FORE ... Again, One Day

 

Griffith E. Harris Golf Course ("The Griff") in Greenwich, CT
(Picture: greenwichct.gov)

I believe it has been seven years since I last played golf.

Chris Erway and I teed off at Putnam National in Mahopac in fall 2015, if my memory is working. It was the first time I had played the course, which I could see from my elementary school (shout out to Austin Road) when I went to school there.

Now, like literally every athletic endeavor of mine*, I'm terrible. I could, at one time, hit the ball a ton off the tee but then watch it turn left and get lost. Oh, I was a master of that. 

*We shall not speak of my basketball shooting display with my Hunt Scanlon friends in San Francisco. It screamed exhaustion and being old and, well, sucking. Bad.

Chris, to his credit, was patient, giving me some pointers that actually helped. Yet that was the last time I played.

The key to playing golf is having a friend who will put with how you play. Chris and I handled that well. He's a good player and once I began to fall apart on a hole, I'd step away and wait for him to finish. It seemed to work.

There was a point where WGCH would participate in the Greenwich Football golf outing every year. Bob Small, Tony Savino, me, and a fourth (I know it was Chris one year) would bring golf down to its knees as we worked our way around The Griff here in Greenwich. We'd get yelled at every year -- without fail -- for slow play.

Every year, we thought the marshall was being a bit unfair but that was an opinion for another time.

But we had fun and that was the point.

Still, my clubs sit in the attic, laughing as loudly as my baseball glove does. Both haven't been used in some time.

Of course, golf is a sport that isn't cheap. Sure, I have the clubs (thank you, Michael Breed) and a bag and I've replaced or added clubs over the years. But greens fees and cart fees can be bad. Some are affordable, for sure (looking at you, The Griff) but then there's also the thing of carving out time.

So, yeah, there can always be a convenient reason.

My favorite times to play are when we're laughing and sharing a cooler while playing. In the perfect version, we might not even keep score. "We" is relative because the playing partner needs to be someone who just wants to have a good time.

But, at this point, I fear I would just embarrass myself. That won't stop me, but I know what my expectations are.

I was truly spectacular at losing golf balls. If there was a water hazard nearby, you bet I would find it. Woods? Mine. Sand traps? Well, you don't usually lose a ball in there but, yeah, you know what I mean.

I'd hit it. Then keep flailing away to try to get out.

Now, of course, that can build frustration but if everyone is laughing and enjoying things then there's no concern. I've not broken a club out of anger.

I have, however, uttered a profanity or 100.

I'll get back out there eventually and, maybe, even with a little more consistency.

And I'll curse it when I do. 

Putnam National Golf Club (now Putnam County Golf Course), Mahopac
(Photo via Facebook)