If you've got any trick shots (accidental or otherwise) add them to the comments – we'd love to hear about them!

1. If it were another guy, would you voluntarily step up and tell him what he's doing wrong?
2. Has she explicitly asked you for advice?
3. Has she just hit herself in the head with her golf club and you need to do something for her own safety?

If those things aren't true, then refrain. You'd be surprised how many guys find it necessary to help out the "little lady" whether she wants it or not. And, how much advice from guy to guy differs, making it all utterly confusing. Most likely she is or has taken lessons from a pro and doesn't need you to muck it up, no matter how good your intentions are.

1. These kinds of actions make people around you feel uncomfortable. It's just rude and self-centered to do this to the people who are playing with you or have paid good money to see you play.
2. Golf clubs are expensive. There are lots and lots of people out there who would like to have such a nice club as the one you are willing to toss away. It's just privileged behavior to do this – better to give the offending club to your caddy and have him or her donate it somewhere. There are good school programs for high school students learning to play golf that I'm sure would love to have them.
3. Tantrums are very childish and make you look bad. Mature people control these kinds of emotions in public at least.
4. Anger is bad for you and affects your physical health as well as produces stress that gets in the way of your game.

In the book I referred to in a previous post, Every Shot Must Have a Purpose, the authors have an entire chapter addressing this issue. This chapter, called "Anger Makes You Stupid" provides a lot of information about the negative effect anger has on your game, as well as some good advice on how to deal with it.

My advice: get your anger under control. You, and everyone around you, will have a better time on the course.

So I'm sitting here playing some armchair golf by watching the Farmers Insurance Open on the PGA Tour in Torrey Pines, CA. Ryan Palmer (no relationship to Arnold Palmer although many people assume he is) hit a ball into a Eucalyptus tree and it lodged in the branches. As Golfer Newbies we are more likely than most to hit our balls off the fairways and into the trees, so I looked up the rules related to golf balls in trees. There are three options related to your ball being in a tree:

1. You can climb the tree and play it where it lays, which then does not cost you a stroke, but is an unlikely scenario, although there have been cases on the PGA tour when this has indeed occurred.
2. If you can positively identify your ball, you can play the ball two club lengths from the spot on the ground directly under the ball in the tree and take a one stroke penalty.
3. If you can't play the ball in the tree and can't positively identify it as yours within five minutes, you have to take a penalty stroke and go back to the place the last stroke was played.

In this case, Ryan could not positively identify his ball, in part because there were several balls in the tree. So, he had to go back to the previous stroke location, which in this case was the tee. This did not do anything for his game today.

An interesting side note: the commentators said that one of these trees was cut down last week following damage from all the storms they had in California and they found 500! balls lodged in it. Amazing.

Winter Golf Around Chicago

Cog Hill Country Club
12294 Archer Avenue
Lemont, Illinois
630-257-5872

Winter green fee: Weekdays – $32, Weekends – $37
Loacation: 30-minutes from Midway Airport, 45-minutes from O'Hare Airport

Fresh Meadow Golf Course
Wolf and Cermak Roads
Hillside, Illinois
708-449-3434

Winter green fee: Weekday – $30, Weekends – $32
Location: 25-minutes from O'Hare Airport, 40-minutes from Midway Airport

Country Lakes Golf Club
1601 Fairway Drive
Naperville, Illinois
630-420-1060

Winter green fee: Weekdays/Weekends – $10
Location: 40-minutes from O'Hare Airport, 50-minutes from Midway Airport

Green Garden Country Club
Manhattan-Monee Road
Frankfort, Illinois
815-469-3350

Winter green fee: Weekday – $14, Weekends – $22
Location: 60-minutes from O'Hare Airport, 45-minutes from Midway Airport

While in California a couple of weeks ago I played my first round using a golf cart. It's lucky I was with some experienced players, because I realized I had no clue about what rules apply to golf carts. So, when I came back, I researched the topic. Below is an excerpt of an article I found that clears up most of my confusion.

 

Observe the Rules of the Cart Paths

By Brent Kelley, About.com Guide

Cart Path Only
A "cart-path-only rule" is exactly what it sounds like: Keep your cart on the designated cart path at all times. Don't drive onto the grass.

Over time, golf carts speed up soil compaction, which can lead to less-than-ideal growing conditions for turfgrasses. And that can lead to less-than-ideal fairways for golfers. So even when "cart path only" is not in effect, it's a good idea to keep the cart on the designated path.

But when the rule is in effect, it's a requirement.

When "cart path only" is in effect, drive the cart on the designated path until you are parallel to where your golf ball rests on the course. Stop the cart, get out, pull a couple clubs (so you'll have some options when you reach your ball), and walk out to the ball.

90-Degree Rule In Effect
The "90-degree rule" means that the golf course is allowing carts onto the grass – but only at 90-degree angles from the cart path. In other words, don't drive the golf cart up the middle of the fairway from the tee box to your golf ball. Stay on the cart path until you are parallel to your golf ball, then turn off the cart path and drive straight to the ball.

The "90-degree rule" minimizes the time a golf cart spends rolling over the grass, while still allowing convenience for golfers.

Cart Path Only on Holes X and X
A course may post signs that designate certain holes off-limits to carts, for example, "Cart path only on No. 4 and No. 16 today." In this situation, the course's regular golf cart rules apply (remember, ask when checking in), but on the specified holes you are required to keep the cart on the designed cart path. The reason is usually moisture on the specified holes – they may be too wet for carts – or ground under repair on the specified holes.

No Carts Beyond This Point
This sign is one you might see in a fairway as you close in on the green. Courses don't want golf carts near the putting green; the "no carts beyond this point" sign makes sure golfers get that message. Even if you are allowed to drive the cart on the fairway, be sure to observe these signs. When you see one, stop and return to the designated cart path before proceeding forward again.

This sign may also come in the form of an arrow pointing toward the cart path. The meaning is the same: Don't take the cart beyond this point on the fairway; go back to the cart path.