The Stogie Guys

Golf and cigars go together perfectly: you’ve got hours outdoors, you can ash your cigar anywhere without getting dirty looks (except for the greens), and compared to the rest of society, golf courses generally provide cigar-friendly environments.

And there are plenty of entrepreneurs looking to cash in on this match made made in heaven with all kinds of specialty golf cigar gadgets ranging from cigar tees to hold your cigar to golf bag humidors. But we’re here to tell you that dropping a 20 spot on that cigar cutter/divot repair tool or any other gadget is completely unnecessary.

If you follow these four tips, you will have a more enjoyable cigar experience on the course without having to buy anything that average Stogie Guys doesn’t already own. Sadly, we have no tips to offer that will improve your golf game.

1. What to smoke? The golf course is no place for small cigars. Courses can get pretty crowded on the weekends, so you have nothing but time. Grab something at least as long as a toro (6 inches). The golf course is perfect for churchills or – if a smaller ring gauge is more to your liking – a lonsdale. Remember your cigar may sit unsmoked for a while as you four-putt, throw your putter in the sandtrap, and then retrieve it and find that your stogie went out. Larger cigars have a higher tolerance for re-lighting than small ones.

Also, don’t break out that super premium cigar on the links. It will be wasted as you are distracted by your sub-par golf game. Keep the Cohiba in the humidor and try to find a value cigar. Three stogie cigars are perfect for golf.

2. How to light your cigar? While golf courses are perfect for smoking a stogie, the wind that never seems to be blowing at your back can make lighting a cigar awfully difficult. If blocking the wind with your hand doesn’t get the job done, you may want to try using a hat to block the breeze. As always, a torch is preferable to matches.

Finally, while toasting the edges is still the best way to light your cigar, on the golf course you might skip that step if just keeping the flame lit proves difficult. If you do light the cigar without first toasting the edges, be sure to give your stogie a few big puffs immediately after lighting it to make sure it is completely lit.

3. Where to put your cigar? While you swing you probably will need to put the cigar down, but with no ashtrays there may not be an obvious place to put it. Plenty of places hawk special “cigar tees” but really all you need is a flat non-flammable surface: golf carts, tee box markers, or even carefully balanced on a wood (with head-cover removed) in your bag. The most abundent cigar holder of all also works well: the grass next to your ball (as long as it isn’t wet or dusty).

But remember, like your sand wedge, you should leave your cigar on the green (not on the fringe or in the ruff) while putting so you don’t forget it in the excitement of that 40 foot eagle putt. Of course the easiest way to not forget your smoke is by leaving it in your mouth.

4. How many cigars to bring? The standard is one for every nine holes, but if you have a bunch of slow-playing old ladies ahead of you, this may leave you with a few hours without a cigar on the back nine. So maybe three is really the ideal number.

Also, make sure the cigars don’t get damaged in your bag. A simple leather case will work perfectly. So do cigars that come in their own tubes.

Have a tip of your own? Leave a comment for all stogies guys to see or email us.

-Patrick S

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So what are you waiting for? Order some trendy Stogie Guys gear today!

-Patrick A

Yesterday’s news item noted that in one recent bust, over $20 million in counterfeit cigars were seized. But with so many fakes floating around, how does the discerning Stogie Guy not waste his money on such frauds?

Spot the Fake

Stogie Guys highly recommends the Cigar Aficionado Counterfeit Gallery as a resource for how to spot fakes of many popular Cuban and a few select non-Cuban cigars.

After enjoying a Cohiba Siglio VI on a recent trip to Spain, I used their gallery to ensure that my cigar was genuine. (Of course the delicious taste was also a tip-off, and I can personally attest that the Siglio VI has a well-deserved reputation as the planet’s finest cigar.)

Using the Cohiba Siglio VI as an example one notices the lack of detail in the fake cigar bands:

Genuine:

Counterfeits:

Another good resource specifically on avoiding fakes when purchasing Cubans is this article from Smoke Magazine in which author Michael Douglas (no, not that Michael Douglas) covers the many ways to spot fakes – from the cigar’s texture, smell, and firmness, to the box’s label, weight, and even the name of the factory it came from.

One tip (which reassured me about a box of Montecristos I purchased in Spain) is that in boxes of authentic Habanos Cuban cigars – the Cuban state cigar company and only authorized exporter of Cubans – the cedar divider between the two rows of cigars in a cigar box has a cresent machine cut out of one corner.

Basic Rules

And yet despite all the technical jargon you really only need to keep two basic things in mind:

1. Remember that established cigar shops don’t want their reputation tainted by counterfeit cigars, the guy on the street offering you the fantastic deal on those hard to find Stogies has no such worries. So stick with a dependable cigar shop.

2. And the most important thing to remember when buying Cuban or any other premium cigar, is this one most basic rule: “If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.”

Follow those rules and all your cigars will be authentic and delicious.

-Patrick S