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Gimmes, Mulligans & Preferred Lies
Our “Tells” Betray Our Character
Golf isn’t merely a game, it is a veritable trove of “tells” that betray our character. How we navigate the game’s idiosyncrasies is a window to our soul. It probably wasn’t by design, but because golf originated at a time when honor was highly valued, and golf was regarded as a “gentleman's” game, it would have to be conducted honorably. In fact, golf is the only sport where a player is solely accountable for adhering to the rules and assessing penalties upon themself, as prescribed by the rules, which is the crux of my intent for what follows.
Metaphorically, the title, which I will flesh out a bit further on, betrays the shadowy side of humanity. It speaks to the slithery “tells” of character that are typically concealed or camouflaged from the more ethical souls thereabouts.
Every hole in golf starts with the “drive” from the teeing ground, followed by a series of intermediate strokes devised to reach the “green”, or goal, with as few strokes taken as possible, culminating with the coup de grâce, the putt, where good decisions and shot making are either gratified, or our misery is satisfied when the ball finally drops to the bottom of that 5 inch abyss. This is repeated 18 times.
