"Greatest Generation"

[shankymcgee]

I was lucky enough to start playing golf at around age 12 at a local public golf course. While there, i played mostly with elderly people. Many of these men and women would come to be known as the "greatest generation" as they served in the military during WWII or Korea. I learned about etiquette, rules and how to speak to people. I remember one time early in my career i was hesitant to use fairway woods because they were hard for me to hit. This elderly gent that i was playing with told me that if i didn't try I would never improve. After that i started using them and got the hang of it! Another time, I was doing something wrong with my swing and got some unsolicited advise from my playing partner. I said something smart back to him and he put me in my place as he should have. I learned about the old greats of the game as many of the people i played with had first hand knowledge of them. It was wonderful to grow up and come of age in such a safe environment. The golf course became my home away from home and in the summer, it was not unusual for me and my buddies to play 36 holes and walk them all! Many of the people I met there are now deceased but the memories i hold from this time are fantastic!