I figure you know who I am talk about when I say “Mr Escalade”.  If not, then even if I did tell you who I was talking about it would not make sense what I have to say. Plus, I purposefully keep from using his real name so I am not looked at as attempting to capitalize on the online frenzy that has been going on too long.  The question now is..How does golf heal from this traffic accident?

The world of golf changed the day after Thanksgiving 2009 and the change really is not making Golf look too good in many people’s eye’s. Now, anyone seen on the golf course is thought to have an Escalade in their drive way.

OH, yes the news media is loving this traffic accident golf was involved with because it draws attention to their sponsors, but are the sponsors loving it? In this economy..Yes they are, and are forcing the issue so they can profit for it even more.  But, does that help golf?

How does what Mr Escalade’s action affect us..the real golfers of the world..the people who are supportive of the game either in spirit, play or professionally?  Overall his actions cast a dark cloud over golf with the thunderheads mounting over the PGA Tour and the profession of golf.  Now all of that profession is looked at as fleet dealers for Escalades.   For those of us who support that industry things just got a lot tougher.  So what has to change to get the sun to shine on golf again?

Do we really need to know why Mr Escalade hit a fire hydrant?  Do we need to know Mr Escalade is in the shop getting his dent fixed from the date he had with a fire hydrant?  Does any of that rally matter?  And does knowing all that help Golf?

All of these and many more questions will not produce the answer that solves the big problem…How do we fix the damage Mr Escalade has made to golf?  I say we because Mr Escalade can’t fix it and we probably would be better off if he did not try because the way he would fix it is by receiving another Escalade.  How does that fix the damage to golf?

Safe Driving

Does anyone really know Mr Escalade?   David Feherty said it best…

”as many times as I have talked to him on and off camera I can’t say I really know him.  I ask, does anyone really know him?”

Could that be the problem?  Does anyone outside his mother really know Mr Escalade?  Is that the mistake Mr Escalade made by not letting more people know him?

Would things be different if Mr Escalade had called you on the phone and said..

”Hey, how are you? Say, I got this opening in a tee time to fill, ya want to play?”

Do I have to answer that?

But really, if Mr Escalade had not gone the other direction of placing walls up between him and the golfing world I am sure the reaction to him hitting a fire hydrant would have been just a blip on the back page of the metro section of the newspaper.  Maybe him removing those walls and reaching out to more people is the answer for him to repair the damage to his personal life.  But will that action help golf?  I am sure it would not hurt anymore than it already is hurt.

The message is clear to me that the Fix for golf is ours to make and how we go about doing that is to carry on with showing everyone that golf is not about driving around in an Escalade at 2:35am looking for a fire hydrant to hit.  How golf is and how golf will be seem by others will be seem by how we, the Golfers of the world, play golf.  To quit playing golf would confirm to the world that there must be an Escalade parked in your drive way.  The damage to golf can only be fixed with time and more golfers playing golf.  So lets tee it up and move on.

Maybe Mr Escalade will take a few driving lessons while he is out..one can only hope.  Let me know how I can help.