The Count Down Begins

No, I ain’t talking about Christmas or retirement. I am talking the upcoming golf season. The coaching gig never gets old. Like I have always said, the game of golf is unique. It does not matter if you’re a scratch player or a 25 handicap, it is all about having fun and passing something on to the next generation of golfers. I always give credit to two guys who got me where I am today: Coach Hollister who took me to a par-3 course when I was in the 8th grade, and my dad who told me to play on my high school team, because “you will get to play for free.” And he bought me my first set of clubs.

Holy crap, 35 years later I am getting paid to do what I would gladly do for free! I am playing some of the nicest courses in the area..for free. And I am passing on the best parts of the game to young fellows who will be sharing the same info long after I check out of this life. This is payment a plenty for me.

Back In The Saddle

Yup, that’s right. The flu bug may have won a battle, but I just one the war! In other words, I was able to shoot a decent nine holes of golf yesterday during my team’s match. I have said this before, that coaching high school golf is the greatest gig a coach can have, because we play the same nine as do the teams! No other high school sport allows this. Thank goodness! Most of my buddies who coach other sports, like football, and wrestling, would smash the best of their players. I am sure the school’s insurance company would not be very happy about this. As of now, I am still able to beat the best of my players. This is what makes golf so great, it ain’t the age of the player, but the amount of time, and effort, that the player has under their belt. A ten years old kid, who has been playing for five years, can beat a 40-year-old who has been playing for two years. In other words, grand children can compete with their gramps! Gramps could also beat his kid. Not very many sports allow the entire family to play for a life time. And no, checkers is not a sport!

Why I Coach

I have written about this before. I love coaching high school golf and it is not because of all the usual reasons: Free rounds,free equipment, leaving work early, not going to work all day. Nope, it is seeing the look of a young student’s face when he shaves 20 strokes off of his score in less than one month.

Most of my guys come to me as freshmen or sophomores never having picked a club up. Heck, any more, never having played a sport at any level, thanks technology! So it happened today. The kid was ecstatic. He had a bounce in his step, and he was talkin’ golf.

Well, bottom line is that this kid has a hobby that will stay with him for a life time. He has memories he will never forget, and a gift he may some day pass on to his kids. Yup, this is why I do it.