Simple Reminders Of My Love For Golf

It's almost June and I finally played my first round of the year! Well, half a round anyway. I managed to squeeze nine holes in on Saturday morning. My score? Not so memorable. But the round? Memorable as always.

This particular round was nothing out of the ordinary. So you might ask what exactly made it memorable then? I guess it's more the experience of the first round of the year than it is the actual golf itself. It's like, once I get out on the course for the first round of the year, I seem to remember all of the things I love about the game. It's as if I forgot what golf was like during the long winter lay-off. But it doesn't take long for the memories to come rushing back.

Once I walk into the clubhouse, I'm reminded of the things I enjoy about the sport. For starters, my wonderful wife (whose connections I used to get a 9:30 am tee-time for Saturday morning of Memorial Day weekend despite only calling on Friday) accidentally called in only two of us when we were actually a threesome. But the two pro-shop guys, despite the fact we threw off their schedule, managed to politely find a spot for us anyway, and we teed off right on-time. There's nothing like dealing with a friendly, polite and professional staff right from the start, even though it was not their mistake. It just seems to set the round off on the right foot.

Then of course, there's the round itself. I don't need to play the game well in order to play the game. So my final score really doesn't have much of an effect on my attitude. That's another thing I love about this sport - I don't take it overly serious. I try to do well, but if I don't...no sweat. I'm still having a good time. And while the course may have left something to be desired, it certainly wasn't bad...just different than I remember it. But once again, I'm playing golf...and that's really what matters most here.

However, you can play a great course and have a great round, but without good company it can ruin the whole day. So one more thing I love about this game, the camaraderie. Spending some time with my buddies, doing something we all enjoy, getting away from the everyday hustle and bustle for a few hours, busting each others stones every time a putt comes up short or a drive winds up in the lumber yard...these are the things that make for a memorable round.

And how can you forget the 19th hole? Bellying up to a table with a burger and a beer ends the day on a perfect note.

So it took long enough, but it finally happened. Just a few days before June, I got myself out onto a golf course. Much too late, but better late than never. The only problem I see with getting out so late is that I've already lost a month of golf before the season even started, and I've got a lot of work to do to make up the time. And even though my first drive of the year hooked into the woods, taunting me the entire way as if to say "Hey, you back for another year of this #$%&?," I'm still looking forward to squeezing as much out of this shortened season as I can. Wish me luck!

Swing 'til you're happy!

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Golfstinks.com: The Best Course Database on the Web

For more than 18 months, the Golf Stinks blog has informed and entertained...and we're growing in readership everyday (thanks to you)!

One of the main reasons we created this blog was to convey the notion that you don't have to be good at this game to love it. The other reason was to have a voice for our forthcoming website, golfstinks.com.

Well, we've been hard at work developing said website and have recently launched a major component: Our Golf Course Database!

The database features more than 18,000 public and private courses in the United States! In addition, it includes nearly 2,000 courses in Canada, and a select few in 19 other countries!

You can access the database by using the search box "Golf Course Search" right in our blog (on the right-hand side above our Facebook widget). This means no more Google searches looking for course websites, phone numbers or greens fees. Instead, you can get all that info (plus much more) - all while perusing your favorite golf blog!

Hands down, we think our database is the best way to search for golf courses - both via the web or on your mobile device. We can't wait for you to check it out!

And stay-tuned, because golfstinks.com is far-more than a course database - we're developing the best golf-related site on the web and now you too can "join the golf revolution" RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW for free!

Once you join, you can create a golf bio (this isn't a PGA Tour golf bio, it's for average hacks like you and me), search courses and post reviews for them too! We're in beta, so you may find a few glitches, but rest assured we'll be working to prefect this on a daily basis (and we'll be adding more features soon to boot)!

Golfstinks.com: Join, search courses, play golf, yell fore. Done.

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Book Review: Little Balls Big Dreams

You know that feeling you get when you hit a ball on the sweet spot of the club? When everything clicks - a smooth, fluid swing; perfect balance; solid contact...And, of course, the ball goes exactly where you intended it to go. You think to yourself; "If I could only hit it that way all the time."

We all have those "perfect" shots inside us, we just need to work on hitting more than one a round (or season...or lifetime). But what if one perfect shot led to another and another and before you knew it, everything you ever learned about how to correctly swing a golf club connected both physically and mentally on a regular basis? Sounds a bit fantastical, doesn't it? One shot and BAM! You're a scratch golfer. Come on, that's the stuff of fiction.

Well, actually, it is the stuff of fiction - in James Wolf's novel "Little Balls Big Dreams" that's exactly what happens to Matt True, the story's lead character. Matt is your average guy in his 40s with a wife, kids and an 11 handicap. That is, until one day at his local club, he hits that "perfect" shot on the par 3, 6th hole. Everything connected - a smooth, fluid swing; perfect balance; solid contact...And, of course, the ball went exactly where he intended it to go...in this case, right in the hole for an ace.

But things didn't end there for Matt. He knew deep down that the ace changed him. He was confident that he could reproduce that swing every time and with similar results...and he was correct - he finished his round at two under par (pretty impressive for an 11 handicap). After that, Matt continued to play scratch golf and he quickly began to resurrect his teenage dreams of becoming a pro golfer on tour. And that's where the story really begins.

In Little Balls Big Dreams, Mr. Wolf takes you on an adventure of "what if." What if you could become a scratch golfer after just one, game-changing shot? What would you do? Would you put yourself through Q-school when most of the players there are half your age? Would you sacrifice your family life and your stable job for a shot at life on the PGA Tour? Would your spouse even let you give it a go?

This short novel (167 pages) takes you on Matt's journey to answer these questions and follow his dreams. I found myself seriously thinking about what I would do if I suddenly were a scratch golfer. And I could relate to the conversations Matt had with his wife over him pursuing his dream. And I could also relate to his concerns about being away from his children for long stretches of time. The only thing I couldn't relate to was the feeling of being an awesome golfer - so until that happens, I guess I'm not really sure what I would do.

But in the book, you can sit back and enjoy how the story unfolds - how Matt's decisions lead him to where he ends up when the last page is turned. Little Balls Big Dreams is a thought-provoking and entertaining story of golf, family, dreams and what really matters when you get right down to it.

You can purchase Little Balls Big Dreams HERE. Remember, Father's Day is coming up!

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Golfing Until The End...Of Days That Is

Well, May 21st came and went, and we're all still here. And not to sound selfish, even though this will, but I'm still here, and that's what matters most to me. Because if I wasn't still here, then my golfing life would have ended prematurely...and what a waste that would have been.

See, I've never played any of the so called "greatest" courses. And if the world were to end before I had the chance to at least play a few, then I would be seriously pissed.

Also, I have yet to break 90. If I was to die at the end of the world before I ever broke 90 (because I know it's going to happen one of these days) I certainly would have needed to have a sit-down with the planners of this Rapture. And I promise, there would have been several unkind words flying across the table.

Oh, another thing...I've yet to record a hole in one. And statistically speaking, I'm getting closer and closer to pulling it off. If my math is correct, and I'm going up against those 1-in-45,000 odds, then I should have that hole-in-one chalked-up sometime within the next 549 years. If I can step up the amount of rounds I play per year, then maybe I can get that count down a bit. Hey, every little bit helps!

So you see, this whole Rapture thing has really got me thinking. I've slacked off with my golf game for far too long. I have far too many things still to do in my golfing life - places to play, miracle shots to pull off, Nassau's to win, clubs to break over my knee a la Bo Jackson. And how would I feel if I never got the chance to do these things all because of something so silly as the end of days.

Of course, I could always look at the bright side - If Judgement Day were to happen, there's a good chance I would be among the ones left behind. And if that was the case, at least there would be a better chance for me to get a tee-time at Bethpage Black.

Swing 'til you're happy! Because December 21, 2012 is just around the corner!

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Book Review: Golf List Mania!

As soon as I found out I was getting a copy of Leonard Shapiro and Ed Sherman's "Golf List Mania!" I began to schvitz in excitement. Besides it being a future 19th hole and coffee table staple, this book offers up (as they perfectly denote), "The Most Authoritative and Opinionated Rankings of the Best and Worst of the Game." I personally enjoy reading stuff as interesting as this.

Included are lists by golf legends Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer as well as original stuff courtesy of Jim Nantz (who, by the way, offers up a great foreword) and one of America's greatest sports writer, Dan Jenkins. Shapiro and Sherman delve into this with no holds barred. They have lists ranging from Arnie's "My Five Most Important Victories" to a personal favorite - Shapiro's; "Great Caddyshack Pick-Up Lines."

Another great contribution to this book are the quotes that follow some of the lists. One that sticks out in my mind is Jimmy DeMaret's, who said: "Golf and sex are the only things you can enjoy without being good at them." Classic.

Fellow hacks, get out there and score yourself a copy for $15. I have lost more than that in golf balls after a round. At least there is a better chance of not losing this book. Good job fellas!

Hit'em long...yell FORE!!!

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Why the Polara Ball will Hurt, Not Help Golf

Last week, The New York Times published an article about a golf ball that doesn't slice. I'm sure you probably read about it - there was much re-posting going on in the golf blogosphere.

The basic theme of many blog posts regarding the new ball was: "This is great - a ball that flies straight! The only catch is it's not sanctioned by the golfing gods. But [they ask as a devilish smile widens across their face] should we use it anyway?"

Obviously, professional golfers won't be using this ball. So that leaves the rest of us. In fact, "the rest of us" is exactly who the developer had in mind when marketing this illegal orb:

"It�s for the other [non pro] golfers, the ones who rarely hit it straight...It�s for people who want to be embarrassed less, play faster and enjoy it more. I respect the U.S.G.A., they help identify the best golfers in the world, but what about the rest of us?"

The audacity of this company to assume that deep down, "the rest of us" are all just a bunch of cheaters. You see, it's this kind of crap that's killing golf. It's been emblazoned into our ethos...right down to the molecular level - that we're failures if we're not good at something. Golfers are self-conscious about their swings and their high handicaps. They're self-conscious about flubbing one when everyone is looking or missing a 1-footer for par.

Marketers love the idea of the self-depreciating golfer. They think: I know what we can do...let's produce a product that breaks the rules to make all these golfing failures feel better about themselves! That'll really sucker them in!

Ah, but they're missing one major point: Golfers don't really quit the game because they're poor players. I mean, when was the last time you heard something like this: "I've had enough! After playing this game every weekend for 40 years without much success, I'm quitting!" The truth is, you just don't hear stuff like that. And you don't hear it for one reason: People play golf not because they are good at it, but because they love it.

Don't believe me? Then ask yourself why high-handicappers still play. Why do golfers that have averaged in the 90's or higher their entire lives continue to hit the links? Why go through the agony of another embarrassing flub? I think it's obvious: We play this game because we love it - regardless of whether we're good at it.

But what this Polara ball will do is diminish the game's integrity by fueling the following notion: That the ultimate goal of recreational golfers should be to get better. And since golf is so hard, you're going to have to cheat to do so.

Look, if you really want to change the way you golf, change your mental approach to the game. You don't have to make the main focus about getting better - instead make it about having fun; or being outdoors; or spending time with friends; or just the fact that you are out doing something you love to do. And if you really need a ball that only flies straight to attain that satisfaction...then you, my friend, are no lover of golf (or any other sport for that matter).

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Am I Motivated by the Hole-In-One Prize?

During a recent commute, I passed by a billboard promoting a golf tournament at a somewhat local country club.

Nothing out of the ordinary, but what caught my eye was the hole-in-one prize - a brand new, 2011 Corvette. Being a big Corvette fan, this naturally got my juices flowing. And being that it's mid-May and I still have yet to even attempt to play a round of golf this year, this was beginning to get me motivated.

But after passing by the sign, I thought about where the tournament was taking place. This is a former private course which only two years ago, during the deepest depths of the recession, went public...obviously because they were losing money. So how is it they have the money now to put on this tournament? Not to mention, how do they have the money to be able to give away a $50,000 car?!

I understand the tournament, while charity based, is also a tool to help promote membership with the club. And granted, they only have to give away the car if a hole-in-one happens, but what if it does? That's basically $50,000 they have to pony up! I'm sure the entry fee from the participating golfers doesn't approach that amount! And let's face it, the hole-in-one prize is usually the biggest draw to the tournament, especially if you're not playing the tournament with your regular golfing buddies. So the prize has to be worth-while to draw participants. So what to do? How can they afford to pay that out? Well, the same way everything a person can't afford gets paid out...insurance.

I'm sure most people know that just about any large prize in contests such as holes-in-one, half-court shots and the like, are insured. An NBA team doesn't want to just pay some lucky guy sitting in the stands $100,000 because he made a basket, especially one that is, relatively anyway, not all that hard. So instead, they can pay an insurance company $100 per shot (41 home games for a total of $4,100) just in case someone does make it. Not bad, right? $4,100 covers them from having to pay out the grand prize. And if no one makes the shot, then they had a helluva season long promotion for only $4,100! Chump change for an NBA franchise!

The same system works in golf tournaments. If you're putting on a golf tournament, you don't have to raise $50,000 to cover the cost of your hole-in-one prize. You simply have to take out an insurance policy. And the rates, like all other insurance rates, are based on risk. And being that the odds of making a hole-in-one are what they are...the risk is pretty low. So believe it or not....you're not paying out all that much!

Think of it this way - You're a 40-year driver, with no accidents or tickets, driving a Hyundai Santa Fe (according to AOL Autos, the least expensive car to insure) - chances are, you're insurance premium is going to be a hell of a lot less than that of the 17-year old kid driving a Mustang, right?

So when tournament time rolls around, there are a number of companies who will be happy to take your money based on the odds of a hole-in-one (anywhere between 1 in 12,000 and 1 in 45,000 depending upon the basis of the odds). You can find said companies with a simple Google search of "Golf tournament prize insurance."

Lets say your tournament features 140-150 golfers. Even at the lowest odds, chances are that prize is not being paid out. This is why some of these insurance coverages can be had for as low as $250-$300. Maybe even lower if you take the time to do the research and call around.

So maybe this putting on a golf tournament thing is not as costly as I had once thought. If the course itself is putting the tournament on and the insurance on the grand prize as well as a few other smaller prizes is relatively inexpensive, that really only leaves food and drinks. And by the time the players pay their entries and local and corporate sponsors put in a few bucks, I can see how money is made for a good cause and the chance for a course to gain a few new members can certainly happen.

Now, the trick for me will be to come up with the money to take a few lessons to get my "par-3 swing" right, come up with the money to enter the tournament, get a day off from work and beat those 45,000 to 1 odds at just the right time to drive home in a brand new 'vette! Do you think there's some type of insurance to cover my expenses?

Swing 'til you're happy!

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Hacking Away At Calories

Back in August of 09', fellow Stinky Golfer Chris posted "Is Golf Exercise?" His point was that golf is supposed to be enjoyed and who cares what issues the nay-sayers have with golf not being considered "exercise." Taking it a step further, I decided to revisit this issue and focus on the benefits golfing HAS towards a healthier lifestyle.

We all know a lot of people push golf aside as a legit form of exercise. Granted, it isn't quite as rigorous as the P90X workout but it is definitely a way to HELP shed some excess weight. As new data surfaces and the concern for better health, diet and so on pursues, we look for different ways to keep the ol' ticker in tip-top shape.

It seems there are new diets coming out every day such as the obvious Atkins and South Beach to the more obscure and weird ones. You know, where all you can eat is steamed cauliflower roots and drink sea weed shakes for 2 weeks. I think everyone has that one strange friend who swears by this diet they learned of from their "spiritual leader." This is the same person who looks like he or she is 90 years old but is actually only 35.

I'll put it this way; Losing weight equals burning more calories than you take in...period. I know because I did it. How? By raising my activity level and lowering my caloric intake via a healthier diet. So, how does this relate to golf? Easily - carry your clubs for 18 holes. If you golf a couple times a week, carry your clubs and eat a little healthier - you will lose weight.

"Well, what if I can't carry my clubs?" Don't worry, you still burn calories using a cart. According to Healthstatus.com's Calories Burned Estimator, here's a chart estimating the calories burned by golfing with a cart and carrying your own bag broken down by body weight

Please note: This is just an estimate and should not be used in medical decisions. Duh...

Also note that this table uses 4 hours as the time to complete 18 holes based on the national average.

As you can see, golfing does in fact burn calories. Now if I couple that with the 6 or 7 hundred calories I burn sleeping...Who needs the gym?

Hit'em long...yell FORE!!!

Related posts:
Is Golf Exercise?
The Truth About Walking the Golf Course

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The Quest to Play Every Golf Course in my State

Every now and then, you reach a point in your life when you feel the need to accomplish something for you and only you. Things have a way of carrying on in the same manner; a routine sets in and before you know it, it's been months, perhaps even years since you've done something truly unique.

For me, the year was 2003. By then, I had been playing golf for 14 years and I hadn't gotten any better. It's strange, actually; My golf game had gotten smarter - I learned to lay-up to the 150-marker so I could hit 8-iron into the green every time; I learned to hit a 5-wood off the tee to sacrifice distance for control; I learned to, well...I learned to play it safe.

I knew I couldn't compete on any pro tour or even have a chance to win a local tournament. Yet I continued to suck all the fun out of golf by focusing only on that silly number written down with those silly little pencils. I knew something had to change - I needed to shift that focus from my score, to the game itself.

And that's when I decided to embark on my quest: To play every 18-hole public course in the state of Connecticut. Now it may not have been the most adventuresome quest in golf (people that set-out to play the top 100 courses in the country, or even the world have got some time and money on their hands), but it wasn't exactly something to sneeze at either (after all, The Constitution State had...at the time...66 golf courses meeting my criteria).

I quickly drew up a schedule for 2003 (and 2004, 2005, 2006 & 2007 to boot). Being married and working a full-time job, I knew this quest would take a few years. That being said, I settled on a schedule that would keep half my summer weekends free, while still enabling me to complete said quest within a reasonable amount of time - I would play roughly two rounds a month for seven months of the year (April - October) for five years.

Of course, no quest would be complete without people to experience it with. So I emailed the schedules to all my golfing buddies - hoping at least one of them would accompany me at every course (and that pretty much happened - at least one golf buddy played with me at each course along the way).

So I had this quest, and I had people to experience it with. But what about documenting it? Rather than keep a diary in the traditional sense, I decided to photograph and review every course I played. But as I reviewed them, I realized many of the course descriptions sounded similar on paper. So I began compiling a rating system based on a set of six criteria to help me distinguish between the courses (you can learn about those criteria HERE).

The more courses I played (and subsequently the more courses I rated and wrote about), the more I began to realize what makes a good golf course (at least in my opinion). This quest took me to the lushest of courses; where greens-fees greatly exceeded $100; where bag-boys loaded your clubs on the cart at the beginning of the round and cleaned them for you at the end of the round; where every blade of grass reminded you of Augusta. Yet the same quest took me to the shabbiest of courses; where chain-link fences protected tee-areas from errant shots; where driving range mats replaced worn-down tee-boxes; where the fairways were so dusty, you'd swear the carts ahead of you were part of Rommel's tank battalion.

After completing my quest at the end of the 2007 season, it took two years for me to embark on my next adventure - contributing to this blog and helping to develop golfstinks.com. And this too benefited from my quest - a new feature you will be seeing very soon on this site is the ability to search and rate golf courses the golfstinks way (not-to-mention you can read all my ratings and reviews for those Connecticut courses too). But I'd have to say the real benefit was to me. I learned a bunch in those five years...mainly to forget about my score and just have fun playing the game I love.

So get out there and experience what golf has to offer. Drop a C-note on an awesome track once in a while; drive two hours to experience the latest Nicklaus or Jones design; get out there and forget about the rest of the world...Don't worry, your home course will be waiting for you when you get back.

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How Can I Take Advantage of the Mother's Day Special?

Always looking for the chance to play a round of golf, or to play golf for less money than usual, I have to be on the lookout for every discount opportunity available. But what to do around this time of year? By "this time of year" I mean Mother's Day. With all of the Mother's Day specials floating around, I as a male golfer, am left out in the cold. So what do I do?

My mother is not a golfer, and as evidenced here, here and here...neither is my wife. As a matter of fact, none of the women in my life are golfers. So it seems there's only one way to take advantage...bring my wife anyway.

Here's the plan - Stinky Golfer Greg, his wife, my wife and I show up to the course offering the "Mom's Play Free" special. I'll have her carry Greg's clubs into the pro shop where she doesn't have to pay, but I pay full price. But when we go to pick up our cart, she heads back to the car, Greg joins me at the cart, pays me half the greens fee, and when the difference is split, we both actually play for half price! My wife and Greg's wife go shopping for the next several hours while Greg and I shank our way through the course and tank our way through the 19th hole. And when we've had our fill of both golf and "refreshments," we have on-call designated drivers! How can you beat that?!

So after this nifty idea, I wonder which other specials I can try to take advantage. Here's one I've come up with:

Unemployment Mondays...genius! All I need now is an unemployed friend! And the friend part is optional. With the current national unemployment rate standing at 9.2%, that's almost 1 in 10 odds that I'll come across someone who is collecting. I will gladly pay five or ten bucks for an unemployment check stub! This particular club charges $28 for greens fees. So a cart is required. That's no big deal. I'm saving $28 on the course! Not to sound like an infomercial, but that's a $46 value for $18!

How about you? Can anyone share some other free golf specials of which I may be able to take advantage? After all, the best golf is free golf!

Swing 'til you're happy!

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Golf...An Athlete's Game?

What the hell does this mean? Well the more I play, or should I say "suck at" golf, the more I realize that this game requires a multitude of athletic skills, with each skill drawing from a different sport. I believe the worse you are at golf the more you develop as an all around athlete.

How is this so? Let me explain. You see, besides the swinging of the clubs, golf offers us many opportunities to engage in other sports. For example, let's take track and field, more specifically - the hammer throw. You can probably see where this is going. The hammer throw is pretty much launching the hammer* as far as possible. Just like when you screw up that 50 yard chip onto the green after smashing a 300+ yard drive - you launch your club as far as the eye can see.

Let's look at another sport - soccer. When your ball is stuck behind an obstacle impeding on your next shot what do you do? Some of us hacks find ourselves summoning the fancy footwork of soccer great, Pele. Don't give me that "Well, I chip out to the fairway" crap! You use the ol' toe iron and get on with it. GOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAL!

All joking aside, golf season is just about in full swing across the country. Let's enjoy the fact that we can get out there and play! This week has been pretty crazy and made me stop and think about what how lucky I am to have the opportunity to golf.

Hit'em long...yell FORE!!

* hammer throw is an athletic throwing event where the object is to throw a heavy metal ball attached to a wire and handle. The name "hammer throw" is derived from older competitions where an actual sledge hammer was thrown. Such competitions are still part of the Scottish Highland Games, where the implement used is a steel or lead weight at the end of a cane handle.

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Golf Stinks: Los Golfistas Perezoso

I've played golf pretty consistently over the last 20 years and to that end, I should be rather ashamed of myself thus far in 2011.

The truth is, I haven't played once yet this year. Back when I was on my quest to play every public 18-hole golf course in my state (more on that in a future post), I would keep a schedule that began in early April and ended in late October.

It wasn't that rigorous of a schedule (an 18-hole round every other weekend for seven straight months) but if I missed one, I would have to make it up the next month or I wouldn't be able to sleep at night.

After my quest was completed, things started to become disorganized (or what most of you may consider "normal"). Gaps in my schedule would go unfilled, until the schedules disappeared completely two seasons ago (ironically the same year I began writing for this blog).

But in all my golfing years, I always found time to at least play once in April! Not this year. For God's sake, Cinco de Mayo is tomorrow and I haven't stepped one foot on a tee-box, fairway or green.

Anyway, I recently became seriously concerned about my laziness toward golf this season. When would I play? After all, I have commitments to uphold - namely to the folks that read this blog. Firstly, I promised I would begin applying some of the techniques I read in the book Golf Sense. And then there's the fact that I probably should be playing the sport I write about.

I guess I can make excuses for my not playing yet. After all, life happens. There's family and work and chores that take precedence. I have a 6-month old who I'm wanting to dedicate more and more of my time to...and then there's the freaking yard. Mowing, trimming, weeding, planting - they don't tell you when you buy a house that it's the yard that will really do you in.

But I'm not the only one who hasn't hit the links yet...

Nope - None of my fellow stinky golfers have played yet this year either. In fact, the only one of us that has done anything remotely outdoorsy was when Stinky Golfer Chris went fishing. You mine as well call us "The Lazy Golfers."

But it's not like the desire to play is gone. We've all been chomping at the bit to get out there for the last 6 months! We just haven't. Hopefully I'll get out there soon. But in the meantime, if anyone lives in or is traveling through Connecticut, please stop by and smack some sense into me - If I don't get out there soon, I may actually forget how bad I am at this game.

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Finally...Golfing Weather! So Why Wasn't I Golfing?

Mid- to upper 60's, a bit of a breeze, only a few clouds to be seen...this is fantastic golfing weather! There have been several nice days so far this year, just not on a weekend. So what more could I possibly ask for? This is the perfect day to hit the links for the first time this year.

But I didn't. Instead, my boys and I hopped in the car this morning and made our way to the bait shop. We grabbed a couple dozen night crawlers, headed out to a nice lake and proceeded to spend the next few hours casting our lines into the water hoping to reel in a good fish tale.

But I have to ask myself...is there something wrong with me? What I mean is, I have waited all winter for a weekend day like this one to get out on the golf course. And when this day finally comes...I go fishing instead! I guess the easiest way for me to explain it is that I have a connection with fishing that I don't have with golf.

You see, I began playing golf only about thirteen or fourteen years ago. But fishing? I can't even remember when I began going. Despite living practically around the corner from a golf course as a kid, it never really called out to me as much as the lake hidden back in the woods across the street. I can't begin to explain how many days my friends and I would spend back there, for hours on end, pulling out bass, trout, perch and catfish. It's a connection with my childhood that I don't want to lose. Golf will never have that connection for me since I took it up much later in life.

But fishing isn't something I get to do very often anymore due to hectic schedules, kids playing sports and my newer summertime love...golf. But every once in a while, I have to take the time to get back to my childhood. And then, golf has to take a backseat. It helps that my kids enjoy it also. They were as excited to go as I was.

People ask me how I can fish for hours, possibly not catch a thing, and not get bored out of my mind. The answer is, I have no idea. The connection with my youth? The potential to catch "the big one?" Just spending time outside, relaxing at a nice place on a nice day? Maybe it's a little bit of all those things. But, in some ways, I can equate fishing to golf. But none better than this...

While sitting on some rocks on the side of the lake, a ranger (we were at a state park) comes by and asks my boys how they were doing. My oldest responded "OK, we haven't caught anything yet." The ranger then responds "That's OK. It's a nice day and you're outside. What's better than that?" After the brutal winter we have just come through...he's right...what could be better?

Swing (or cast) 'til you're happy!

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