Catching Up

I met a girl. Her name is Golf. "Me tink me in love!" At first Golf was like the girl you think is out of your league. I was afraid to ask Golf out on a date. The clubs that my girlfriend Stephanie's dad passed along to me just sat in a corner in our garage for a couple of years. I would look at them. They would look at me. I think we both knew that there was something there. Call it an animal attraction. I was working at Wild Wing Cafe and my buddy Jon Black kept asking me to go play a round with him. Basketball at the gym had lost its luster because the guys bickered like school girls with a crush on the same boy. I needed a new sport. I needed something to occupy my mind and body, but just like a woman I got something to occupy my wallet while simultaneously making me love her and loathe myself.
I finally played with Black and I sucked as expected. There was no "you're a natural" moment. I hit the ball every direction except for straight. Occasionally I'd make decent contact and narrowly miss hitting someone on another fairway, but I could see why people loved the game. I would play sporadically and then Winter came and my mom got sick and I didn't get to play much at all.
It was like a relationship where the timing isn't quite right for one reason or another , but you never stop thinking about being together. For Christmas in 2009 Steph's family, who caught wind of my love affair, bought me a gift card that was good for three lessons at Golf-Tec. My mom was still sick and the weather still crappy, but there was hope that Golf and I would reunite someday soon.
Well, my mom started to recover, which was a relief, and the weather slowly improved enough for me to see my mistress again. I went to see Brad at Golf-Tec, had a swing evaluation and began to work on the fundamentals. Grip, stance, ball position, and so on. I started going to Sunset Hills golf course and practicing as much as I could. I couldn't afford to play every day or even hit range balls but I could chip and putt for free. Long story short, Golf and I were finally able to be together and it has been everything I imagined and more. We're in love!
Since the end of April, I've played at least twenty rounds of golf. I try to play at least once a week but more if I can. I use EZ Links to find cheap tee times so that my other girlfriend doesn't get too upset. She actually has been really supportive. Compared to some of the other ways I've used my time and money, I guess golf is pretty tame and it's a day time activity. I like to think of it as an open relationship. I've even tried to get her to play , but then I thought a threesome might be weird. I might not be able to look at either of the two the same. Or even worse, they may like each other more than me.
I've played in two tournaments. The Wild Wing/ Make A Wish Charity Tournament and The Jonathan Skinner Memorial Tournament. Both were fun and for good causes. I went to Quail Hollow everyday except for Tuesday when it rained. Watching professionals closely really helped me improve my own game. Their swings are so efficient. Everyone says"they're playing a different game." I agree. Maybe it's the equipment or maybe they're just that much better than the average golfer. Either way it is amazing to see in person. I was sitting at the fifteenth green with Steph and my son Elijah when Rory Mcilroy made an eagle on Sunday, before he went on to win the Quail Hollow Championship, and that was a great experience.
All in all, I've had a wonderful time with Golf. I plan to play and watch as much as possible for the rest of my life. I've decided to document my experiences and share them with other Golf lovers. So this is the beginning of my Bad Golf Diary. I hope people will be inspired to play golf or do whatever it is that brings them joy. Invite your friends, leave comments and send pictures to multiplicityservices@gmail.com so that others can share in your experiences as well. Until I write again....So long and hit em good!