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Poetry
on the green Return to gutkin.org links page The Mohonk
Mountain House is a unique experience. “Mohonk Golf” is similarly a unique
turn. The beauty of our mountain top course will transcend you to a special
place of pleasure and insight. You will see beautiful birds, chipmunks, flora
and fauna, all the colors of nature, and you might even notice the “Green
Ballet”. Communiqué
among players on the putting green is a silent dance. It's an experience many
golfers may not be aware they’ve taken part in. You must be educated in order
to recognize the subtle cooperation. Envision
four players stepping on to the putting surface in pursuit of their golf balls.
The order of play is most times obvious. Order is based on the rules of golf dating back over 500 years,
which dictates that "furthest from the hole plays first." This is one
of the silent communications made by the players. All balls are marked, picked
up and
cleaned; this is the start of the group dance. The golfers need not mention the
order of play, unless of course there is a question of turn. The question,
"Does anyone need the flag tended?" or "In, out, or
tended?" is politely voiced. If a player cannot see the hole, or for some
other reason wants the flag tended, the player whose ball is closest to the
hole assumes the responsibility of tending the flagstick. Proper tending
requires the flagstick to be lifted out of the bottom of the cup and angled
back allowing the tender to step away from the hole; the tender should keep his
feet together and stand erect. The furthest away now sets into motion. The ball is carefully placed back in its original position. A look at the topography informs the player of the correct combination of speed and direction. The player goes into his or her putting routine ending with the striking of the golf ball. Once the putt is on its way the flagstick is completely and immediately removed from the hole and gently placed on the putting surface. After the putt and a brief moment the player verbally informs the other players of their decision, "I'll finish"; meaning he or she will continue playing out the hole, or "I'll mark." If he or she says I'll mark, player two will at that moment repeat the same routine without haste. Player two
goes into his or her routine ending with his or her decision to
"mark" or "finish". The third player enters the dance. One of
the players now takes over attending to the flagstick. The etiquette governing
"attending of the flagstick" suggests the player wrap the flag around
the pole as to keep it from flapping in the breeze and balance the
flagstick on the top of his or her shoe to ensure that the precious putting
surface remains free of any marks or dents.
The player tending the flag holds it until completion of the hole,
making sure to keep the flag silent for the remaining players. When
the last player reaches into the cup retrieving his or her ball they sound the
silent signal to replace the flagstick. This poetic movement is dependent on exactitude of coordination between
the players. As in any performance, if the actors were conscious of the amount
of movements, learned over many years, they would most certainly trip over each
other’s feet. The dance has ended. The walk to the next tee signals the beginning of the act II. The tee dance…
Robert Gutkin,
Hypnotist and Golf Professional
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