A Match Made on the Green: Smokes, Jokes, & Golf!

Golf and cigars go together like peas and carrots, like gin and tonic, like Scratchy and Itchy. Okay, maybe that last one doesn't quite fit. But ever since golf and premium cigars rose to prominence among 19th century high society, the two have been as inseparable as ketchup and mustard.

Of course, today the sight of some guy hacking drives in between puffs on a giant stogie raises more than a few eyebrows. It's seen as an antiquated ritual that makes the course reek more than week-old gym socks (unless you have the delicious Bigg Stick!). Yet devoted golfers and cigar aficionados can't quit their beloved pastime marriage.

Besides, a fine cigar just seems to enhance the golf experience. The patience required in smoking a quality stogie mirrors the finesse and precision needed on the course. Both pastimes reward attention to detail. That's probably why you'll never see someone speed smoking a Swisher Sweet and speed golfing at the same time.

For real though, there's just something about the relaxation and rituals of golf that pair naturally with slowly savoring a fine, hand-rolled cigar. The deliberation involved in choosing the perfect club mirrors selecting the ideal smoke. Stopping to knock the ash after a shot provides a mental reset. And where better to celebrate a birdie or commiserate a triple bogey than over a fine stogie?

Or maybe there's some physiological benefits too. Studies show nicotine can sharpen focus and concentration, key for executing shots. And other compounds enhance endurance to go the distance. Plus the act of smoking helps calm nerves on pressure putts - no shaky hands here!

Does this mean every golfer should take up the habit? Of course not. But it explains the enduring affinity between golf and cigar culture. Everything in moderation, right?

So embrace the traditions, weird as they may be. And should you encounter some stogie-smoking golfer, at least his smoke will cover up the smell of your sunscreen! Live and let live, smoke and let smoke, I always say.