Why I love golf

Admittedly, some of this is applicable to running, which is why I've included it in this blog.

IT REVEALS CHARACTER

One of the last things I did before being discharged from the Navy was to buy a set of Gary Player irons at the Exchange. Why? I'm still not sure. My Dad played, but my sport was always track and cross country. So off to college I went. One November Saturday, I decided I had to play golf. Never mind that I was in Eugene and it was pouring rain and 40 degrees outside, I just had to play. So off I went to the puny muni, plunked down 10 bucks and ignored the stares of the old guys in the pro shop looking at me like I had lost my mind. Out on the course, I was alone. Except for the sound of the rain hitting the trees and ponds, it was quiet. I loved it. I played a full 18 that day, often hitting 2-3 balls per hole. I played each shot as it lied and only counted my first hit on my score card. I loved that it was just me on the course. I could think and reflect. I liked that my performance was solely up to me, like running and there wasn't any favortism or politics that could affect the outcome. I liked that I obeyed the rules, as much as I knew them at the time even when no one was watching. I learned more about my young 23 year old self than a hundred therapy sessions would have revealed.

SHARED EXPERIENCES MAKE FOR TRUE FRIENDSHIPS

After my round, I came dripping back into the pro shop. The older gentlemen looked at me and asked me how my round went. When I said "it was great!" They nodded and smiled. They got it. Then they invited me to have a glass of whiskey to warm myself up. They were all veterans and once I told them I was recently discharged, they became my friends and one of them a true mentor. I understood then why my Father's golfing friends were so important to him and why he would do anything for them, no questions asked. I feel forever grateful that I have had a great and loyal friend named Kirk who is the first person I think of when I want to play golf and how over the years we've talked about raising our children, work and the passing of our parents while we played.

IT CAN CURE WHAT AILS YOU

I have seen with my own eyes, golfers going through nasty divorces that left them penniless and who would be taken out to the course by his friends. I've seen that this man, so miserable that he could only mumble "getting by" when his friends asked him how he was doing become happy and carefree for the 4-5 hours he was playing. I've seen these men be able to go on with their lives and not despair because they had golf and their friends. I've also seen people suffering from cancer who were able to forget the pain for a few hours by enjoying walking on grass, looking at wildlife and hitting the occasional good shot.

GOLF HAS BLESSED ME

I've never played Pebble Beach, the Olympic Club or any of the other notable courses in the Bay Area. I have played Pacific Grove and been stunned at the beauty of watching the sunset from the 17th tee. I've posed for photos with my friend on the 16th tee at Lincoln Park in San Francisco with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background. I've had memorable and wonderful conversations with my wife and 3 daughters on a golf course. I've sat in front of the tv at home all by myself, crying when Ben Crenshaw won the 1984 Masters. I am happy that the very last conversation I had with my Father before he died, was talking about our upcoming round at Pacific Grove. I remember my Father every time I play Pacific Grove, using his favorite phrase that he would yell at the tv when Arnie was playing. CHARGE!!! Golf is special, it is a blessing that all golfers treasure. that's why I love golf.