Played nine holes of golf today at a course near Damascus, Va. (near the border of Tennessee and North Carolina).
It's a beautiful, lush green course framed by mountains. Overhead, I didn't have a blue sky; instead clouds and overcast weather followed me from hole to hole.
I had the course almost entirely to myself, encountering only about five other players throughout my round.
I believe golf is the hardest sport in the world.
Yes, Tiger makes it look easy, hitting all those 300+ yard drives effortlessly straight down the fairway. That's not all Mr. Woods does. He reads and studies greens, taking in all their contours, curves, drops and heights. Then he sinks some really long putts.
Me, I don't hit the ball nearly as far off the tee. A good drive for me is 200-220 yards.
Tiger pars, birdies or even eagles many holes.
Me, I'm a double-bogey (and then some) golfer.
Today, for instance, for nine holes at Deer Field Golf Course near Damascus, my score was 60. That works out to 6.67 strokes per hole. (And no, I didn't see a deer.)
No match for Tiger, who probably would have averaged about 3 strokes per hole where I played.
He's the best, and I'm, well, I'm trying to get better...
I'm not even close (even in my dreams) to being competitive with the best golfer on the planet.
Still, I love to swing the club, and occasionally I smack a good one. It's nice to connect with the "sweet spot" and watch the ball soar down the fairway. It's beautiful when a putt finds the hole.
Those are the strokes I remember when I close my eyes and doze off at night.
They keep me coming back to the golf course.
Golf--it's the hardest sport in the world. But I love it, even though it doesn't seem to love me.
Tiger, fear me not. I am NOT hot on your heels.
4 comments:
Hey Dr. T,
Golf is an awesome sport. The love of it has run through my family, hitting on every generation except my own! My grandfather played until the day he died. My uncle played and for a while made a business out of it. My dad still loves it though perhaps can't swing like he used to.
My youngest daughter even played for the high school. She wasn't anywhere near Tiger Woods either, but she still loves to go to the driving range and to the country club to play. She would still be playing for the school if she wasn't so busy with the band. (You should see her cute little clubs!)
But it seems to me, from what little I do know of the sport- The beauty of playing by yourself is that you can brag about your birdies and keep those double bogeys a bit of a secret! Of course, it would make for a very dull blog page! lol
Keep on swingin' and keep on dreamin'!
Blessings!
Golf really runs through your family! Good to know that so many people love the game (that sometimes doesn't love them back).
Thanks for joining the conversation, Amanda.
Hey Dr. Timbs!
I grew up playing golf with my dad and agree with everything you said! I love the sound of a solid tee shot that soars down the fairway. I even love it when I land in a sand trap for the umpteenth time because it is all about the challenge.
I actually played a round of golf today for the first time in a few months. I'd almost forgotten how much I enjoyed it.
Glad you enjoy it as well!
Deni A.
Hey there deni! All us rookies should play together some time.
Thanks for joining the conversation.
Post a Comment