I took up the game of golf around the age of thirty, some thirty years ago. I remember my brother showing up at my house one day and asking me if I wanted to go to the club to hit some balls. I acquiesced and the next thing I knew we were out on the links playing a round.
I managed to shoot one bogey that day, which is one stroke over a par on any given hole, for those of you not versed in golf parlance. You see, each hole you play has a "Par" assigned to it, which represents the number of shots you are supposed to make to hole the ball. If you shoot one stroke over par, then you earn a bogey; shoot one stroke under par, and you earn a birdie.
I remember my brother telling me if I tried real hard, I would be lucky if I broke a score of one hundred by the end of my first year of golf. In fact, it took me several years to reach that goal. As a matter of fact, it actually took me more than one year to score my first par on a single whole.
Over the years, I have played golf on countless courses all up and down the east coast of America. I have played with family, friends and strangers. But for the most part, I play by myself, constantly honing my skills so on those rare occasions when I do play with someone I want to impress, I am less likely to shame myself.
My lowest score all-time is an eighty eight, shot on August 30, 1999 at Hyde Park Golf Club in Jacksonville, Florida. I still have the score card pinned to a wall in my office. And just for you naysayers, I will have you know the course was designed by Donald Ross and was the former site of the Jacksonville Open. So it was a legitimate course, not some par three Muni course for over-the-hill retirees. I had seven pars and a birdie that day, if you must know.
Since that ignominious day, my game has spiraled downhill to the point where I am lucky to even break one hundred now on any given outing. It is hard to understand why, but it seems that my mind is constantly expecting my body to do things that it is no longer desirous of doing, at least not on a consistent basis. It is more than a little frustrating at times, but I still manage to score at least one par at any given outing, and that is sufficient to keep me coming back.
A few more observations:
- Strangest thing that ever happened during a round: My tee shot hit a squirrel right between the eyes and killed him instantly
- Next Strangest thing: A total stranger bet me $100 I could not hit a cable supporting a communications tower 150 yards from the tee box - I hit it even though I have played that course over 100 times and never hit it before nor since
- Happiest moment on a course: The day I played nine holes with my father in Hilton Head, SC - it was the only time I ever played golf with him
- Second happiest moment - playing golf with my kids when they were young
- Third happiest moment - playing golf with my wife, even though I have to buy her lunch
- Strangest sighting on a golf course - A gator staring me in the eye just inches from where I found my ball
- Favorite golf outing - the one time every year when I play with my brothers and my best friend
When I started playing golf, it was all about the score. But as you can see, the score is now of only secondary importance.
I managed to shoot one bogey that day, which is one stroke over a par on any given hole, for those of you not versed in golf parlance. You see, each hole you play has a "Par" assigned to it, which represents the number of shots you are supposed to make to hole the ball. If you shoot one stroke over par, then you earn a bogey; shoot one stroke under par, and you earn a birdie.
I remember my brother telling me if I tried real hard, I would be lucky if I broke a score of one hundred by the end of my first year of golf. In fact, it took me several years to reach that goal. As a matter of fact, it actually took me more than one year to score my first par on a single whole.
Over the years, I have played golf on countless courses all up and down the east coast of America. I have played with family, friends and strangers. But for the most part, I play by myself, constantly honing my skills so on those rare occasions when I do play with someone I want to impress, I am less likely to shame myself.
My lowest score all-time is an eighty eight, shot on August 30, 1999 at Hyde Park Golf Club in Jacksonville, Florida. I still have the score card pinned to a wall in my office. And just for you naysayers, I will have you know the course was designed by Donald Ross and was the former site of the Jacksonville Open. So it was a legitimate course, not some par three Muni course for over-the-hill retirees. I had seven pars and a birdie that day, if you must know.
Since that ignominious day, my game has spiraled downhill to the point where I am lucky to even break one hundred now on any given outing. It is hard to understand why, but it seems that my mind is constantly expecting my body to do things that it is no longer desirous of doing, at least not on a consistent basis. It is more than a little frustrating at times, but I still manage to score at least one par at any given outing, and that is sufficient to keep me coming back.
A few more observations:
- Strangest thing that ever happened during a round: My tee shot hit a squirrel right between the eyes and killed him instantly
- Next Strangest thing: A total stranger bet me $100 I could not hit a cable supporting a communications tower 150 yards from the tee box - I hit it even though I have played that course over 100 times and never hit it before nor since
- Happiest moment on a course: The day I played nine holes with my father in Hilton Head, SC - it was the only time I ever played golf with him
- Second happiest moment - playing golf with my kids when they were young
- Third happiest moment - playing golf with my wife, even though I have to buy her lunch
- Strangest sighting on a golf course - A gator staring me in the eye just inches from where I found my ball
- Favorite golf outing - the one time every year when I play with my brothers and my best friend
When I started playing golf, it was all about the score. But as you can see, the score is now of only secondary importance.
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