Still Pretty Good After Four Months...

No I am not talking about sex.

I was on the golf course yesterday for the first time in four months. I have forgotten how hard the game can be on your body. Now those of you that know me know I am out of shape, but I am not really out of shape. The movements in the game are hard on the body, especially if you try it once every four months. Imagine not playing tennis or basketball of baseball for a long time and then going at it hard one day. You would feel crippled the next day. My back hurts, the torn muscle in my hamstring hurts as do halve of my abs. You see your legs and your core make up most of the golf muscles you use. Well and the muscle between your ears. If it is true that golf is 90% mental, then the 10% that is physical is really physical, because my brain doesn’t hurt at all this morning.

I played with one of my coworkers yesterday and two guys we did not know. The course paired us together. Too bad for those guys. You see, my coworker sucks at the game. I think it was only his second or third time on a course. I don’t mind playing with beginners, as we were all beginners once. But it can be very hard on some players, especially good players. I was warned by the starter that these two guys were good players and not to bet with them. It made me feel a little better about my game that I beat them both, but I could tell they weren’t playing with their A game.

I love the game of golf. I was obsessed with it for a while in my life. I think my obsession started because it was the first sport I ever sucked at. It was like a personal challenge. There is something about pushing yourself to do something as difficult as play the game of golf well. Now I am a pretty good player, even when I don’t play for four months. I have given up on the idea of ever playing for a living, but I still like the competition.

And for all of you people I hear say that golf isn’t a sport, please go to a driving range and just try and hit a ball. If you get any to go in the air at all, I will be amazed. If hitting a 90 mph fast ball is the hardest thing to do in sports, then hitting a 300 yard drive, where you are aiming, is a close second.

I need to play more often. I am always at peace on the course, probably more than in any other place. There is something tranquil about a golf course. It is the best kind of nature – man made.