As someone who leans toward the traditional when it comes to golf – I like my golf balls white, the flagstick out on all three of my putts and wooden tees – I am not afraid to step into the game’s new world.
I like music on the golf course.
Not thumping, LIV Golf-kind of music, but nice background tunes that, if it’s a really good song, will intrude on my multiple swing thoughts and effectively quiet the demons speaking to me.
Just to be clear, I’m not talking about blasting Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” when I’m facing a tough pitch shot over a bunker, but it’s not the worst thing in the world.
It’s still a golf course, not a nightclub, though LIV seems insistent on merging the two.
There are still plenty of golfers and golf clubs that frown on music the same way they frown on wearing cargo shorts (a sartorial stance with which I fully agree), but the times have changed. I so wanted to quote Bob Dylan there, but I resisted.
Music has become such a part of the game that companies now package their rangefinders with portable speakers, and golf carts have plugs to power your music box.
Carts have Velcro strips on them to hold speakers in place, and they are as commonplace as seeing White Claws in the beverage cart.
It’s not unusual for there to be competing playlists in the group with which I generally play. One cart may have an Eagles/Jackson Browne vibe going (we are men of a certain age), while another may lean more toward Luke Combs/Eric Church/Robert Earl Keen.
The music isn’t loud enough to be heard across a fairway, nor should it be. It’s still a golf course, not a nightclub, though LIV seems insistent on merging the two.
Check out tour players on the range early in the week, and many of them wear earbuds while they practice. They may use them to avoid signing autographs (pretending to be on a call when they walk through groups of fans), but many of them listen to music.
If you prefer your golf on the quieter side, that’s understandable. Silence has been built into the game across the ages, and there are few things better than a quiet stroll around a course late in the day when the shadows are slanting across the fairways.
Come to think of it, “The Sound of Silence” needs to be on my next playlist.
Ron Green Jr.
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