There was a time in my life where I could not stand the thought of golf. Much like beer, in my youth, I disliked anything about each. To me, beer was stale lake water, and gold was too prestigious for a skateboarding punk rocker. Granted, these assumptions lived in the days of cheap Red Dog and Pantera concerts. My how time has changed on me. With more diversity, patience, and erudition, I have come to love both beer and golf, and found the two can be synonymous with sunshine, weekends, vacation, celebration, and defeat. And defeated we are at times, with putter in hand, par on the line, and the inevitable missed shot.
Michigan ranks third in golf courses in the United States, which may be very surprising considering our season is barely half, if that, of the two leading rivals of Florida and California. Nearly 1,000 courses can call Michigan their home.
As with any sport, beer is usually a great right hand addition. We celebrate while watching and completion (if playing). Few sports find it customary to consume while actually playing, with golf I would assume being the safest. In my time playing I have noticed players stocking up with styro-foam bags in the back of the cart or stuffing cans into various pockets within their bag. I have also found, sadly, that many of the golf courses around do not carry Michigan beer. And if they do, they are certainly not in cans. Understandably, bottles are heavy and pose a danger if broken accidentally or intentionally.
Thankfully, there are still options to enjoying a great Michigan beer while on the course. My first suggestion would be to encourage your favorite course to stock Michigan beer, and suggest those that distribute in cans ta boot. If your course lacks great Michigan beer, you may have to resort to ulterior methods. Some may call this suggestion to be be a bit mischievous or dishonest. Call me selfish, but I wish to enjoy my time as best as possible. If this were suddenly my last day on Earth, I don't want have to answer St. Peter explaining my last beer was triple hops brewed or rocky mountain cold. So I say, bring your own. Many golfers already take this course, why not make it a better step with Michigan made beer, in cans!
At the publish of this post, only two breweries within Michigan distribute in cans, but that should be no deterrent, since one is available through out the state, and the other is located in the great city of Rochester. The Rochester Mill Brewery cans their Lazy Daze Lager, and rumor has it their Cornerstone IPA will soon be joining Daze. At the moment the cans are only available at the brewery, located in downtown Rochester, but another rumor implies further distribution is coming soon. Keweenaw Brewery, located in Houghton, cans their Pick Ax Blond, Red Jacket Amber, Lift Bridge Brown Ale, and Widow Maker Black Ale. These beers are available at most speciality craft beer stores.
After you have an ample supply for your day of birdies, you need to evaluate your game plan. Do you need enough for nine or 18? Do you have a container to help maintain their cool, or do need to stash a couple in the freezer for a bit?
A great suggestion is to use a byo-bag to keep cool. If you do not own one already, these bags are great for any enthusiast. They are insulated, maximizing cooling. A little bit of ice and a couple plastic bags may also do the trick, but you run the risk of leaks, and that is lose lose situation. Or, you can amply stuff cans into every pocket you have. These totes are available at retail stores such as Target and nearly all wine and craft beer speciality stores, and are produced by a handful of manufacturers.
Another option is the use of a Camel Bak bag or its insulator. It so happens I have accumulated a collection of these over the years and one appears to be the perfect back pack insulator that fits six cans snug, one on top of the other. I am elated to have learned of this, and am truly a beer geek to make use of it. I like to chill the cans over night in the fridge, and then place beer and insulator in the freezer for a quick cold blast. This will help keep those beers cold on your way to the links.
Now comes the time to find the perfect stash for your stash. Dust off that golf bag and use this opportunity to make some room and clean out last years trash. Do you really need every golf ball you've ever found in that bag? How about the 600 tees you got for Christmas? Keep the Icy Hot. Locate the pocket(s) for your Michigan friends, load up and get on your way.
Take your time with breaking in your first quench. Unless the host ranger is a good friend of yours, they might not look fondly upon your self imposed liberty. Or, he may be none the wiser. In any event, I prefer to get the first hole out of the way, this is when the day really begins!
One of the newest distributed beers from Bell's Brewery is Oarsman Ale. Slated to be available year round, this beer is a great session beer for any occasion. Its most interesting characteristic is its tartness. The brewery says "Designed as a flavorful session beer, Oarsman Ale uses a classic German brewing technique to impart a light, refreshing tartness. Oarsman Ale grew out of a desire to explore the tradition of session beers, trading intensity for finesse while still creating a worthwhile experience for the taster. The grain bill includes a healthy portion of wheat, while light hopping lend citrus & herbal notes to the aroma. Fermented with Bell's house ale yeast, Oarsman comes in at 4.0% alcohol by volume. Rather than being the dominant flavor note, the tartness in Oarsman takes on more of a palate-cleansing role, making it perfect with meals or purely on its own."
