Tee Sheet: I'm Re-Naming the Ryder Cup "New York Golf Week"

NEW YORK, NY— This week has been long anticipated for more reasons than one.

Bethpage. Rowdy New Yorkers heckling the best golfers in the world. Oh, and everything else that comes with being in the city that never sleeps.

I, for one, have been looking forward to the golf world and it's main characters' descent on the avenues of Manhattan for quite a while, because in so many ways, this feels like NYC golf culture's coming out party. Having lived here for the last three years, I've witnessed the steady flow of more and more golfers hitting up Five Iron after work, lugging their clubs underground, and taking up space on subways. It's glorious.

The truth of the matter is, is that the status of golf in the city is alive and well. It's shaping into something really, really special and beautifully ugly. Let me explain.

To golf in and around New York is a grind. You have to be so committed to the bit, that if even a small part of you isn't up for the task, you're better off just transferring your energy to something else.

I've only golfed (the full 18 holes thing) a handful of times and let me tell you—it was chaotic as hell. I'm dragging my bag down my steep ass stairs in my apartment, disturbing my poor landlord who lives beneath me. I'm walking two blocks to the subway, probably hitting people along the way, and I'm staking my territory because I have about 40 minutes on the train in any direction to head to whatever golf course I'm getting to.

Mustering up the confidence just to get on the subway on a normal day requires a lot, so imagine doing so in full golfing garb, sticks in tow. But sometimes, I see a fellow lover of the game, we share small smiles, and I'm reminded that this is what life is about. Shared experiences among strangers to remind us that we're not so different after all.

The individuals have always found a way to soothe their golf bug, but now the New York golf collective is building, thriving, and it's been so electric to see.

From brand activations and pop ups at Malbon's flagship in SoHo to Skratch's very own clubhouse taking shape during one of the biggest week's on the golf calendar—this moment feels like a turning point.

Golf culture has no capital or hub, but could this be the start of something new? I sure hope so.

Hopefully you're just as excited about the week, the events, and everything in between as I am. And if you're here for the Ryder Cup and have a few moments to spare myself and Broadway's finest MK Morrissey (aka Elphaba in Wicked) tackled the perfect day of NYC golf, check it out and take some notes from two pros. (Not at golf, but at vibes.)