It is hard to imagine something better than a great round of golf with your friends around. Once you add a great cigar to the mix, it is almost impossible to picture something more relaxing and rewarding. Since golf became mainstream it has been a known thing for hobby golfers to enjoy their day at the course with their favorite cigar alongside. Still, even though golfing and smoking with your friends on the weekend feels great, there are a few tips that can further improve it. That is why I decided to write some of them down and showcase why smoking cigars on the golf course is something every person should try out.
The very first thing I have to mention before we dive deeper into this topic is that you need to take a few things into account. We all know that an 18-hole game can take anywhere from a few hours to a full day depending on how many friends you bring along, the size of the course, and how often do you stop for a snack-break. That being said, the very first tip here is to leave the cigarillos and small cigars at home and opt for the bigger ones. Still, your taste is what ultimately matters so follow that. I will give a few of my favorite cigars for you to consider at the end of the article. Now, we need to discuss golf course etiquette and some of the best smoking tips…
Smoking Etiquette
Since golf is a gentleman’s sport, you will consider everybody else around you when smoking a cigar on the course. Do so by respecting the field, the equipment, and all the other players you are sharing the course with.
One of the most important things you need to check before you light your cigar is whether you will be disturbing your cart mate by doing so. Also, as you check for the wind before you shoot into the green, you should also be mindful of where your smoke goes. If you are playing near another group of golfers, make sure that no smoke goes in their direction.
The 5 Essential Tips
There are many tips and tricks you can learn from seasoned golfers about the game and everything that surrounds it. Still, I’ve managed to boil down everything into 5 simple tips that you can easily remember and put into good use.
Respect The Field
Whenever you are playing, you will have to figure out what to do with your cigar. Most experienced golfers prefer to hold it in their mouth but that isn’t by everyone’s taste and/or abilities. Never rest your cigar on the golf course, as it shows poor class (and can also be against your club’s rules). Placing it on the fairway or the rough is acceptable but there is a far better alternative…
There are many cheap and very useful golf cart cigar holders which will do a great job at keeping your cigar away from the ground. There are even cigar holders that double down as a small ashtray to further improve your experience. This particular model is great for cigars of up to 80 rings.
Storing Your Cigars
We all know that the key to a fresh and tasteful cigar is storing it properly. That will ensure that they will be in perfect smoking condition once you need them. Try to maintain a humidity between 72 and 80% for your cigars. Bringing your cigars to the golf course without a travel humidor will only expose them to the elements and worsen their taste.
If you drive for a few hours to the course and the cigars are next to you in the car, that will almost certainly dry them out unless they are stored in any form of container that will maintain the humidity constant.
To check out some of the best cigar humidors out there, head over to my full buyer’s guide where you will find tons of great models, and even some that you can bring along to the course with your friends!
Lighting Up The Cigar
What many people fail to take into account is wind – plain and simple. Nothing is harder than lighting up your cigar properly in windy conditions. Besides, lighting your cigar with a regular (cigarette) lighter will feel like blasphemy to the cigar aficionados, if there are any around.
Imagine a cigar that has been through countless of hands to be made perfect just to be lighted and have its flavor ruined by a normal lighter. The key to properly lighting your cigar is using a torch lighter or a butane one. Not only will that preserve the flavor but it will also make it super easy for you to light it in any adverse weather conditions.
The next tip could’ve been included in the etiquette section but I felt like it deserves a mention of its own…
Bring Some For Everyone
Nobody likes the person who doesn’t clean the trap after himself or takes roughly 300 practice shots per each round. It can be argued that the person who brings cigars only for himself falls into that category.
It might hurt a little to share some of your quality expensive stogies but if your golf buddies have your back they will repay you by paying for the food or drinks later at the bar. The key here is sharing and it might just be the perfect opportunity to show off with your fine cigar collection.
Lastly, I want to touch base with the very first tip I gave you in this article and clarify things a little bit.
Go With Lighter Cigars
Even though you will most likely be spending time in the hours (typically around 4 hours), you wouldn’t want to bring Maduro-wrapper heavy spice cigars to the course on Sunday morning, right?
What I do, since I well-enough know that we will be spending quite some time there, is bring lighter cigars. With those, I know that I can handle (and enjoy) two or three of those smoked slowly.
Some Additional Tips
Don’t be the guy to constantly give golfing advice to others but I’d recommend teaching your friends how to cut a cigar, how to properly light it, and maybe a few smoking tips. If your friends are new to all this, it will be very good for them to develop these good habits from the get-go, as this is a lifetime hobby in most cases.
Another thing is to always remember why you are there. The first idea of that day is to play golf and enjoy it. Of course, a badly handled cigar can ruin all that and have you spitting all over the place but try to concentrate on your game. A lot of people fail to cut and light their cigar the right way and later on blade it on the cigar that their game was off. On the course, golf comes first. My advice is to practice everything else at home. Click here if you want to check out some of the finest cigar cutters on today’s market.
If you like to drink while playing golf, I’ve compiled a great and detailed article on all of the different kinds of alcoholic drinks and how well they go with your favorite cigars. So, if you want to learn more about cigar pairing, head over there!
Some Excellent Cigar Choices For The Golf Course
The Laranja Reserva Lancero
This is one of my favorite medium-full body cigars out there. It has a very wide flavor range and an intriguing complexity to it. It is a 7 and a half by 38 rings and is packed by a very rare Brazilian Laranga wrapper. The filler and binder are Nicaraguan which results in a bready, smoky, and sweet flavor with a slight hint of orange oils, earth, and graham cracker.
Plasencia Alma Fuerte Generacion V Cigar
It is hard to roll a cigar of this size and be successful at it. Still, these guys have managed to masterfully make a great 7 inch by 58 ring gauge cigar. It is a medium-body Salomon that is box-pressed. Each cigar has a shade-grown Maduro wrapper and a Nicaraguan binder and a long filler. Upon cutting this cigar, you will sense cocoa, oak, chocolate, and a molasses and cinnamon finish.
Conclusion
Taking your favorite cigar on the golf course can only make the day better. If you are new to this, though, you would have to consider the course etiquette and some of the smoking tips I wrote in this article. They are considered the essentials and are a good place to start for anyone looking forward to smoking and playing his favorite game. Remember to always include your friends in your plans, as they would do the same for you, and respect the golf course as well as everyone around you, as some of them might not be smokers.
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- How To Make A Humidor Of Your Own – A DIY Project
- A Beginner’s Guide On How To Cut A Cigar
- How To Light A Cigar The Proper Way
- How To Store Your Cigars Properly
- How To Store Cigars Without A Humidor?
- Learning How To Keep Cigars Fresh