America and Golf

I love golf. I have not played in over 30 years, first due to time constraints, then because of physical issues. Recently, I have been thinking of buying a wedge and a few balls and just going out and chipping balls for the fun of it.

It is not really a sport in the sense of an athletic event. It is a game of skill, like billiards or bowling, only played on a really big scale and subject to weather conditions. It is not an easy game. If you take up the game and immediately play well, just wait, the game will turn on you and cause you to spend many tormented hours wondering what happened. But, once hooked, you will keep on.

Golfers will try anything. Hours are spent adjusting grips and stances. I have seen professionals on the range with a variety of bands twisted around themselves, trying to forve their bodies to learn a certain swing pattern. You may hit a 1000 balls on the driving range and be sure that your swing is perfect, only to go to the course and miss every fairway.

But, when you have a good round, or even when you simply sink a difficult putt, the rewards are hard to put into words. A sort of glowing satisfaction takes over, at least until the next hole when you miss a 2 footer.

I am not sure if non-fans of the game are aware of the amazing skill that the professionals display. Those guys are able, usually, to not only drive the ball in the fairway, but into the exact part of the fairway they want to. I have seen Tiger Woods hit a 100 yard pitch shot, then say he was going to take 2 yards off the next one and hit his spot precisely. They do this shot after shot, day after day, week after week. They really are that good. Usually, for even the best, have days they just cannot hit a shot the way they want to. That is why it is so much fun to watch them; they suffer the same frustrations that the average player does.

Yes, the game is slow paced, but so is baseball, where a game is seldom under 3 hours. Football is a game with a 1 hour time limit but, with all of the time outs and plays that stop the clock, it too usually lasts 3 hours or more. The pace of golf allow tension to build and, in a close tournament, it is fascinating to watch the players respond to that tension. Besides, why not relax for a few hours and be entertained by highly skilled players?

Now, for the average player, I do agree that the game is too slow. To those playiing a round with their buddies let me remind you of this. You are not pros playing for a million dollar prize. Look over the shot and hit the damn ball. You do not need to take forever because you do not know what you are doing. A pro must examine a shot closely because he is trying to hit a very precise shot. Most of you are simply trying to put an approach shot somewhere on the green. Faced with a 40 foot putt, a pro has to look it over because he has to see every nuance if he hopes to sink it. Most of you should be thrilled just to 2 putt. So, don't dawdle.

It is a grand game, both to obeserve and to play. The pros are overpaid, certainly, but no more so than in any other sport., If you have some time to relaxed and be entertained, I recommend golf; both playing and watching.