Here's another way of looking at his golf club. He carries it around to make him appear more intimidating. It helps him exert power over others. It is his tool of intimidation. The first thing he does when he gets home is call for Lorraine and place it in the bag. Normally, he does not need his golf club when he interacts with Lorraine. She is intimidated by him without it. Until now. Lorraine is fighting back. Lorraine has found her own tool (Gene) and she's wielding it against Adam BIG TIME! Lorraine's new tool has cast him from his home, and he was cast out without his club. He is now weak against the world, and it is at her hands that he finds himself 'broken' (like a horse).

Gene is a part of Lorraine's psyche who, after Lorraine had been oppressed for so long, fights back against the oppressor (Adam) and wins. And Lorraine, with this new tool, renders her oppressor powerless. Not only powerless over her, but against anyone else in the world (he is now in the world without his club). Gene is much like one's "Hero" archetype.

She gets the 'pool guy' and he gets the pool. Lorraine has acquired a new tool that is very valuable. A tool that gives her the ability to fight those who wish to oppress her in some way. The pool is just that...a pool. In the whole scheme of things, the pool is worthless.

Lorraine is representing someone...and I think it's Diane.

Let's go a step farther. Most will agree that the golf club is also phallic in nature. The golf club plays a duel role. What is Adam missing, then, now that he has been expelled into the world without his 'power tool'? Both his power and his penis? We don't know what Adam did to Lorraine, but the fact that Gene is found in Adam's bed is possibly a clue.

It is my opinion that someone had their penis cut off. This would be why Adam is powerless in the world. He will not be able to use his penis to oppress anyone else, not just Lorraine.

If Lorraine represents Diane, then who does Adam represent? It's possible that he represents himself. That he is a real person in Diane's life. A person she wishes she could 'castrate'...or someone that she did castrate? Anyway, we do see Betty with a knife while she practices those lines with Rita. Those lines that suggest inappropriate sexual behavior.

One more thing: Gene says "He's probably upset, Lorraine."

Why is Adam upset? He is upset because the acquisition of Gene represents Lorraine's intention of fighting back. She is 'playing' with the idea, and he sees that. This is what pisses Adam off, and he tries to get back at her (or stop her) by 'pouring paint on her jewelry'. The paint scene is representative of a last ditch attempt by Adam to 'beat her down' and make her rethink the notion to fight back. When they are wrestling on the counter, she calls Gene's name. This represents her 'calling on', or utilizing, her ability to fight back.

What he did to her, what the 'pouring pink paint on her jewelry' means, I don't know yet...but it's possible that he injured her in such a way that she cannot bear children any longer (destroyed her jewels). And what we see next, Adam being thrown into the world without his golf club, shows us that she returned the favor.

Why is Adam upset? He is upset because the acquisition of Gene represents Lorraine's intention of fighting back. She is 'playing' with the idea, and he sees that.

"Just pretend you never saw it. It's better that way."

Lol! Makes sense, but Adam's not real open to suggestions. He just proved that at his meeting.

*****************
Another look at Adam's conversation with Cynthia in the car.
"I'm going home."
A lot of people who get frustrated/angered at work go home and take it out on a spouse. Some more violently then others. Adam seems pretty violent...he just beat the crap out of a limo...

*****************
"I think you should do it, and I think you should do it right away."
"Ray thinks it's a good idea..."

Hmm...now that Adam's out in the world without his club, he seems to have warmed up to 'suggestions'...'cause he goes and sees that Cowboy.

It is an interesting point of view, but here is another: I've read about why does Adam has a golf club during the meeting with the castigliani Brothers, well, in the T.V. pilot it is showed that he was playing golf until he is required at the meeting. But it is fascinating to me that there are many coincidences between the number of holes in a golf course (18) and many numbers that appear in MD such as 16 reasons... departments 12 & 17, room 16...and else Just my very personal point of view.

voraxine

I'm not sure that Adam is shown to be called off a golf course unless my memory fails me, but it's a long time since I watched the pilot. The pilot script doesn't seem to suggest that. But what you might find interesting is this extract from the script:

We see three men sitting at a conference table RAYMOND(RAY)
HOTT -president of production, wearing a crisp blue
suit,VINCENT DARBY -senior vice-president, wearing a crisp
green suit and ROBERT SMITH -talent manager, wearing a crisp
brown suit. Ray and Mr. Darby sit at the head of the table
and Robert Smith sits along the side. A younger man -ADAM
KESHER enters and sits down, with an arrogant nonchalance,
next to Robert Smith. Adam is dressed in a frumpy old
fashioned plaid shirt, worn jacket, dark blue cotton slacks,
and a pair of old brown wing tips. As he sits he is holding
and twirling a vintage "7-iron" golf club.

A 7-iron.

16 Reasons, 1612 Havenhurst, 16 Park Hotel

1 + 6 = 7

The golfclub that Adam holds is indeed something that I could not comfortably place. The suggestion that it is an intimidating tool for Adam is very interesting. When he holds this golfclub during the meeting, Adam is very straight forward and takes a firm stand (he's even aggressive). When he comes home, he places the golfclub in the bag in the hall and when he's than confronted with the cheating of his wife he's suddenly very passive and timid. So, I find this observation very acute.

Furthermore, and this is something I cooked up, I see the golfclub as a leisurely thing. To play golf is usually seen as a nice way of passing the time or to enjoy your time. When Adam comes home his worry free life is over and he hasn't got time nor the inclination to "play golf." But his worries began of course with the pressure of the studio and there he uses the golfclub as an agressive tool. So, during the conversation between him and the Castigliani brothers his worries began and he used the golfclub aggressively, while at home he places the golfclub in the bag in the hall, because his easy and free riding life is over.