Golf
My
golfing career began when I was a teenager. Wanting to make some money, I hired
on as a caddy at a local country club. I was the smallest caddy at the club and
could barely carry one golf bag for nine holes. I kept at it and eventually I
was able to carry doubles (two golf bags) for eighteen holes. By today’s
standards the money wasn’t that good, even with tips but it was enough for a
Saturday matinee at the local theatre.
What
attracted me to golf was that I didn’t have to be really athletic like a
football or baseball player. Golf is an individual sport played in competition against
yourself. As my interest grew, I got my hands on some bamboo shaft clubs. I
made my own nine-hole course in our big back yard. I used empty Campbell soup
cans as holes and tomato stakes with rags attached as pins.
Over
the years I have had a love-hate relationship with golf. I really love it when
I am playing well. In fact, one year I joined a fancy golf club and played at
least once a week. I hated golf when I was playing bad. I even put the clubs
away and quit for several years. I thought if I could walk away from the game
for a season, I might develop a healthier attitude, focusing on enjoyment
rather than perfection.
I
never took lessons. Looking back, I think that would have honed my natural
ability. I kept thinking that if I had the right equipment and the right
attitude I would excel at the game. Although I have gone through several sets
of clubs, my attitude was always in need of improvement.
Speaking
of clubs, last fall I bought a new set of hybrid clubs. They were advertised as
helping older guys like me play better. Nothing like a brand-new set of golf
clubs to boost your moral. Taking them out for the first time, I placed them on
the golf cart, got distracted and forgot to secure my bag. As I drive off my
new clubs fell out of the bag and onto the pavement. Embarrassed, I began
picking them up and noticed that each one had a big scratch or a chip missing
from the club head!
Now
my new clubs look a lot like my game: well-worn and a few parts missing. Such
is golf.
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