Mark's Mailbag: Putter There!

We're back with another edition of Mark's Mailbag! Read on as our resident advice guru, Mark Harrod, tackles your tough questions. We appreciate all questions! Throw yours into the pile for next month's issue here.

Mark,
I've been thinking about picking up golf this summer. You seem like a guy who probably plays golf. Any tips for a first-timer?

James,
Dingus, KY

I thought you tried to be funny with your hometown there James, but it turns out Dingus is a real community in Kentucky. My apologies for thinking your home was a joke. And you are right, at times in my life I have been a decent golfer.

I'll give you one key tip:

1) Don't throw your club.

Clubs thrown on accident (basically just slipping out of your hands) can be amusing - and that happens to inexperienced golfers from time-to-time. Throwing clubs out of anger makes you look like a Jackass child. Don't do it. When I was playing competitive golf, I witnessed a couple disastrous club throws and, somehow, lived to tell you these cautionary tales.

First time was during a high school golf match. One of the guys on my team hit a bad drive and then chucked his driver over toward his golf bag. The shaft of the driver broke upon contact with the bag and the now jagged-edged shaft whipped around and stuck into the leg of one of our opponents. It was nasty. I had to run to the clubhouse to get help for this kid (you don't get to use golf carts in high school matches) and then we forfeited the match, "Sorry about your leg and everything, you guys win.". 

The second time was a bit of fratricide. Some of the guys from my team were playing a practice round, and one of the better players (let's call him Duffy) missed a short putt. Enraged, Duffy attempted to throw his putter side-arm style to the next tee, some thirty yards away. It would have taken a strong throw to get it there. Unfortunately, Duffy was as inaccurate throwing the putter as he was putting with it that day. 

Instead of going in the direction he was facing, the putter made one full rotation and went straight into the neck of another guy on the team. This poor guy crumples to the ground with a massive puncture wound in the side of his neck. Panic ensued. An ambulance drove out on the course to take him away. As practice sessions go, I don't think that one was very beneficial.

Ultimately the victim of the putter strike did fully recover.

Be safe out there James!

Mark is a former lawyer who lives in Nashville. If you see a guy walking a golden retriever in Germantown, feel free to say Hi. You should know, however, that there is another guy who looks a lot like Mark who also walks a golden retriever in Germantown so you might be saying Hi to the wrong dude. It has caused confusion in the past—including one particular incident where the other dude's wife hollered down the street at Mark several times before getting a closer look and realizing her mistake. Anyway, say Hi. You can also find him on the internet at basketofchips.com and @cmharrod.