# Bill Clinton calls golf "The world's greatest head game." **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [January 25, 2015, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-calls-golf-the-worlds-greatest-head-game/710885 "2015-01-25T22:10:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2015, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-calls-golf-the-worlds-greatest-head-game/710885/1 "2015-01-25T22:10:36Z")
at today’s Humana Challenge golf tournament, while visiting the broadcast booth. Post your jokes here. First thing I thought of was “What would Monica think.” I’m sure you Dopers can do better. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2015, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-calls-golf-the-worlds-greatest-head-game/710885/2 "2015-01-25T22:15:51Z")
Well, I’d expect that he’d recognize good head when he saw it. ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2015, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-calls-golf-the-worlds-greatest-head-game/710885/3 "2015-01-25T22:19:03Z")
I think he’s just saying that to throw you off the track. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2015, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-calls-golf-the-worlds-greatest-head-game/710885/4 "2015-01-26T17:57:20Z")
Get in, get in, get in! ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2015, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-calls-golf-the-worlds-greatest-head-game/710885/5 "2015-01-26T18:04:36Z")
_“I did not have six with that hole.”_ ---
**Author:** ![FuriousGeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecae2f/32.png) [@FuriousGeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FuriousGeorge)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2015, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-calls-golf-the-worlds-greatest-head-game/710885/6 "2015-01-26T18:06:25Z")
That’s about on par for a Clinton comment. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2015, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-calls-golf-the-worlds-greatest-head-game/710885/7 "2015-01-26T18:15:17Z")
No puns here, but… Ahead of chess and poker? How is golf even remotely a “head game”, at all? ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2015, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-calls-golf-the-worlds-greatest-head-game/710885/8 "2015-01-26T18:24:21Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > No puns here, but… Ahead of chess and poker? How is golf even remotely a “head game”, at all? Seriously? Golf is very much a head game. What goes on between your ears on the golf course can greatly affect your game. I find that my putting is much better if I get out on the practice green for 5 or 10 minutes before the course. Did I forget how to putt since the last time? No, but going through the mechanics of it beforehand is extremely beneficial. You get to make all your mistakes ahead of time. Physically I’m the same person week to week. Mentally I’m not the same. And that can add or subtract 10 strokes easily. ---
**Author:** ![justmeetee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@justmeetee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justmeetee)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2015, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-calls-golf-the-worlds-greatest-head-game/710885/9 "2015-01-26T18:33:42Z")
Don’t try to kill the ball, just hit the ball. Chant that in my head at the tee and 85% on the fairway. Don’t and that drops to about 65%. Yeah, it’s a head game. And yes I’m a terrible golfer. But I still like it. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2015, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-calls-golf-the-worlds-greatest-head-game/710885/10 "2015-01-26T20:21:32Z")
“Sex and golf are the two things you can really enjoy even if you’re not good at them.” -Roy “Tin Cup” McEvoy ---
**Author:** ![Doyle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doyle/32/439_2.png) [@Doyle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doyle)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2015, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-calls-golf-the-worlds-greatest-head-game/710885/11 "2015-01-26T20:30:54Z")
You can smoke a cigar on the golf course. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2015, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-calls-golf-the-worlds-greatest-head-game/710885/12 "2015-01-26T21:03:27Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > No puns here, but… Ahead of chess and poker? How is golf even remotely a “head game”, at all? Golfers have managed to convince a large subset of the population that golfing is enjoyable, respectable and that the dorky outfits aren’t optional. Can you think of a more stupendous Jedi mind trick ? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2015, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-calls-golf-the-worlds-greatest-head-game/710885/13 "2015-01-26T21:14:32Z")
The fact that doing some warmup practice before a game helps you out does not make it a head game. It makes it a sport. All sports are like that. ---
**Author:** ![Boogly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Boogly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boogly)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2015, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-calls-golf-the-worlds-greatest-head-game/710885/14 "2015-01-28T00:13:15Z")
Hey baby, grab my wood. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2015, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-calls-golf-the-worlds-greatest-head-game/710885/15 "2015-01-28T02:43:19Z")
> [@justmeetee](#): > > Don’t try to kill the ball, just hit the ball. Chant that in my head at the tee and 85% on the fairway. Don’t and that drops to about 65%. Yeah, it’s a head game. And yes I’m a terrible golfer. But I still like it. I play best when there are no thoughts in my head at all. I first broke 80 on a New Year’s Day playing with a huge hangover. I just got over the ball and hit it. I broke that score one day while completely sober, but I had just met a new girl. I didn’t think about golf at all that day. In fact, on the 9th hole, I walked up to my ball and just kept going. I was almost to the green when my friends started yelling at me to come back and hit my damn ball. ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2015, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-calls-golf-the-worlds-greatest-head-game/710885/16 "2015-01-28T02:44:40Z")
“Why isn’t ‘phrasing’ still a thing.” - Sterling Archer ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2015, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-calls-golf-the-worlds-greatest-head-game/710885/17 "2015-01-28T02:48:15Z")
> [@GaryM](#): > > Well, I’d expect that he’d recognize good head when he saw it. I came in specifically to see how long it took for this to come up. One post, good job. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2015, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-calls-golf-the-worlds-greatest-head-game/710885/18 "2015-01-28T03:43:33Z")
I bet Mark Felt had a scratch handicap. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2015, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-calls-golf-the-worlds-greatest-head-game/710885/19 "2015-01-28T05:07:20Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > The fact that doing some warmup practice before a game helps you out does not make it a head game. It makes it a sport. All sports are like that. You’re correct of course. What makes it a “head game” is that it’s just you and the ball every time. You can’t get into the flow of the game the same way as other sports. You can be nervous playing a basketball game but a good player let’s his adrenaline and learned reflexes take over to a degree. In golf you hit the ball, then slowly walk a few hundred yards, set up and hit it again. Make sure you swing the exact same every time. Or do you? Is it sitting teed up on the grass or buried? Is it worth adjusting for that? Is that uneven lie going to affect the shot? You make those decisions then have to consciously sink in to your muscle memory mind set. It’s a strategic set of decisions followed by a moment of active meditation. 72 times in a row (hopefully! Me it’s more like 90 times in a row) ---
**Author:** ![FuriousGeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecae2f/32.png) [@FuriousGeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FuriousGeorge)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2015, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-calls-golf-the-worlds-greatest-head-game/710885/20 "2015-01-28T06:08:16Z")
Bill Clinton calls golf “The world’s greatest head game.”… immediately making Vince Foster a terrible golfer. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-calls-golf-the-worlds-greatest-head-game/710885.md?page=2)