or baseball) and going on dates all fall in that category. Playing golf, however, does not.
I’ve mentioned this before, but I’m not a huge fan of playing golf. Due to my job, and love of all sports, I will admit I’ve become a fan of the game. But for me, that doesn’t translate into finding my happy place with a golf club in my hand.
But I do find myself playing more golf than I’d ever thought I would. And when those times comes, 75 percent of the time I am the only female in the foursome, fivesome or even sixsome.
While I have met a number of truly incredible men through my job who are affiliated with golf in one way or another, I dread these situations. Here’s why:
1) Usually, they fly past your tee box. Now I am not one to endorse the forward tees at any golf course being referred to as the womens’ tees or ladies’ tees. I do not use them because I am a female, I use them because I am bad at golf, and if I can get any advantage, especially in regards to length off the tee, I am going to take it. But when you are playing golf with a group of men who have all just hit their own drives from tees dozens of yards away, and especially when you are playing while riding carts, they often forget (not on purpose!) you have yet to tee off by the time they zoom by the forward tees. It can even happen with your own cart, if you’re not the one driving. Having to flag down the groups, have them return to the tee box, to inevitably watch you hit a poor shot, is less than fun.
2) I have learned that men are quite apt on a golf course to give swing advice to women. I would like to think I only experience this because I’m a beginner, but I know it’s not the case. I’ve never seen a guy give a newbie male golfer the type of advice I receive on the course. It has never been aimed to be demeaning or ill-willed. But if you remind me I’m lifting my head, or not putting the ball far enough back in my stance, I can assure you I’ve heard it before, and the middle of hole No. 5 on the course is not going to be the time my golf game suddenly and miraculously improves. Even if you mean well, which I know you do 🙂
3) There’s always an awkward or sympathetic moment with the cart girl. And why is it ALWAYS a cart girl? (Rhetorical question). I know the answer to that, but I’m still shocked that in my five-and-a-half years spending an above average amount of time on a golf course, I have yet to even once see a cart boy. And watching fellow members of the media flirt with her awkwardly during a media day round? Painful experience.
I admit, some of this is slightly tongue and cheek, but all is true. What can I say? I prefer golfing with the girls.