Learning to Love Golf

Yep, I play golf, and nope, I am not an old guy, and I definitely do not own plaid pants. When I started playing golf in fourth grade I had no idea how much it would change my life. I have found that it has helped me become more balanced in my sports and academic life. Soccer was starting to get more competitive, and school was starting to get more challenging. I really needed something fun, and not so serious, so that is when my dad suggested that I should try playing golf. I was very skeptical of the idea at first because I did not know very much about the sport, but once I started playing it a lot, and became more comfortable with it, I started liking it more and more.

I have learned that golf is just as much a mental game as it is a physical, if not more. Playing golf is like being on a rollercoaster. One second you’re bounding with joy, and the next you’re about ready to throw your golf club across the lake. That's what makes golf such a mental sport, because it is important to have the ability to forget a bad shot and move on to the next, or “flush it” as my dad says, because if you dig to far down into the hole of negativity, it is almost impossible  to climb out.

One of the things I love about golf is that my whole family plays, or at least engages in it. It is the perfect family activity because you can play golf no matter what age you are. Also, if you are visiting a new place, you can always explore the golf courses nearby because that's the beauty of golf, no golf course is the same!

From when golf was invented to now, there have been many advances in golf technology, including the invention of the golf tee. It started out that instead of using tees (because they had not been invented yet) golfers used mounds of sand to tee up the ball. This became a huge mess because people started using the sand from the bunkers so there was no more sand left! That is when Percy Ellis created the first prototype of the golf tee in 1892. This lead to Mathews' invention of the “Victor Tee” in 1897, and then to Dr. George Grant's invention of the first tee including a spike in 1899. The tee that was the first sold to the public was the Reddy Tee, invented in 1922 by William Lowell. The tee was the closest, of the four types, that looked like that modern tee today.

Even though I was doubted golf when I started, I still stuck with it and it has been one of the best things I have done in my life. I hope this is a good life lesson that even though something does not seem fun or interesting it can always catch you by surprise!

Credits:

History of golf tees and image credit

Image credit

Golfing with Family

           Have you ever wondered what it would be like to get dragged out of the bed at the crack of 10, and be told by your dad that your going to play golf? It happens to me a lot. Unless it is really cold or raining, I hear: "Come on get dressed. We are leaving in 10 minutes." It's not that I don't like Golf, (well, sometimes I hate it) but at times, it is the last thing I want to spend a Saturday or Sunday morning doing. I know the reason why my dad wants me to do it, because of all the time at home spent doing homework and other responsibilities, he feels I don't spend enough time with him and Golf changes that. However, sometimes we just want to leave the house. I sometimes object, because I don't want to go. He doesn't have any of it. When we go, we normally start out at the driving range to warm up, and then we will start. We always walk the course, so it means I have to talk to my dad. It isn't bad once we get going. Sometimes we talk, about life, or I will catch him up on what's happening at school, or sometimes we listen to the Willamette River rushing by.
           I am good friends with one of the Golf Pros there. His name is Brandon. Whenever we go to the club, and into the Pro Shop, he says something like how The Tank is back in action. I have played with him and some friends I know a lot. Even though I'm with friends, and a guy who has called me The Tank, it isn't the same as playing with my dad. A year and a half ago we had a bet. If I beat him three times, head to head, 18 holes, I would get a new set of Golf clubs. It took me a year and three months. I finally beat him. I realized something that day. I realized that playing 20 times in a year, which is basically 60+ hours of golf, it is fun playing for something. We play for something sometimes now, but I've never won. His end of the bargain is always that I have to play more with him. I don't mind much anymore. It is fun. I still don't have the clubs though, but he said we would get them. I have all of these memories of playing with him over the years, and sometimes my grandpa, who can beat us both. They are always good no matter how much I don't want to play at first.

Picture: Waverley Country Club 16th Hole Green Here