Golf is a funny game.
No matter the foursome on a given day, you’re bound to receive some words of wisdom that you’ll find yourself utilizing long after hanging your scorecard on the fridge (or tearing it to pieces after the fourth hole, depending on your round that particular day).
“Take it one hole at a time” is a classic piece of golf advice, and all golfers, regardless of skill level, know that a “hole-in-one” and “holy moly that’s a triple bogey” correlates to everyday life in the sense that no two days are the same, good or bad.
There are very few activities more humbling than golf. The slices, shanks and mis-hits are near and dear to the average golfer, and seeing a grown man swing as hard as he can and hit the ball 20 yards sideways is always a good laugh.
It’s also frustrating, naturally, but imagine a video highlighting all the bad shots you’ve taken over the years set to Bachman Turner Overdrive’s “Taking Care of Business” and watching it alongside some good friends. If we can’t laugh at ourselves, there’s little hope for humanity.
Former U.S. President Gerald Ford sums it all up nicely, “The pat on the back, the arm around the shoulder, the praise for what was done right and the sympathetic nod for what wasn’t are as much a part of golf as life itself.”
Golf is a sport best enjoyed with friends, but it’s also great way to make new ones. And though it’s a somewhat expensive addiction, once you contract the golf bug, you understand why. There’s nothing quite like being on a golf course – the air is purer, the grass is greener and when your only worry in the world is whether to buy a hot dog or hamburger at the 10th hole, life is good.
With the upcoming Barclays event at Bethpage State Park in August, there’s no better time than now to start learning the game or to dust off the clubs again.
— C.T.
