I joined the local club … 🏌️

I joined the local golf club this year. It’s a 9-hole summer course typical of the courses in cottage country. I have an unlimited, twilight membership which means I can play as much as I like, any day of the week, after 3 pm.

I want to see if I can find my game again. I used to play a lot and had a single-digit handicap but an arthritic hip made the game difficult, and unenjoyable. I stopped playing.

I rationalized that it was an elitist sport, a bad use of land in this age of excessive housing costs, and not really good exercise. Certainly not as good as cycling.

The truth of the matter is I really enjoy the game. I enjoy practicing as much as playing. It’s a difficult game to master. You never really do. It’s always a challenge. And, I particularly enjoy playing with my sons. I introduced them to the game when they were young, and we still enjoy playing together several times a year.

I still beat them. But not for much longer. They are both long hitters. They just don’t play enough right now. My advantage isn’t my length. It’s my consistency and short game. I hit most fairways and greens. And I seldom 3-putt a green.

This year for some reason my hip is not bothering me. I’m able to make a full swing, and can walk a full round with much discomfort. So, I’m making an effort to play regularly, lower my score, and enjoy the game again.

Besides, it compliments my cycling efforts this summer, helping me relax, get my mind in a different space, and fills the evening before dinner. My goal is to shoot par before I leave Camp PedalWORKS in September.