Daft irritations

[DriveForShow]

In team events, why can't the sides wear the same colours for the whole match? More to the point, watching the Seve Trophy today, on the scoreboards etc GB&I is in red, Europe in blue. But who are playing in blue? GB&I. Same in last Ryder Cup when Europe (traditionally depicted in blue, the colour of their flag) came out in red on the first day which is the US colour.

I find this irritating, whereas I imagine many others wouldn't give it a second thought (Faldo & Woosnam among them!) Which got me thinking - what are others' similarly daft irritations about golf?

 

[birdieman]

Good point DFS, don't know if you saw it last Sunday but the New Zealand v Scotland rugby game was unwatchable because the strips were so similar. It seems a pretty simple thing to organise (team colours) but there's always some ar$e who thinks they know better...leave things alone and stop changing stuff.

 

[DriveForShow]

Indeed I did Birdieman - I even posted about it on the "Golf coverage on tv" thread here last weekend!

 

[AceOfClubs]

Even odder today - the GB&I team are either playing in blue if they are in shirtsleeves or red if they are wearing a full-sleeved jersey - or a rather unco-ordinated combination of both if in short-sleeved jersey.

But to go back to the original question... my daft irritation would be those courses that do not do the simple things to ensure that people will look after their course. I have played on society days when the host course has given out plastic pitch repairers to every player on the first tee. Result - virtually everyone was reminded about pitch marks and made a point of looking for them and repairing them. How simple was that? No need for intrusive notices around the course or attached to the flags. How much does a plastic pitch repairer cost, especially when set against the green fee? But it will make a heck of a lot of difference to the quality of the greens.

But how many clubs do that? Just stick out a tray of pitch repairers on the first tee with a notice inviting people to take one if they haven't one with them - and put another tray at the 18th green for those who want to return them. Very simnple, very cheap, very effective... all it needs is a bit of forethought.

 

[ForeThought]

Someone saying that I am needed? Only happy to oblige old boy!

Having given it due consideration, my solution is as follows.

1. GM get lots of pitch repairers made with their logo on.

2. GM gets trays made on a pedestal (thinking bird-table type design here), which can be placed next to the first tee.

3. These are distributed free to all golf clubs who want one.

That way the clubs have no excuse not to implement Ace Of Clubs' wise suggestion... and Golf Monthly gets lots of advertising on the cheap, while also doung every golfer a good turn.

Everyone's a winner!