“Get In The Hole!”
If you watched more than a few minutes of The Players Championship on TV this weekend, chances are good you heard “Get in the hole!” more than a few times. That’s because someone shouts it after every shot, including from the tee box of the longest par 5’s.
It’s like nails on a chalkboard to this Caveman’s ears, and I can only imagine how frustrating it is to the players. Add in the occasional “You da man!” and I’d be ready to wrap a 5 iron around the first fan I could catch!
I’ve heard from fans who claim they don’t mind it or even say it adds excitement to the game, or that it’s better than the “quiet golf clap” atmosphere of the PGA Tour ten years or so ago. And the TV networks probably couldn’t edit the screams out and keep that amazing THWACK of the club and audio of player reactions and banter with caddies.
Since there’s no way to stop a shout before it happens, and removing fans seems harsh, I guess I’d be happy if I only had to hear “Get in the hole!” when the ball actually might go in – par 3’s, short chips and makeable putts only. But I know that’s too much to ask for, and I know what I’ll be hearing – after every shot – next weekend at the Valero Texas Open.
-Scratch
PS: Who’s with me on this? I know I’m not the only one reaching for the Mute button on Sunday afternoons…
Scratch,
I totally agree with you. Hearing if after every single shot, esp. from the par 5’s. Granted there are a few guys that can reach 4’s in one, so maybe that’s alright. But I think the appearance of the saying is ridiculous. As far as I can tell, it originated from the famous scene in Happy Gilmore where Happy berates the ball for not dropping on his putt. I seem to hear it only on tee shots and approaches from the fairway. Maybe officials could find that one guy that always shouts it and ask him to reserve it for realistic situations.
*** Response From Scratch ***
You might be right Eric. It’s a great golfin’ movie, but if everyone behaved like Happy and his fans do in that film, you couldn’t get me to watch a tourney again! But Happy’s famous golf swing might be the next big thing on tour. Padraig Harrington added 7 mph and about 30 yards to his drive by taking a running start: Happy Gilmore Was On To Something (New York Times, May 10, 2009).
Scratch
I’m with you, Scratch. Not only as a fan, but also as someone who has played before galleries (albeit much smaller) on mini-tours and qualifiers, it is aggravating for someone to yell “get in the hole” on a 500+ yard par 5 where there is no conceivable chance that that will ever happen. We as players generally assume that the person doing the yelling is totally uneducated about the game of golf, is making a desparate cry for attention…or is drunk!
*** Response From Scratch ***
Thanks for giving us a little bit of the competitive players’ perspective Steve!
Scratch
Yep, couldn’t agree more. Makes me want to watch tennis-and I hate tennis…
I’m with you Scratch, but what do you do? Pass out duct tape at the gate?…Guess there could be a law passed, citing the most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man in falsely shouting Get in the hole! at a golf tournament and causing undue excitement.
THEY YELL BECAUSE THEY ARE OBVIOUSLY IGNORANT BUT CAN TELL THEIR BUDDIES IT WAS I WHO YELLED AT EACH SHOT FROM THE 470 YARD PAR 4 TEE ON 12.I THINK GOLFERS NEED TO BE MORE RELAXED AND EXPECT AND ALLOW MORE NOISE FROM THE GALLERY WHO PAID 50 BUCKS TO SEE THEM. A WAVE TO EACH GROUP ON EVERY HOLE SHOULD BE DONE OUT OF THANKS AND RESPECT FOR STANDING OUT THERE IN THE HEAT TO SUPPORT THEIR PAYCHECKS AND PURCHASE THE GOODS THAT SPONSOR THEM. EVEN A FEW KNUCLE BUMPS WILL NOT HURT THESE PRIMA DONNAS WHO CAN RELAX BETWEN HOLES LIKE WE REAL PLAYERS ALSO DO WITH ONLY 5 BUCKS ONTHE LINE. CHILL– RICH SILES, BOYNTON BEACH FL.
I hate it anytime some idiot yells it. It doesn’t seem like a true golf fan would show up to watch a tournament and then act like a complete jackass. Fitting it comes from an Adam Sandler movie. Adam himself is a pretty good golfer. I wonder how he feels about it. Maybe if he told them how lame it was they’d stop. I’d be happy to see the tournament officials toss anyone yelling at a golf event. Going back to polite applause sounds good to me.
Hate it…hate it. hate it….really is like scratching a chalk board. Did I mention that I hate it.
It was interesting posts