GOLF BUDDIES

Have I been blessed over the years with golfing buddies! I never played with these two pictured, but I did follow Arnie, Jack, and Gary Player once around the course. At least for awhile. They put on quite a show to quite a gallery.

At the risk of omission, I list the following as golfing buddies through the years and apologize to those I omitted: Larry, Russ, Caroline--my best, Ron, Ron, Ron, Jim, Nealy, Bruce, Randy, Will, Bob, Charlie, Mike, Gary, Rex, Sam, Rip, Ben, Mike, Virgil, Scott, Courtney, Donnie, Sonny, Bob, Pastor Tom, Pastor Jason, Pastor Rob, Charlie, Scott, Red, Gene, Bill, Bill, Amelia, Dave, Joann, Carol, Doug, Griff, Brad, Lee Ann, Bob, Jason, Joe, Mike, Michael, Nelson, Tommy, Tom, Bill, Nida. Bill, Glenda, And a lot of others including Dave and Joe yesterday, along with Jeff, one of my regular Wednesday partners. I have had so much fun over the years playing the game that'll drive you crazy.

Mostly I'm a bogey golfer. A 14-16 handicap is what I've played at for most of my adult life. My low round ever was a 68 at what I call my home course, Green Hills. Right after that, my handicap dropped to an 8, but I'm not even close to that nowdays. I'm just as likely to shoot a 53 on a 9, than a 35. While I don't recall that disparity, I do remember many 35s followed by a 45 or vice versa. Most all of those on my AZ home course Starfire.

When I travel, I hate to check luggage. Even on a 10-day cruise this year, I talked my wife into taking fewer clothes so we wouldn't have to check luggage. So I don't take my clubs. I have a set at our daughter's and use my son's or friends when in MTV (Mt. Vernon, Illinois--that explanation is for loyal reader Kathryn). I used to use Sam's or Mike's when I was in MTV. They both had graphite shafts, whereas I had the old steel ones. And I couldn't hit theirs well at all.

Then as if someone turned on the lights (a pessimist would write shut off the lights) I started hitting the graphites better. Buddy Jeff is a club maker and he reshafted me with new graphites on my old heads. What a difference! The game is not grueling anymore. I'll never see 68 again, well in a decade I'll see a different 68, and I know that my short-lived 8 handicap was an aberration even back then; but golf is fun again. A 44, 39 yesterday at a tough course has me pumped again. Until I tee it up tomorrow and wonder where my game went. Golf's like that, you know.