Golf Has Made #OnlyJoy Even More Joyful
I started playing golf a few years ago when I found myself starting a new chapter (gotta love #OnlyJoy. I have that to thank for this too!).
For the first time in decades, I actually had time for myself. This coincided with my divorce, my son being squarely ensconced in college, and my career chugging along. I finally had time to think about what I admired and wanted to do but never did.
To me, nothing has been more therapeutic than starting a sport I know nothing about. I’ve thrown myself into tennis, snowboarding, and fly fishing, and I’ve loved (if not necessarily excelled at) all of them. So, this time, I decided to try golf, a game I’ve long admired but never had the time to devote to it.
I expected very little success, but I quickly found myself hooked the first time I heard that beautiful, crisp "click" when my 7 iron finally hit the dimpled white ball in just the right place. And, because I’m a novice and have such low expectations from my game, I don’t get frustrated with poor (or nonexistent) shots. It’s all upside to me.
But, of course, golf is about far more than the game. It’s just as much about the ambience. Being out on the course is completely serene. The greens are lush and the most magnificent shades of, obviously, green. And the wildlife adds a touch of excitement. There’s inevitably a remarkable bird flying overhead or a heron stalking a fish in a water hazard. The quiet stillness is seductive and addictive.
Now I constantly check the weather forecast to see if I can play on the weekend. I have regular golf lessons almost every Saturday and Sunday. I have a golf membership. When travelling, I check out golf schools wherever I am (I recently had an amazing time at the Park Hyatt Aviara Golf Club in Southern California, which hosted the recent LPGA Kia Classic).
I even (I can’t believe I’m saying this) watch the Golf Channel. Clearly, I’m hooked.
To boot, golf now figures prominently in my marriage. We are making great memories playing together and amongst them are the times I get to race out of work on a Friday, tear off my work clothes, throw on my golf clothes, toss my clubs into my car, and speed to the golf course at the Four Seasons to play 9 holes before the sun sets- the perfect setting.
It is just me and my husband, and no one else in sight, except for a few turtles, hawks and possibly a random coyote (!). Afterward, we are greeted with two glasses of cold chardonnay. It is heavenly.
Now, if I could just par a hole. That would really be nirvana.
