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At the moment marks the launch of a brand new sequence right here on MyGolfSpy: The Individuals You Meet Taking part in Golf.
Golf, when performed by these of us who’re common individuals, is a social exercise. In spite of everything, we “play” golf. Whether or not it’s a buddy journey, your common Saturday Swat or an “emergency 9,” the individuals you play with matter. And each considered one of them has a narrative to inform. If you happen to hear, that story is at all times 10 instances extra attention-grabbing than your personal.
Over the approaching months, we’re going to share with you the tales of standard golfers with whom we’ve been fortunate sufficient to share 18 holes. Some are longtime buddies. Others are random strangers we’ve met on the whim of the cosmos and the tee sheet.
For this primary installment, we’re going to profile two longtime mates who, we are able to state categorically, have extra enjoyable on the golf course than anybody you’ve ever met.
The Individuals You Meet Taking part in Golf: Rod and Gene
Harvey Penick as soon as mentioned, “If you happen to play golf, you might be my buddy.” And in case you are ever fortunate sufficient to play golf with Gene Hartigan and Rod Fritz, you’ll know the reality in that assertion.
Not that Rod and Gene are nice golfers. They’re not. Each are 70-something retired radio journalists from Boston for whom breaking 100 is breaking information.
“We began taking part in collectively once we had been at WEEI (on the time, Boston’s main all-news radio station) in 1984,” says Gene, an award-winning investigative information and political reporter. “We had some identify recognition and would get invited to all these charity tournaments.”
Sooner or later over the previous 40 years, their golf outings morphed into among the fiercest, and funniest, competitions you’ve ever witnessed. And the trash speak between the 2 has develop into an artwork kind all its personal.
“Gene and I’ve identified one another a very long time,” says Rod. “And I’ve to inform you, Mr. Hartigan is a pathological liar. How can your handicap be increased than mine once we shoot the identical rating?”
“It’s since you take magic mushrooms,” replies Gene. “Rod is little question the higher participant. That’s why he retains shedding to me.”
“The camaraderie and competitors we’ve is simply a lot enjoyable,” says Rod. “Do I wish to beat him? Sure. Do I rub it in after I beat him? Oh sure.”
“And I by no means carry up the truth that he cheats,” provides Gene. “By no means.”
Fortunate and the Firm Clerk
Each males served in Vietnam in the course of the struggle. Gene served as an organization clerk for his unit within the early ‘70s.
“I used to be, as Rod likes to say, the Radar O’Reilly of the corporate,” says Gene. “We had 219 in our firm and I used to be in control of retaining all the pieces shifting ahead.”
Rod was with the 11th Armored Calvary Regiment working in Psy-Ops out of Quon Loi. It was there he bought his begin in broadcasting.
“We couldn’t get Armed Forces Radio the place we had been,” he says. “I talked to the commander and mentioned we wanted some leisure. He got here up with a transmitter, turntables and information, and we constructed our pirate radio station. We known as it Radio Blackhorse, after the 11th Armored Cav.”
Rod would do his common missions in the course of the day and spin information at evening, going by the identify Fortunate Fritz. How fortunate? Whereas Rod was on go away in Australia, his pirate station was hit by mortar fireplace.
“Every thing nonetheless labored,” he says, “however among the information had further holes in them.”
A few of Fortunate’s Radio Blackhorse airchecks nonetheless survive. You possibly can hear to 1 right here.
Veterans’ points are essential to each males. They’re regulars in Veteran Golfers Affiliation occasions and can eagerly strike up conversations with anybody sporting a cap reflecting their service.
And each have rallied teams to go for an icy swim within the annual New Yr’s Day Polar Bear Plunge with the L Avenue Brownies in South Boston.
The Individuals You Meet Taking part in Golf: Rod and Gene On The Course
As English writer P.G. Wodehouse as soon as mentioned, “To discover a man’s true character, play golf with him.” A spherical of golf with Gene and Rod will bear that out.
Each are true characters.
“The wonderful thing about taking part in collectively is we’ve all this trash speak,” says Rod. “We’ll drop golf equipment in the midst of a backswing or we’d cough throughout a putt.”
“I don’t try this,” Insists Gene. “He does it on a regular basis, however I don’t try this. He has no f***king manners.”
Taking part in 18 holes with these guys and attempting to comply with their dialog is like attempting to comply with the plot line of Misplaced or Twin Peaks. As a rule, you’re left pondering, “Are these guys for actual?“
For instance, on a latest journey to Myrtle Seashore, Rod proposed a $20 guess that he’d beat Gene in straight-up stroke play in two of the 4 rounds. That might be along with their regular nassau and greenie sport. Rod handily gained the primary spherical. However within the second spherical, he discovered himself just one stroke up going into 18. Gene would win the outlet, and the Nassau, with a double-bogey to Rod’s triple. However that meant the stroke-play competitors was tied.
Rod would win the stroke competitors in a card-off however the trash speak continued nicely into the evening by dinner, poker and into the subsequent morning at breakfast.
“All I do know is I gained $20,” insists Rod.
“However who gained the match and the greenies, Rod?” retorts Gene. “Who?”
Ultimately, Rod did win 20 bucks however he needed to pay Gene $16 for the match so he got here out $4 forward.
“I got here out on high,” insists Rod. “That’s all that issues.”
The Battling Bickersons
Whereas their competitors is fierce, the continuous ribbing is good-natured. It will get tiresome if it weren’t so damned humorous.
“I can’t inform you what number of instances individuals we’ve performed with have requested us, ‘Are you two married?’” says Rod.
So who has gained extra usually over the previous 40 years? The reply got here in unison.
“I’ve,” says each. After which it devolved from there.
“One 12 months you gained loads and one 12 months I gained loads,” says Gene.
“However through the years, I’ve gained greater than you,” insists Rod.
“I don’t suppose so,” replies Gene.
“Present me the scorecards, then.”
“I don’t have to point out you the scorecards. You understand you’re mendacity.”
“If you happen to’re calling me a liar, you must present the proof,” says Rod. “You possibly can’t present the scorecards, are you able to?”
Severely, that is how the dialog went down. I can play you the tape. They usually can reprise practically each spherical they’ve ever performed collectively, shot by shot. Sure, there’s loads of selective reminiscence but when every victory validates their declare to ethical excessive floor, there’s at all times a rebuttal.
“What in regards to the time you choked at Newton Commonwealth?” asks Rod.
“That was 5 years in the past,” says Gene.
“Doesn’t matter. I gained,” says Rod.
The Individuals You Meet Taking part in Golf: The Remaining Phrase
Taking part in golf with Rod and Gene won’t be for everybody. If you happen to take your self and your sport slightly too significantly, you most likely gained’t benefit from the banter. However for those who play the sport for enjoyable, then, my mates, enjoyable you should have.
“Regardless of all of his mendacity and dishonest, it doesn’t matter,’ says Gene. “After we play, we’re fierce rivals. It makes us play higher as a result of every considered one of us is able to dump on the opposite one if he screws up.”
“We exit and benefit from the sport,” says Rod. “And for those who occur to have a very good buddy, as I do, that you just compete with and do a variety of trash-talking, it makes the sport even higher.”
“However while you urinate on my ball, I’m not joyful,” replies Gene.
“I’ve by no means urinated on his ball,” Rod says to me.
“One other lie,” insists Gene.
Severely, the written phrase can not do these conversations justice. It’s efficiency artwork that’s one half trash speak and two elements stream of consciousness.
“After I win, I’m a gentleman. And he can’t stand that,” says Rod. “I attempt to be humble. When he wins, he texts all our mates telling them he beat me on the entrance, again and complete.”
“That’s the information reporter in me,” replies Gene. “I’m simply updating everybody. That’s all it’s.”
Each males are 74 and don’t have any plans to hold it up any time quickly. They’re having means an excessive amount of enjoyable to cease.
“We’ll play until we die,” says Gene. “If Rod dies earlier than me, I’m going to slide a golf membership into his casket.”
“And if Gene dies earlier than I do, I’m going to stay a fifth of Scotch in his casket.”
And within the afterlife, they’ll little question argue about that, too.
Good-naturedly, after all.
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