I am taking a hiatus from fishing this week. Instead, golf is on my menu as I’m spending the week at the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club.
I’ve gone to the tournament when it was held there in 1986, 1995, 2004, and 2018. The only other time it was held at the historic venue was back in 1896.
For many, golf and fishing go hand in hand. Several of my captain friends out at Montauk like Rick Etzel and Jake Nessel are equally adept with a fishing rod or golf club in their hands.
As for anglers, it’s a singular effort to catch and land a fish. Some days require no skill whatsoever as the fish will jump on any bait or lure put forth. The idiom “like shooting fish in a barrel” certainly rings true. But on most occasions, skill, experience, and patience are essential. No matter the action, it’s still a one-on-one pursuit.
For those who hit the tiny white ball, it’s pretty much the same. Only one person can partake in the challenge of hitting that Titleist into a hole that’s 4.25 inches in diameter. Neither pursuit is easy, and I’ve struggled mightily in both.
When golfers transition from discussing the greens to talking about the waters, the conversation brings together two hobbies that are rooted in patience, strategy, and precision.
Both sports are also all about what happens next. It’s best to wash away what just occurred — good or bad — and move on. It’s like losing a large fish at the boat or making a bogey.
That may be why many prominent golfers love to fish. Some of those include Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Greg Norman (his nickname is the Shark), Rory McIlroy, Nick Faldo, Johnny Miller, Darren Clarke, and Wyndham Clark.
Clark, who is playing at Shinnecock, won the U.S. Open in 2023 at the Los Angeles Country Club. No word if he took any time last week to cash in on the current hot striped-bass bite at Montauk.
For golfers, fishing also provides mental relief. Both sports require strong focus that usually necessitates periods of complete relaxation.
“I thoroughly enjoy getting away from the game and going out fishing because it’s so relaxing, so quiet, and peaceful,” Tiger Woods once said. “I mean, there’s no noise other than nature . . . and it’s so different from what I do in a tournament situation that it just eases my mind.”
Lee Trevino, a golfer who won six major championships in his career, also felt that fishing helped his concentration when he was in a tournament. “If your concentration is getting bad, take up bass fishing,” he once told Golf Digest. “It will really improve your ability to focus. If you aren’t ready when that fish hits, you can’t set the hook.”
Wise man, that Trevino.
“I’m my own worst enemy and get heated on the golf course,” Wyndham Clark said in a PGA Tour video. “But I am the opposite while fishing — happy-go-lucky, easygoing, and rarely impatient or frustrated. I feel like two different people. If I could bring my off-course demeanor to golf, I would have more success.”
I think Clark is being a bit harsh on himself. To date, the 32-year-old has won four PGA events and has garnered nearly $34 million in career earnings.
“I usually can’t sleep the night before fishing,” he told Golf Digest. “It’s actually probably worse than the night before the final round of a tournament when you have a chance to win.”
I only wish I had Clark’s concerns.
Hitting a seven iron back to the local fishing scene, anglers not on the golf course are doing just fine with striped bass and bluefish out at Montauk. Most are carding birdies rather than bogeys when they add up their score at the end of the trip.
“The weather has been really great and the fishing has improved on a few fronts,” said Sebastian Gorgone at Mrs. Sam’s Bait and Tackle in East Hampton. “Fluke fishing has picked up of late, and there are still a few squid around, which means the water is still a bit chilly.”
Gorgone added that porgy fishing has rebounded and that casters have been picking some off of Gerard Drive. “At Montauk, stripers have been frequently caught on the surface while bluefish are closer to the bottom. And the ocean beaches have seen improved action with those dunking clams having the edge of late.”
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