Every year our group heads to Ireland for a golf trip. Half the guys treat it like they have qualified for the British Open. They are up at dawn, grinding on the range, and breaking down their swings at dinner like they are doing post-round press conferences.

And then there is me and my buddy.

We are there for the scenery, the laughs, a few heroic swings, and most importantly, the 19th hole. Our pre-round warmup includes Baby G’s, which are Baby Guinness shots, and if you have not tried them they are delicious, along with double vodka sodas. While the serious guys stretch, we hydrate like champions.

Then came the year my buddy played so badly that no one wanted to be paired with him. A few guys even said he should not come back unless he took lessons. He tried for a bit. But after realizing lessons were not going to fix a lifetime of bad decisions, he turned to something far more reliable. The rule book.

That is when he found Rule 18.1. The greatest gift to average golfers. The rule basically says that if you hit your ball somewhere stupid, you can take a stroke, go back, and hit it again. A legal mulligan. A real do-over.

The next year, we brought 18.1 hats for all 12 guys and handed them out for great shots, terrible shots, funny moments, or just because we felt like it. Some people were lucky to even get a hat. Suddenly, 18.1 was not just a rule. It was an attitude, a lifestyle.

And that is how 18.1 Golf began.

A brand created for golfers who love the game, who laugh at themselves, and who know the 19th hole is just as important as the first. A reminder that golf is supposed to be fun, to enjoy the moment, to enjoy the laughs, and to appreciate the people around you for who they are, not for their swing.