
Uno: Loss Aversion
We all fear losing more than what we desire to win. This phenomenon, known as loss aversion shows up everywhere, from the stock market to the golf course. Economists Devin Pope and Maurice Schweitzer, analyzed more than 2.5 million putts and found that at every distance from the hole, players were more successful when putting for par than for a birdie.
In another study Ryan Elmore and Andrew Urbaczewski examined loss aversion in the US Opens played at Pebble Beach Golf Links and Oakmont Country Club, In the last two tournaments at each course, they changed the par rating of a par 5 to a par 4 without fundamentally altering the hole. The results? You guessed it. Players scored better by when the par was changed from 5 to 4.
Next time you really need to make a birdie, tell yourself it is for par. The odds will improve.

Dos: That’s impressive but insane!
Being over-golfed has never been an issue. However, it is very impressive what Former MLB player Eric Byrnes was able to accomplish by playing 420 holes and setting a 24-hour speed-golf record.
A good friend of mine recently did something I thought was crazy. He flew from Calgary to Halifax, landed at 1 a.m. then drove for three and a half hours and made a 7:20 a.m. tee time at Cabot Cliffs. That afternoon, we played another 18, this time at Cabot Links. The next day was even more epic. He played 54 holes from dawn to dusk, before driving back to Halifax and flying back to Calgary. I mentioned this to the GM at Cabot and he told me that, while impressive, they had a father and a son that played 72 holes without a cart in one day! Have you done anything like this?
Tres: Cocktail Fodder
An estimated 300 million golf balls are lost or discarded in the United States every year, according to research by the Danish Golf Union. The term “sandbagger” originated from the game of poker whereby a player would hold off raising the stakes in order to lull the other players into a false sense of security. The poker sandbagger would pounce late in the game, clobbering the other players with his "sandbag" or good hand.

19th Hole
Patio season and a nice Rose go hand in hand. A great choice is Tightrope which is distributed by my friend Reed White. This year’s Rose is made almost entirely of Pinot Noir, but with a splash of Barbera (6.5%), to give it backbone and elevate the fruit, as well as adding a touch of spiciness. The grapes sourced for this wine came from the Shandro and Tightrope vineyards in Naramata. the were handpicked, crushed and left on skins to cold soak for 1-2 days before being pressed. After the juice had settled it was cool fermented, in stainless steel, at 14 degrees Celsius. It took 30 days to complete.
