PUMA

Pleased to Meet!

We are excited to introduce some new friends and guest bloggers who join us from the hilarious and witty site, Nice Ballz. Their brand of irreverant and insightful golf commentary is just up our alley. Read on...

Are You a D.O.G.?

The Driving-Range-Only Golfer (D.O.G.) has all of the fun and none of the frustration

Hello, fellow golfer. We don't know your name but we see you here every week. At the driving range. After work. Having fun. Smashing balls.

We recognize your face, your swing and your sense of style. But, we never see you on the golf course. We're there, only you're not. Not on Saturday. Nor Sunday. Or, at the weeknight league.

If you never play, how did you groove such a silky smooth swing? Could it be that you're a Driving-Range-Only Golfer?

Here's how to know if you're a D.O.G., dawg. You prefer the confines of the driving range stall, with its nets and chain link fence, to the open expanse of the golf course. It's like a veal pen, keeping your swing soft and supple. Ours, on the other hand, gets tough like beef jerky on the course, with the tension and all.

We see you at the end of the range, scurrying to scoop up the extra balls others leave behind. They are late for a tee time, but you have nowhere to be. We were eyeing those free balls but you beat us to them. We curse you, Driving-Range-Only Golfer.

Instead, we look the other way, confident that as a Driving-Range-Only Golfer surely you're missing the best parts of the game. The friendship, for one. But there you are with your buddies or on a date. Laughing, smiling, drinking a beer. You mock us with your enjoyment of the game.

What about gambling? There's no skins game on the range. We've got you there. And, yet you play closest-to-the-pin for a buck. Double or nothing if you hit the ball-picker-upper kid in the tractor. Moving targets are worth more.

Even still, as "real golfers," at least we have great golf fashion. Those cool shirts or cute skirts. But you also look the part, Driving-Range-Only Golfer. You're at the range in head-to-toe Tour pro style. Or, sometimes you sport your stylish designer jeans and edgy hipster boots. You're too cool to play on the course but you're not above looking great and beating balls.

It's fun, isn't it? The fresh air. The stress release. The mental break from your day. We have a lot in common, Driving-Range-Only Golfer. But we're different too.

While we practice in an effort to improve our scores, you practice just for fun. Like you, we hit it great on the range. The rubber mat keeps us from hitting it fat. And, then we crumble on the course where we try too hard to win. Not you. You've got this game all figured out, Driving-Range-Only Golfer. You have all of the fun and none of the frustration. Maybe you're more enlightened, and that only pisses us off even more.

Our advice: Don't be lured by the siren song of the golf course. You've already got the best of everything. Stay strong, Driving-Range-Only Golfer. We envy you, D.O.G.
NiceBallz.com is about unbridled honesty and enthusiasm for golf. Our name came about the same way. We once let a faster twosome play through. After hitting great tee shots, someone said, 'Nice balls, guys!' An innocent remark? Of course. Ridiculed sophomorically? Absolutely! That moment sums up our approach to blogging – honest commentary and the ability to laugh at ourselves, others and the game. NiceBallz is the creation of Corey Grice and his collaborator Hack. They have more than 25 years combined experience in journalism, marketing and public relations – and play lots of golf, the really bad weekend warrior kind. For more golf reviews, commentary and humor follow them at http://twitter.com/NiceBallz and http://twitter.com/GolferWriterGuy. Or email them at staff@niceballz.com.