Issue 5 - May 1, 2026

If this is your first issue, welcome.
If you’ve been following along, thanks—I appreciate it.

This week we cover everything from a whiskey bottle that helped shape the game…
to the reality of what kind of golf bag you should actually be using…
to a quick look inside your golf bag… which may or may not go well.

We’ll also touch on one of the most satisfying moments in golf…
and one of the most important—yet misunderstood—parts of the swing.

Some of this might help your game…
some of it might just make you laugh…
either way, you’re in the right place.

Let’s get into it.

If you’ve made it past the caricature…
we might already be on the same wavelength.

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The Whisky Bottle That Created 18 Holes

The Myth

Back in the early days of golf at the St Andrews Old Course, a group of Scottish golfers would head out for a round carrying a bottle of Scotch whisky.

The “rule” was simple:

Each golfer took one shot of whisky per hole.

Now here’s where it gets interesting…

A standard bottle of Scotch contains about 18 shots (give or take — and let’s be honest, these weren’t exactly measured pours).

So naturally:

👉 When the bottle ran out, the round was over
👉 And just like that… a round of golf became 18 holes

A beautifully simple system. Questionable logic… but simple.

The Reality

The real reason is a little less fun — but far more practical.

Early golf at St Andrews actually had 22 holes. Golfers would play:

In 1764, it was decided that several of the holes were too short and could be combined.

This reduced the course to:

Because St Andrews was (and still is) the most influential course in the world, this format eventually became the global standard.

Closing Thought

So while the whisky bottle didn’t actually shape the game…

…it’s still a far better story — especially since whisky and golf still go together.

Those Pesky Stakes (A Survival Guide for Your Scorecard and Ego)

You’re standing over your ball…
It’s sitting just a little too close to a coloured stake…
And suddenly your playing partner transforms into a rules official from the U.S. Open.

Before this turns into a 10-minute debate and a group behind you starts steaming, let’s simplify things.

🔴 Red Stakes — You’re in Trouble… But We’ll Let You Live

These are the course’s way of saying:

“Yeah… that wasn’t great. But we’re not monsters.”

You’ll usually find them beside:

Your options:

👉 Translation: Bad shot… manageable consequences.

🟡 Yellow Stakes — You’ve Made a Poor Life Choice

These guard the classic “I can carry that” moments.

You know the one.

The course now responds with:

“Let’s take a moment and reflect.”

Your options:

👉 Translation: No shortcuts. Think about what you’ve done.

⚪ White Stakes — The Walk of Shame

This is where golf stops being a game… and becomes a confession.

You’ve hit it:

Penalty:

👉 Translation: Walk back.

Feel the impatience of your group and the group behind you
Reload.
Pretend this never happened.

🔵 Blue Stakes — A Rare Act of Kindness

These mark Ground Under Repair.

Even the golf course is admitting:

“This is a mess… and it’s not your fault.”

Good news:

👉 Translation: Take the win. It doesn’t happen often.

Closing Thought

If you ever forget what the colours mean, just remember:

The brighter the stake… the more it’s about to hurt your score — and your ego.

If that ruling saved you a shot… or at least an argument…

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I was in my late 30s.

At that point, I had been playing golf for over 30 years.

And in all that time…
I had never had a hole-in-one.
And I had never even seen one.
Well… other than on TV.

Then one day… it happened.

I’m out playing with a good friend—we’ll call him DK.

We step up to a par 3 at Devil’s Pulpit Golf Club.
185 yards. Uphill. Bunkers everywhere. No spectators.

DK pulls a 6-iron.
And I’ll say this right now…
It was easily his best swing of the day.

We both watch the ball take off—straight at the flag.
No curve.
No drama.
Just a clean, confident shot.

It lands on the green…
Takes a couple of hops…
Starts rolling toward the hole…
And then… disappears.

Now here’s the moment anyone who’s seen one understands.

We both turn and look at each other.
Not celebrating.
Not yelling.
Just staring.

Like:
“Did you see that?”
“I think I saw that.”
“You saw that… right?”

So we walk up to the green—calmly… pretending this is normal.

No ball on the green.

We get closer.
Still nothing.

DK looks in the hole…

There it is.

Hole-in-one.

Now DK, of course, is thrilled.
As he should be—it was his first ever, and nobody forgets their first.

High fives. Big smiles. A moment you don’t forget.

And you might think that’s the end of the story…

But it’s only the beginning.

Because that year, I saw five hole-in-ones.
And one of them… was mine.

But those are stories for future issues.

Next issue, I’ll tell you about the second hole-in-one I ever saw—
because it was almost too unbelievable to believe… but trust me, it was.

Golf Bags…What’s the Difference

If you’re not sure which one you should be using…

it’s probably not the one you currently have.

The Stand Bag — “I Could Walk… If I Had To”

This is the most common bag—and for good reason.

What it does well:

Where it struggles:

Reality:
Clean, efficient… slightly annoyed by overpackers.

The Cart Bag — “I’ve Made Peace With This”

This is for golfers who’ve fully committed to riding.

What it does well:

Where it struggles:

Reality:
Comfort, organization… zero interest in walking.

The Tour Bag — “We Need to Talk”

You’ve seen them on TV.
They look incredible.

They are also… not for you.

What it does well:

Where it struggles:

Reality:
Looks like a tour player… moves like a refrigerator.

Simple Takeaway

If you’re not sure which one you should be using…
Here’s a good rule:

If you carry your bag → Stand bag
If you ride → Cart bag
If you own a tour bag… I’ve got a psychologist on speed dial for you.

What Should Actually Be in Your Golf Bag (And What Shouldn’t)

And now that we’ve picked the right bag…

let’s stop filling it with everything you own that has the word “golf” attached to it.

Let’s be honest…

Some golf bags look less like golf bags…
and more like a travelling garage sale.

If your bag needs its own warm-up stretch before the round…
we’ve got an issue.

What You Actually Need

Keep it simple:

That’s it.
That’s the list.

What You Probably Don’t Need

Let’s clean this up:

Simple Rule

If you haven’t used it in your last three rounds…
it doesn’t belong in your bag.

Closing Thought

A lighter bag won’t fix your swing…
but it will make it a lot easier to haul from the basement to the garage and into the car—for starters…
and you won’t be able to blame the bag for your rotator cuff issues.

This is where we usually save something that can actually improve your game.

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Centeredness of hit is where the ball meets the clubface…
and for many golfers, that meeting is more of a random encounter than a planned event.

It’s also the elusive unicorn of golf.

The center of gravity (CG) is that magical “sweet spot” buried in your clubhead—the one place the club actually wants to hit the ball.

Catch it there and you get:
✔️ Pure strike
✔️ Real distance
✔️ That “that felt effortless” feeling

Miss it—and let’s be honest, most people do—and you get:
❌ The “ting”
❌ No distance
❌ Hands that feel like you just high-fived a brick wall

And if the middle of your clubface still looks brand new while the toe and heel look like they’ve been through a meat grinder…
yeah… we’ve found the problem.

🧠 Why It Happens

This isn’t a hand-eye coordination issue.

It’s a body geometry issue.

The main culprit?
Early extension.

That’s when:
• Your pelvis moves toward the ball
• Your chest stands up
• And the club moves closer to you

So instead of returning the club to the ball…
you’ve moved yourself closer to it.

Bold strategy. Rarely effective.

🔍 What We Want

• Pelvis stays back
• Chest maintains posture
• Club returns to where it started

Simple.
Not easy.

😏 Reality Check

If your strike pattern looks like a shotgun blast at a stop sign…
it’s not your clubs.

It’s you.

💡 Takeaway

Stop trying to hit the center.

Start trying to:
• Stay in your posture
• Keep your hips back
• Let the club come to the ball

Because the sweet spot isn’t moving…

You are.

Enjoying The Golf Scene so far?

👉 Have a question about your swing?
👉 Something you’d like me to cover?
👉 Or anything in this issue that stood out?

Just hit reply and tell me what you’re working on — I read every message.

My goal with The Golf Scene is simple:
To help you understand the game a little better,
make your bad shots a little less bad,
and maybe even enjoy it a bit more along the way.

Because let’s be honest…
👉 this game doesn’t need to be any harder than it already is.

If you found this useful (or at least mildly entertaining), feel free to share it with:
• a friend
• a playing partner
• or someone who still hasn’t met the centre of their clubface

And if you’re ready to take your game a step further…
👉 I’d be happy to help — in person or online.

David Govan
PGA of Canada Professional

Golf Excellence Academy
Modern Golf Instruction

Creator of the 5C Golf Performance System
👉 GolfExcellence.ca

PS — Next week, we continue the 5C Golf Performance System…
because we’re just getting warmed up.