Why I Like Golf

When I was growing up, we only got one channel on our television. The channel was a CBS channel, and on Sunday afternoons, all we could watch was golf. I never understood why anybody would care about this seemingly inane sport.

Then I married a golfer. I played a smidgen when we were first married but later sold my clubs at a yard sale so I could buy diapers, or pay the electric bill, or something like that. But a few years ago, I decided to try again.

I'm a terrible golfer. My good shots are few and far between. I enjoy playing, simply because of the unpredictability of my game. I just never know what my shot will be, no matter how hard I try to put it all together.

I also now like to watch golf on television. I love to watch Tiger Woods play. I marvel at his abilities, especially since coming back from knee surgery. I loved watching Tom Watson almost win the British Open. I love watching the young players, especially when one of them has a chance to play a round with Tiger. I love watching the players and their caddies as they try to choose just the right club, just the right swing, and just the right whatever to land that perfect shot.

I guess I love it because it reminds me of my life sometimes. No matter how hard I try to get all my stuff lined up for the perfect whatever in my life, sometimes it doesn't pan out. Sometimes, just like in golf, I end up in the rough or not at all where I want to be. Sometimes, I'm in stormy circumstances or unfamiliar territory, it's just not my day, or I'm with somebody who does it all better than me. But golf teaches me that there's always the next shot and there's always somebody who can help me with that next shot. As long as I keep making forward motion, I'll eventually get to the flag and put the ball in the hole.

Like golf, life is a lot about numbers. Sometimes we want to believe that our age or our salary or some other random number defines our life. But in the end, the numbers will fade away, because all that really matters is that you had a good time and enjoyed the time you spent playing.