Thank You Golf!

I figured I would start a thread to simply say THANK YOU to the game.  All of us on this site are here because there is some aspect of the game we appreciate and something about the sport that brings enjoyment to our lives.

As I take a minute to reflect on the game, I realize how much golf has done for me.  I can't put it all into words but I know I owe the game a lot and it has given me far more that I would have thought when I picked up the game.

As a 16 year old picking up the game, I never would have thought that the game would have provided me with the opportunities it has.  Thanks to golf, I was able to meet a lot of people and make a lot of friends, network and build relationships.  It allowed me to travel and play some really nice courses and see some great scenery around the country.  The game has truly changed my perspective over the years on making assumptions and stereotyping people.  As a young man, I never felt like I fit in at golf because it was perceived as a rich man's sport for the elite - the country club perception.  I felt that I was stereotyped because of the way I dressed and carried myself, I felt like everyone wasn't approachable because they were rich snobs....  I was from a predominately black low income school where golf wasn't a popular sport and had a certain stereotype.  Golf wasn't a sport... Golf wasn't for athletes...  Golf wasn't cool...   man how wrong that is...   I was the one doing the stereotyping...  It was me that didn't feel welcome because of my perception...

Thank you to my high school baseball coach who encouraged me to play for the HS team because "we needed players and he heard that I played"...  I didn't know I would be playing in college a couple years later...  I didn't know that golf would keep me focused in the classroom - I would not have went to college if I did not have the chance to play a sport - I would have joined the military.  Thanks for my degree.

Thank you to the course pro who let me volunteer and get free play.  Thanks for the encouragement and the free tips on fundamentals.  Thanks for making the sport accessible.

Thank you to my college teammates for putting up with my crap and teaching me more about the game and friendships than I could have realized.  Thanks for teaching me that an "individual sport" isn't about the individual.

Thank you to groups that allowed me to play along as a single on a packed Saturday.

Thank you to the best ball tournaments that have allowed me to assist with/coordinate and contribute to some great causes i.e. Relay for Life, United Way, local little league.  To know that we can raise $30,000 through a golf tournament to help the American Cancer Society or that we can come together to provide scholarships for students that may really need financial assistance for college...  It's pretty awesome we can have fun and accomplish so much.

Thank you for my first real job!  Thanks for encouraging me to go into Recreation as a career path...

Thank you Golf for being fun... for being more than a sport!  Thanks for being a teacher and an outlet!

Okay....   too much seriousness lol...  Time to go goof off and hit the course for a best ball tournament! Time to go have some FUN!!!

Yes, I would have to agree that the game of  golf deserves a thank you from those who have played the game long enough to get something good out of it. I know I have had some great times while playing the game. I have used the game for fun, family get togethers, business, and just killing 3-5 hours.

I suppose if I were to thank any persons, it would have be those folks who I played the game with when I was first starting out. Knowing what I know now, they put up with a lot from me back then. That might be more of an apology on my part.

Another group I would probably give a big thank you to, would be all those golfers, for what ever the reasons, who provided me with some decent entertainment while golfing with them, or reading their words of wisdom. I would also  have to throw  the maintenance crews into the "thank you" mix for keeping  the courses I have played on in decent shape. I have even tipped some of these hard working folks when convenient.

Last but not least, some thanks has to be given to some of the cart gals I have run into from time to time. Most are just nice gals just trying to make living, while sometimes putting up with less than honorable people. .

I started golfing around the age of 10 --> 55 years ago. I have found that the game of golf is a great way to learn about yourself and relate it to life's experience...

For myself and my game of golf:

- I set goals and evaluate myself on a regular basis

- When I am unhappy with something, I work hard to make improvements

- When things are going well, the feelings are euphoric

- When I hit a bump in the road, I bear down, become introspective, and focus inwardly

- As I get older I have to find different ways to accomplish the same level of performance I had at an early age

- Interactions with others are integral to the eventual outcome

- Personal relationships can be casual, contentious, or very gratifying

- Commandments are always prevalent: do not covet, bear false witness nor take the name of the Lord in vain

If you truly appreciate golf, there are a lot of life lessons that are applicable.

THANK YOU GOLF...

I love this game.

I've played this game for over 30 years and would need to write a book to extend the many thanks the game has treated me to.

So, I just keep it simple and say "thank you golf for the wonderful journey it has provided."

Club Rat