Is there ever a bad time go golfing? That, dear readers, is a question that would appear to have an obvious answer: of course there is never a bad time to go golfing, it is one of the greateast activities that we, as humans, can do. 

If you want to play spoiler, go ahead and throw in during a thunderstorm and the dead of winter as bad times to golf. Other than weather, there are not many things that make for a bad time to golf. 

But maybe since we are all amateur golfers ranging from complete hacks to club pros, the fun of the game only gets stripped down when we're duffing shots or being held up by a foursome of snails. 

No matter how much we love golf, there are always rounds that make us want to be anywhere but standing on a golf course. The reasons vary, sure, but we've all had those days. Fortunately for all of us, when we're having a bad day, it isn't being broadcast to the whole world. 

A bad day of golf for a PGA Tour is much different. It's dissected, critiqued and filed somewhere in each players legacy to be reviewed now and forever. No one knows this better than Tiger Woods. He built up a legacy binder that was filled with great moments under the "Reasons Tiger Will Be the Greatest Of All Time" tab and now we seem to be putting a lot more evidence under the "Reasons Tiger Will Not Catch Jack's Major Championship Record." 

It's maddening to write about each week, and I can't imagine having to live it. The great thing about playing golf simply for fun is that we never have to worry about our legacy or whether or not a missed putt is going to affect our bank account significantly. I'm very happy about that, honestly because if my income depended on my golf game, I'd be living under a highway without even a cardboard box to sleep in. 

For many of us, there are very few times when playing golf isn't a great option. That's not so on the PGA Tour. It has to be hard to WANT to play golf all the time when it's all you do in the first place. Throw in scheduled media and sponsor obligations and it has to make you wonder how any of the guys on the PGA Tour can continue to keep a sane mind throughout the whole process. 

I'm sure there are many on the Tour that would love to be able to simply go out for 18 holes one day without any care in the world. There are probably a lot of golfers who do get to do that, but not as often as the rest of us. Maybe we don't love the game enough to be able to devote our lives to it and make millions of dollars, but I have to think we get some kind of satisfaction out the game that most Tour players will never get - or haven't been able to get back after turning pro. 

Would I trade that feeling for the paychecks these guys get every week? Absolutely. But, that's not the point. Playing golf even when it's not a good time to, for us, is still a good time to play golf. And that's the point. If you love the game, there really never is a bad time to go golfing. It's what happens on the course during the round that makes it seem like you never should have left the couch sometimes. 

Yet, even through the bad times, we all continue to tee it up and chop our way around the golf course. It's one of the biggest reasons that it's so hard to answer the question, "If you suck at this so bad, why do you keep putting yourself through the misery?"

Because that misery is still better than most things. And, that misery is fun (somehow). Playing golf isn't always about how good you do, it's about the experience. I think if a lot of Tour players were able to remember that (and maybe they do) they'd find their good walk isn't so spoiled after all. 

All I know is this... whether I shoot in the 70's, 90's or 100's, I'm still going to be happy I spent time on the course. That level of happiness may vary, but it's still there and I hope it always is. 

Because if there really ever does become a time where it's not good to play golf, well... I just don't even want to think of it. Neither should you. And, neither should they. 

I think it's time - a good time - to go play some golf. 

Til next time...