Rated PG not PGA

You ever watch the golf on TV and wonder, in a field of 140, commentators can tell you who is playing what shot? Or how do they know what club the players are hitting? As it is happening?

Well a lot of that is down to ball spotters.

What's a ball spotter ?

Usually you get employed by IMG, European Tour or SKY, you are miked up to the graphics director in the studio and you then pass information on to him or her.
The information varies depending on the group you are attached to, you may be just informing the studio of the scores if it's a "off pace" group to whose shot it is to club selection if you have a "hot" group.
The key is to stay calm and just pass the information needed by the studio, you are a very small cog in a huge production, but is vitally important you are precise and accurate.

As a spotter you try to be invisible to the player but make sure you built a rap ore with the caddie, you rely on hand signals from them in order to pass the information back to the studio or to the on course commentator and if you have a really hot group.

I won't lie it's a job I love more than any other job I have ever done in golf.

You are there in the heat of the action, inside the ropes, walking the fairways and doing a semi important jobs.

A few players will talk to you, a few ignore you are there and to be fair a few wish you where anywhere else but there!But in all the time I have done it only one player has searched me out at the end to the round to shake my hand and say thank you, that player was Shane Lowry.

Was at Royal Aberdeen at the AAM Scottish Open in 2014, I made comment on social media at the time, I was very impressed by the man and his manners.

This is why I find the social media and PGA tour lynching mob after last weeks Honda Classic surprising.

Shane Lowry was summoned by Andy Pazder of the PGA and, as I understand it, fined by the PGA tour.

Now did Lowry hook a drive into the crowd severely injuring someone without shouting fore? Em well no.

Did Lowry spit in the direction of the crowd? Em well no.

Did Lowry take 25 practice swings holding up the group behind him? Em well no.

Did Lowry get caught taking "recreational" drugs? Em well no.

Was Lowry caught being intimate with another players wife? Em well no.

No Lowry was hung out to dry for procrastinating!

On the 15th at the PGA national, with a stupid pin placement, he hit the ball in the water at used the F word.
Quite frankly I would have done the same, every single person I play with would have done the same, if you would not have sworn then you deserve to be canonised !

You go to any English Premier League match or NFL game or in fact any sporting event you will here it louder and a hell of a lot more harsh.

The reaction has been ridicules !

If you don't want to hear professional golfers swear then either don't put mikes close to them or watch with the TV on mute!

Quite frankly I would have been more disturbed if a player put one in the drink and did not swear at himself!

Now take note of that! "Swore at himself", not swearing at an official, the crowd or an opponent but at himself.

Honestly walk round Walmart and you will hear worse language and see worse behaviour.

There are more serious things in golf and in tour golf, perhaps the PGA Tour need to tackle the real issues and not this.

Shane apologised and this is were this should have ended!

And if you disagree with me then, in the words of triple H, I have 2 words for you!

lights camera but no action

Did you watch the Oscars the other night ?

Must admit I did not. I would love to blame the time difference but truth is the whole thing leaves me a bit cold.
It's not that I don't love films or love going to the cinema, I just feel the awards are out of step with the general public.

So the following morning it meant Twitter made interesting reading.

Now I won't lie, I like Sam Smiths work but am not keen on him as a person, each to their own I suppose.

Rightly or wrongly, depending on your tastes, Sam won the Oscar for best original song. In his speech he wrongly claimed to be the first openly gay Oscar winner, we all make mistakes and many, and I mean many, corrected him on his mistake, now that I have no issues with, the attacking of someone for being wrong, for being gay I do.

Personally I don't care if you are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. If you are a good person you are a good person, if you are a dick head then you are a dick head regardless.

But it did get me thinking.
Where are the gay male golfers ?
On the LET & LPGA there are many openly lesbian players and unfortunately many not.
But in men's golf ??

So why is that? Are there simply no gay men golfing ? I doubt that!

So what would stop a gay tour player coming out?
Are the fans homophobic ? Let's be honest many are.
Are the media homophobic ? I think many are but would be "seen" to be supportive.
Are Sponsors homophobic ? Now there's the million dollar question for me.

Many tour players rely heavily on equipment, clothing and branding sponsorship.
Yes the rewards for winning at golf may be huge but day to day living and just keeping your card is a highly expensive pursuit!
Do the maths yourself. Accommodation, flights, caddy, coach etc, do you think you would get much change from €3,000 a week ??
If you are a top 20 player, a major contender and a media darling you may, may, just get away with it and be held up as an inspirational figure, maybe.
If you are ranked outside the top 100, a journeyman and an average Joe financially could you take the risk?
You all know how sexist I feel golf can be, well I also think it's pretty homophobic to.
In fact I think sport in general is, in fact life in general is!
So many try to be "cool" and pretend to be understanding about it but aren't.

And to those saying that golf has changed and there is less homophobia, sexism and racism I put this to you.
Tiger Woods turned pro in 1996, 20 years ago. In 1997 Tiger won the Masters, one of 14 majors.
We can argue about Tiger being the best of all time but without question he has been the best over the last 20 years, agreed?
Where is the next player of colour, why has there not been any other player of colour in the last 20 years?
Golf clubs and administrators need dragged into the 20th century before we we even think about them asking to join us in the 21st!

hypocrisy ? What hypocrisy

I love coffee, I can not function without it! 
But it needs to be real coffee, I have just not acquired the taste for the mass market instant stuff.
Real coffee has a texture, a taste, a smell that instant just can't reproduce.
But people buy instant in their millions because it's similar to the real thing, some people are easily fooled though.
When you think of it, it's a wee bit like Donald J Trump?

Golf, or rather golf's ruling bodies, are desperately distancing themselves from the man who would be King.

Personally my major issue with the Donald is his "I feel golf should be an aspirational game, something people should aspire to" and his similar quotes about the game.

It's a bit like saying anyone can be a numpty but rich numpties should be paid attention to.

Trump International is about 15 miles from where I live, you can join it for £2,495 !! Fraserburgh golf course is about the same distance away from me and it costs £300 to join next it's the 7th oldest club in the world! My home course, Cruden Bay is under £700!

That's not aspirational, that's elitist!

In Scotland, golf is still a game for anyone; regardless of their politics, religion, age, social standing or income !

It's as golf should be, well apart from one glaring exception, your sex! 

As far as I am aware Mr Trump's courses are not restricted to men only?

The R&A, well the Open Championship Committee, is playing a rather diplomatic game re Turnberry, sorry Trump Turnberry, and its future hosting of the Open Championship there.

With the USGA and US PGA openly saying no to Trump courses hosting events because of some of his rhetoric during his Presidential campaign, the R&A are being terribly British about it.

But how can the R&A legitimately be seen to be "anti trump" when they blatantly do nothing about sexism in our great game?

I would have had more respect, if Martin Slumbers and his colleagues simply said "men only clubs will no longer be allowed to host the Open Championship and the committee reserves the right to screen owners of Championship venues who may bring the game into disrepute"
It's not rocket science ?

After all it's not like the R&A control the LGU, ah, oh, mmm, oops!