A few years back a best friend took up golf. As is his way he focused, attacked, learned, shared, practiced, refined, adjusted for age, practiced, upgraded, practiced, learned, upgraded and practiced some more till he became a fairly good golfer in short order. But to me and to most people I see playing the game its a love hate relationship thing. Much more so, than other individual sports I see.

Nothing like getting out in nature on some wonderful course without phones and the chores and work though. The first time or two he took me to play it was a wonderfully relaxing experience. One that I could see being very attractive. That was for every second I wasn’t swinging a club. Yeah I can hit a good shot or two. This body and mind (hand/eye) coordination isn’t completely without skill.

But talk about an exercise in frustration. You can hit a nice drive and be on top of the world in the middle of the fairway, and then in the woods 25 yards behind the green and your cursing the day you were born. Then you just about chip one in from the sand trap. Your up again and you step up to the tee. Pay no attention to that water hazard. You have a serious talk with the ball that is about to go swimming that your going to hit it straight and sound. But the lord of the underworld has the key medical knowledge that your back is subject to shooting pains. And he knows just how to encourage you to hit it just a little harder than you planned and there it goes, it’s looking, NOOOOOOOO go RIGHT. NOOOOOO.  SPLASH. Then the back spasm hits you as you twist in pain. But your oblivious to it except for having difficulty teeing up the next ball because you know you didn’t just hit the first one in the water.

So you figure the ball and club didn’t hear your orders for avoiding the water hazard so you turn up the volume as you hear your friend laughing in the background and yelling “Lay up”.  What the hell does lay up mean? Am I supposed to swing from my hammock? Actually that isn’t true at all. He helps me every step of the way from body position, club selection, course and hole details and of course swing. I bet if I played with him half as much as he actually plays, I’d get half decent at the game.

He has been encouraging myself and two other best friends to get out this spring and we all go for it. I’m hoping it happens actually, just for the fun and laughs it will provide. A pretty good way to spend 4-5 hours of a day with your best friends. Actually gives you time to actually talk. In between the cursing of losing the first box of balls you just purchased at the Pro Shop.

So I’m going to try to hit the driving range and see if this body can make it through a bucket of balls and maybe a little putting green and if I come home and can make it through the night I’m going to scheduled a round with the “Master.” And that is fitting being its Masters weekend in Augusta Georgia.

Don’t worry, I don’t have the money to be a true golf nut. But I will enjoy the game and some friendships it helps enhance. Here’s to best friends.