Then there's the old guys golf, where it really isn't gambling and isn't all sport, either. It's mostly social golf. Mondays and Wednesdays I play with a group of 20+ seniors. Two a month are responsible for "the game of the day," and every month two new guys get the job. They usually put an A, B, C and D player in each foursome, though on some occasions the game is the A players against the Bs, etc.There are 4-6 foursomes on any given day and everybody kicks in $5. Generally the payout is for first, second and third for 5-6 foursomes, and first and second for 4 foursomes or less. But everybody knows everybody and who is hot and who is not. The guys making the games usually get the teams pretty close. Now, with that limited amount of cash, it can hardly be a gambling incentive...yet, it's certainly not all recreation, either. I believe the most important reason we all have for showing up is the comradery...the social aspects of doing something with someone different each time out...of finding out who's having what operation, who's going on a trip and where, laughing at the strange events in eveyone's lives. Old guys know and appreciate friendships.
Fridays I play recreational golf. I play with two or three guys with whom I've been playing since 1970 and with whom I car pool to the course. All of us were pretty good players at one time...we were all very even in 1975, now I'm the best of them (and several years younger as well). The other two love to take a shot at me...one has a fair chance, the other has almost no chance...yet, they all want to play scratch. They play to try and beat me and I play hard to keep from being beaten. The loser buys $0.25 orange drinks on the way home (though sometimes I feel guilty and offer to buy). It's kind of like playing my sons. Now, that's a real battle for the family honor... and they haven't beaten me often, either (I only lost once). I tried for years to beat my dad and finally did. (He was a 2-4 handicap until he was 70). That kind of golf is the most enjoyable to me, whether you're trying to beat someone, or trying to keep from being beaten. Bernie Writeto: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dave Tutelman" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, August 29, 2002 4:43 PM Subject: Re: ShopTalk: Sandbagger's Open, DuPont > Followup to the note I just sent, where I distinguished between golf as a > sport and golf as a medium for gambling, and suggested that handicaps are > much more essential if gambling is the goal. > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: tflan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Thursday, August 29, 2002 3:47 PM > > > > ...There's been mention of pool games and boat racing as > > examples of all players competing without an "edge." Well, two more > > non-pertinent sports to add to the mix are horse racing and dog racing. > > They're handicapped by the addition or removal of extra weight. > > Fascinating choice of examples! > I hadn't noticed this when I hit "send" on my last note, but... > > Neither horse racing nor dog racing are sports; their sole reason for > existence is as a medium for gambling. > > Cheers! > DaveT > > > >
