Rotary Meeting of Oct. 4, 2012 – "Top Golf" and"True Golf" by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor
The Meeting
Tom read a “parable” for life and it was good, but I don’t remember it. Laura Gabel received the “Ignite Pin” for bringing Shannon to our meeting as a possible new member.
Those that had perfect attendance for last month were:
Julia, Melissa, Elyse, Len, Sheila, Laura, Joe Harding, Sandy, Dave, Michelle, Clair, Kevin, Julie Stolnack, Ted, Julie Warner, Phil, Jack, and Gary.
Joe of course did some fining, it’s in his DNA along with other strange things:
He fined:
Phil White went to see his family. You gotta fine somebody for that…right. He also fined Phil $5 in advance for his cell phone which usually does goes off…Phil did not disappoint. His new smart phone is not that smart...loud too.
Sheila – No magazine again. Sheila offered a picture of herself. Could be interesting. Joe also mentioned that Sheila gives great leg rubs…”what’s that all about?” Could be interesting as well, keep your eye peeled on that one.
Shannon got fined for getting up early. 3:30 AM for Shannon is early morning; Marsha said that 3:30 for Laura “is late at night getting home”.
Joe fined Laura again for being proud of her son Hunter as the Junior Class Prince. Laura was awarded the Mom of the Prince (MOP) and she now is known as the town MOP. We have pictures.
Bling: Alex bought it for Marsha. She will do the fining now and there better be some fines for Joe. Laura, you should collaborate with Marsha to get even.
Joe told another very good joke, not as good as last week … but very good. He has become a good "picker" of jokes, and is a good "reader" of jokes. That is important. His joke today was about a Priest and a Rabbi, (you can’t go wrong with that combo); throw in a midget and an Irishmen and perhaps a hair lip and you have something big.
Dean - Birthday’s and Anniversaries
Kevin got a great card. Floyd bought it.
Joe had a Birthday and so did Ed Su same day.
Date to Remember: Oct. 19th, 2nd planning meeting at Chevron about 5PM.
El Segundo Choir will be at Park Vista
Laura is selling T-Shirts for the High School
Carlos took a new position in a different unit that will operate out of Los Angeles. He will no longer attend meetings. This “Unit” will be working on “high impact cases with Major Violators involving Big Drug Busts” as a Deputy Director. He still lives in town and we will see him around. We all have grown to love him as a fellow Rotarian and we will miss him. He received a very nice applause from all. If I were an officer I would switch to taking over the patrolling of Park Vista.
Elyse announced that we are going to have another Interact Club at the Divinci School. More to come later.
Kiwanis Club approved the mural which we are doing together on the wall of the Mailbox. That is where the Supreme Commander wants his picture to be. That’s kinda what they do in Communist Countries or those countries with Dictators, before the Populace tears them down in disgrace.
The Program - Top Golf (Note: I apologize for the length of this but this is very important to El Segundo)
Sandy introduced the new Economic Development Coordinator for the City of El Segundo. Ted Shove and later Top Golf Representative Alex Comisar
Writing about this is a little tricky from a number of perspectives. My wife is a long time Golfer…I am not. This bulletin is as much about Mary as it is about Golf. Sometimes they are one and the same. OK more than sometimes.
I could argue both sides of this equation whether Top Golf should be allowed to come to El Segundo or not, but “Top Golf” is not “Golf”. Top Golf is an event, a party, a fun night out -- yet “could” bring significant revenues to the City if that is the deciding factor.
Top Golf is a family "event"; it could be a group of kids; it could be a bachelor or bachelorette party; or it could be just a bunch of guys getting together to have some drinks, make some bets on some shots, down some food and have a lot of laughs and flirt with the waitresses. It’s a party. It could even be a Rotary Fellowship Event, but, it is not Golf any more than Miniature Golf -- is Golf. Putting into a clowns mouth or having golf balls that contain sensors will make a real golfer cock his head and wince. Golfer’s won’t use either one of these venues to satisfy their need to play. Let me explain.
True Golfers play golf with “reverence and tradition” behind them. They have studied the game. There are lots of rules to playing golf, and a golfer knows them. There are “rules of etiquette” they must follow, and Golfer’s know them, and the do abide. They take pride in “The Game” and the sportsmanship of it. There are lots of true Golfers around the world and the South Bay. They love the game.
My wife Mary is a “Golfer”. She is A Real Golfer. Is she a good or perhaps a Great Golfer; that depends on the definition. Mary doesn't get great scores, but she loves golf. A great score to her is beating her previous best score, or beating her average, or beating her handicap. She has been playing for quite a while and so have her friends on the Ladies Golf team. On most occasions after a golf match…she is beaming. Not necessarily because she had a good score, but because the “total package” was special. Let me explain further.
These are things I think she and other true golfers love about golf.
- The crispness of the morning air when you arrive at the course during first light;
- The greeting of your fellow golfers and perhaps your opponents when there is a tournament;
- The hot cup of coffee as the sun comes up over the fairways and greens;
- The nervousness of the first tee when people are watching; The next moment the thrill of it hitting the fairway dead center.
- The comfort of the sun as it lifts in the sky and warm you as the round moves along.
- The greetings of the Canada Geese that honk their hello’s, or the gulls as they pass overhead calling to each other.
- That one shot that you remember!
- The discussion of the Round with your fellow golfers at the end of the round and having your favorite beverage.
- And….at the end of the round you relive that one shot when everything came together and it went where is was supposed to go without thought, when you and the club and the ball become one for a moment. It might be just that one shot, but it brings you back again and again. All true golfers know that feeling, but you can't put words to it.
- And, when you are not golfing you share golf stories, jokes, and folklore. Some are about greatness, some are funny, all are about commaraderie.
- It’s a Religion
- It’s a Culture
- It’s no longer just a mans game, it never was.
Most true “Golfers” are somewhat “purists”. They know the game, they watch and attend tournaments, they read about its tradition and history, and they know rules and there are lots of them. The history of golf starts in Great Britain (same place as Top Golf) on St. Andrews in Scotland. Mary has played there. (You want to see beaming).
She at one time Caddied for her teenage boyfriend (yes there was someone before me), but Mary is a Caddy to no one for long. A “Partner” perhaps, but not a Caddy.
She met me some time ago and then she meets my family; especially my brother. My brother was a Golf Salesman from the age of 20. (a job which he had his whole life until he retired a few years ago). He worked for Titleist…number one in Golf. He was number one in sales in the country for a few years. He knows the game, he knows the traditions, he knows the clubs and the balls, and he knows the professional golfers; he has stories. I think he took Mary’s interest to a much higher level. When they talk, they talk about Golf.
Then Mary (who is a Nurse) goes to work for a Neurologist(who loves Golf). He buys a Golf Store in Culver City. He belongs to Riviera Country Club. Mary has golfed the Riviera in LA a number of times. She didn't "win", but she beamed. To stand where some of the great golfers have stood is special.
So, Mary is a Golfer and respects the game. She plays with the Lady’s Golf Club at the Lakes. She and her friends take golf very seriously (9 holes or 18) and they and other true golfers want to continue to play their type of true golf at the Lakes.
IF the Par 4’s are taken away, and the true spirit of the game is missing, these long time golfers in the Ladies Club, will drift elsewhere. So will those other true golfers that play in the early morning before work or those that must play after work. They play 9 because that’s all the time they have, but they must play. It's in their DNA. 9 is better than none. They are Golfers
Top Golf and the City of El Segundo need to find a way to preserve these elements if it can be done together. I am cheering for them, but I am also cheering for my wife and her golf club. Hopefully they are not mutually exclusive to each other.
If Top Golf is to make it happen, they need to make it happen with support of the true golfers in El Segundo. They are doing the right thing by meeting with as many people as they can. They have met with the Chamber, The City, The Planning Commission, The Kiwanis, and the Rotary to name a few. They need to meet with the current golfers who support the club now, and will be asked to do so in the future.
I am sure we haven’t heard the last of this very important situation.
If you want to do some research on Golf, or "feel the moment", here are a few interesting links to movies about golf. Go there and know what "True Golf" is all about.
http://golfinthekingdommovie.com/