5 Things I Hate About Air Travel

I love to travel. I’ve traveled internationally since I was a kid and I’ve pretty much seen it all.

As the Golf Travel Guru, not surprisingly, I spend a lot of time in airports and jets.

As we all know, the air travel experience has gotten progressively worse over the past few years...

In the past few months, I’ve flown from Orlando to Venice, Italy, Marsh Harbor, Bahamas, Cancun, Mexico, Seattle, Washington and Panama City, Florida. During my flights, I took a few minutes to make some notes on the air travel experience.

Here are some of the things that drive the Golf Travel Guru crazy:

1. Extremely Overpriced Food At Airports—Apparently it’s legal at airports to sell hot dogs for $9 and beer for $8.  That’s what I paid on a recent trip. What did I get for this royal sum? A hot dog that contained more salt than a person needs in a week with a stale bun that made sawdust look appetizing. My craft beer was a forgettable concoction that tasted like a can of Natural Light that was left on a porch in Florida on a hot July day.

2. Clueless Overhead Luggage Passengers—I mean what does it take to walk down the aisle of a plane and quickly place your carry-on bag in the overhead bin.  Oh nooooooo, these people have to languish in the aisle contemplating, I guess, "the meaning of life" while 50 other passengers wait patiently in line behind them. Here’s some advice: Put your damn bag in the bin, or just step out of the aisle and let everybody go by. P.S.: Don’t have some oversize bag that takes assistance from three flight attendants to stuff it in the bin.

3. Zone Busters—When the call over the intercom says “All passengers in zone 1 can board.”, it never fails that Mr. and Mrs. Zone 4 is up there ready to board. Puhleese, look at your boarding pass and enter the plane when your zone is called. It’s really not that difficult, is it?

4. Clueless Cell Phone Users—On airport concourses, I always seem to get behind the dimwit on his phone wandering aimlessly back and forth while a pack of people can’t pass the inconsiderate dolt. He or she is scrolling through social media posts or talking to the poor sap that has to pick them up from the airport. Regardless, just show some consideration for other passengers who can’t wait to get OUT of the airport.

5. Off-Site Parking—You practically need a home equity loan to afford near-terminal parking these days. Consequently, like millions of others, I park at a satellite lot. When I arrive after a flight, I typically wait sometimes up to a half hour till the transport van shows up. Are there any on-time van drivers anymore?

Jack Dirkin, One Of The Best Golf Swings?

Now, more than ever before, we see near-perfect "textbook" golf swings being televised from the world's professional golf tours. Names such as Tiger Woods, Adam Scott, Ernie Els, Charl Schwartzel, Louis Oosthuizen, Rory McIlroy and Michelle Wie come to mind when we think about the game's best swings. But there are many similarly great swings from the amateur ranks that are unknown simply due to their limited exposure. One of them is Jack Dirkin. But even if Jack follows Tiger's march to the PGA, it'll be well over another decade before you get to see his swing on a pro tour. That's because Jack is only 5 years-old! Is it crazy to think that a 5 year-old possesses one of the best golf swings in the world? Take a look at his swing below and let me know what you think!

Tips On Taking a Caddie

"How 'bout a wee nip, my new friend?" inquired the ruddy faced caddie as he pulled up his sweater to reveal a flask of whisky to the American at the first tee of a world famous links course in Scotland.

Thanks to a frosty, late-November ocean breeze, the American was chilled with cold, stiff fingers that felt as flexible as popsicle sticks. He politely declined the offer. Not because he didn't need or want a liquid heater. Rather, he'd never utilized a caddie and didn't really know if bartender was one of the services he should expect.

In this age of sprawling, unwalkable layouts, golf cart-only courses, GPS systems and elaborate course guide software, a dwindling number of American golfers have ever played golf with a caddie. Often, many participate in the experience for the first time when they travel to the British Isles on a dream trip to golf's original playing grounds.

Luckily, Americans still have access to caddies at high-end resorts that have kept the service alive. Among the high profile courses that offer caddies are Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina, Streamsong Resort in Florida, TPC The Players Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, Florida, Harbour Town Links on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina and Pebble Beach Golf Links on the Monterey Peninsula in California. (At the end of this post, see a list of other U.S. places where caddies are available.)

Golfers who venture to England, Scotland or Ireland can still acquire the services of a good, knowledgeable caddie. Yet, even there, Americans shouldn't be blinded by the romanticized notion of the all-knowing, wisecracking caddie so often stereotyped in golf literature. Major courses such as the Old Course in St. Andrews, Trump Turnberry and Gleneagles have strong caddie programs as do several other major courses in Scotland and Ireland.

Other popular resort locales that offer caddies are Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Two places where I had superb caddie experiences are Royal Isabela in northwest Puerto Rico and Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic.

Unfortunately, in certain places around the world, some amateur caddies offer little more assistance than toting your bag and assuming the role as a personal cheerleader.

"A solid, professional caddie who knows his trade can make a difference of at least two shots in a round to a scratch golfer and more to higher handicap golfers," a veteran Old Course caddie once told me while we enjoyed frosty pints at the Dunvegan bar in St. Andrews. "Carrying the bag is probably the least important thing a caddie does."

Here is the appropriate behavior you should expect from a competent caddie:

* Prior to the start of a round, the caddie should clean clubs if needed and count clubs.

* A well-informed caddie should know the local rules of the layout and be familiar with the course designer. A thorough understanding of the history of the course is also helpful.

* A caddie should rake bunkers, replace divots and tend the pin.

* A caddie should not offer advice to a players until asked. He should never say, "I think." The only time a caddie should volunteer information is when reporting yardage to the green.

* If caddying for the first time with the golfers, the caddie should be able to club correctly after 4 or 5 holes.

* A caddie shold get to the ball first and study the shot before the player arrives--the lie, turf, wind and target. He should form an opinion quickly in the event the player requests advice.

From a player's viewpoint, a caddie is not a servant. The relationship between a player and a caddie is a subtle partnership where the ultimate goal is to maximize performance.

As a player, if you display poor golf etiquette, a futile skill level with little dedication to the game or boorish behavior, you can generally expect sarcastic responses, especially from veteran caddies in Scotland.

Finally, what about that wee nip? Should you indulge?

It's definitely a personal choice. Just like guys who knock down a six-pack of brewskis during a round--some can handle it, some can't.

On a recent visit to Scotland, one of my caddies summed it up best when he said: "If your golf game is so bad that you must take a drink before a round, it's predictable your consumption will greatly increase after the 18the hole."

Now, that's great advice you can only get from a caddie.

Other courses and resorts with caddie programs, include:

Bandon Dunes (Oregon)
Bethpage Black (New York)
The Broadmoor (Colorado)
Cabot Links (Nova Scotia, Canada)
Cordevalle Resort (California)
Erin Hills (Wisconsin)
Madden's on Gull Lake (Minnesota)
Nemacolin Resort (Pennsylvania)
Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Resort (South Carolina)
Ritz-Carlton Golf Club Orlando (Florida)
Whistling Straits (Wisconsin)
Chambers Bay Golf Club (Washington)

Golf Weather

Golf weather certainly plays a huge role in a good golf game.  Obviously, if it is raining, you aren’t going to be able to golf as easily as if the sun was shining. While summer golf provides great weather conditions, you also won’t want to be on the course when it’s 110 degrees in the shade (which makes it hotter on the fairway!)

Monitoring the weather is something avid golfers do faithfully.  Ideal golf weather is about 70 degrees with clear skies and a soft breeze.  Sometimes you’ll get this kind of golf weather and enjoy it when you do.  But you can golf in other weather as well.

I know one golfer who is so obsessed with the game; he played on Christmas and New Year’s Day.  Of course, it was unseasonably warm that winter, but it was still cold enough to keep normal people off the links.  Most people won’t go to that extreme, but there are many who do, believe it or not!

What do you need to know about playing golf in certain weather conditions?  The answer is more than you know!  Different weather conditions should be approached differently when it comes to your golf game.

If you are playing golf in cold weather, you need to remember to take extra time to warm up and stretch.  You are more prone to injury in cold weather, so take the time to stretch out.  Wear layers of clothing with cold weather golf.  You will also want to keep your head and hands covered as those are the two places where we lose our heat the quickest.

In extremely hot weather, your approach to the golf game should also be tended to.  Most golf clubs have dress codes that you will have to adhere to and tank tops are usually not on that list.  Wear clothing that is made of lightweight, breathable fabric.  Make sure you wear plenty of sunscreen and a hat to protect your eyes.  Have plenty of water on hand and take time to rest in the shade of a tree.

Under no circumstances should you play golf in weather where it is thundering and lightning.  More people are struck by lightning on the golf course than in any other place.  It’s alright to play in a light rain – although it probably won’t be much fun – but if you heard the thunder roll or see light in the sky, vacate the course immediately.

While the weather can have an affect on your golf game, you can still play when you want to as long as you take proper precautions.

Golf Caddy

When you play golf, whether professional, semi-professional or even on the amateur level you are sure to encounter other players who have a caddy and want one for yourself.  But do you really need a caddy, or is this something that you can avoid?  Many players choose to forgo a caddy, but others always insist upon having a caddy available whenever they play.  The choice is ultimately yours, but in order to make the best decision possible you need to have as much information available as possible to help you decide effectively.

While playing on a normal basis it is typically unnecessary to employ a caddy, however if you are playing on a professional or even a semi-professional basis you are going to need a caddy.  In addition, there are times when you may decide to enter a competition and it is at these times when a caddy is necessary as well.  If you are looking at the duties that a caddy should perform there are quite a few typically.  The simplest are easy for a golfer to handle themselves if necessary while some of the tasks are much harder to do and require a much greater amount of skill.

Some of the basic duties that a caddy should perform including cleaning the golf balls that are used as well as the clubs, obtaining the yardage, fixing and replacing divots, taking care to carefully remove the flagstick, and even raking the bunkers as well as sand traps.  If you have a highly skilled caddy, you should also look to them to handle reading the greens for you, helping you choose the appropriate club, and also trying to keep track of any salts so that you can play the best game possible. 

There are typically four levels of caddy’s with each level having different skill levels.  The lowest level is the B level caddy’s these are typically the highly inexperienced caddies, however they are much cheaper price wise and are not as expensive to employ.  They are only allowed to carry a single bag and are generally what you will find on most golf courses.  The next level up is the A level caddy.  This is the caddy that is allowed to carry two bags, however while they have more skills they are still not the ultimate caddy to use.  You may find A level caddies when there are tournaments or competitions going on at a local golf course.

Professionals are only going to use an Honor or a Pro caddy.  Both of these levels are permitted to carry two bags and they are considered the top caddies.  A Pro caddy is the top of the line and is typically, what most professionals will employ.  On occasions, there will be times when an honor caddy is used instead.  The primary reason that professional golfers use Pro and Honor caddies is simply because they tend to have a much better understanding of all of the rules for the game.

As you can imagine the job of a caddy is not always considered easy.  There are so many things that must be done, as well as circumstances that should be taken into consideration in order to make the best decision possible in terms of club selection and appropriate knowledge of the rules.  In many professional circumstances, a golf player can be penalized if their caddy makes a mistake.  This means it is very important to ensure that you are working with a caddy who has the knowledge to ensure that you are following all of the rules, as well as they are following all of the rules.

If you are just starting out playing golf there is no reason to insist upon using a caddy.  However, if you are considering playing a competition or even at a high-end golf course you can expect to have a caddy for the game.  The pay that you are required to pay for the caddy will vary based upon the level of the caddy as well as the golf course that you are playing at.  Checking with the staff at the course will allow you to make appropriate pay decisions in the event that you do decide to hire a caddy.