Not just any old section of eBay, either. The online auction site's golf section has drawn my attention for several years now, but never more than in the past few months thanks to its iPad application. That little ap has provided me more mindless entertainment than any show on the E! network.
Basically, I've got a new hobby.
Here's what I like to do: First, I'll go to the "sporting goods" section, then narrow the search down to "golf." Secondly, I'll refine the search down to "time left" and hit the "1 hour" button. Suddenly I've got several pages worth of golf items whose auctions will end within the hour. Now, some of these items are pretty lame -- a thousand tees or a pair of matching Tweety Bird headcovers -- but others, like the latest must-have driver or sweet, high-end putter, definitely require further inspection.
For me, it's a simple pleasure. Although I have bid (and won) a few items, I really enjoy watching the bids as the time runs down. For some items, the time comes and goes and nobody bids a dime. For others, the bids fly back and forth as auction participants raise the stakes until the final seconds tick by.
It's a pretty fun game, really.
Than again, golf itself is a fun game. I know not everyone thinks so, but I certainly do. When I was 14, a buddy of mine took me to a local course. I didn't have my own clubs, so he let me use his father's set. It was a long and sometimes frustrating round, but by the time it was done I was hooked. And I've been hooked ever since.
The funny thing is, I'm really not much better now than I was back then. Granted, my technique has improved thanks to the advice of friends and a few lessons along the way. But for me the fun part is simply getting out and playing. That, and seeing little improvements along the way. Any weekend hacker knows golf isn't about playing against the other guy, it's about playing against yourself. It's about beating your last score. Sometimes you do and, of course, sometimes you don't. That's what keeps guys like me coming back to the course.
It's also what keeps me coming back to eBay. See, I no longer have to borrow clubs from my buddy's dad. I started out with a cheap starter set, then worked my way up to a cheap full set and finally to a decent set of name-brand clubs. For years I told myself there really wasn't a big difference between a set of Callaways or Pings and some knock-off set at the nearest sporting good store. But I've since learned otherwise. You get what you pay for.
Now, I'm not saying a person couldn't play a great round with a no-name set, nor am I saying a high-end set will shave 20 strokes off your score. All I'm saying is, workmanship matters. It can give you an edge, even if it's only mental.
The problem is, workmanship is also expensive. And that's where eBay comes in.
Over the years I've seen a number of golfers throw their money around. I've seen guys plunk down a large chunk of cash for a new set of clubs simply because they're the newest things on the market. Perhaps if money was now object, I'd do the same thing. Unfortunately, money is an object. So I've learned the art of finding used clubs at golf shops (like Uinta Golf, for example) and at places like eBay.
In the end, golf clubs are like cell phones and laptops and TVs. Technology is always changing and unless you've got the money to keep up, it's an endless battle. So, I suppose I'll never have a brand new set of high-end clubs (unless I win the lottery or write the Great American Novel) and that's okay because a good used set is just fine. And if I find them while feeding my eBay golf obsession, well, even better.
See, no problem at all.
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