Fore!

Photo by A. Mialkowski

June 6, 2011


Every year, the faculty that I work with has an end of the year staff party.  This year it was decided that we would go golfing, playing a round of 9 holes.  This proposal piqued my curiosity and evoked my imagination.  

The thought of me driving any motorized vehicle is a bit hilarious to think about in the first place, let alone one that goes off-road along an uneven terrain.  The thought of then stepping out of said vehicle to whack a tiny ball hundreds of feet using my gross (like the play on words?) motor skills and hand-eye coordination was only going to predictably lead to frustration.  

The solution: I asked to only putt once our team was on the green and to be a passenger in the golf cart.  

The result:  I had a really great time!  I sunk the putt on the last hole helping our team make par in our golf scramble game.  Want to watch me putt?  Check out when I totally missed the hole on YouTube.   It takes a lot less force and much more control to putt than I anticipated.  Fortunately, everyone was encouraging of letting me simply experiment with this sport.

While I was out on the course, I made the following observations about the culture of golf:

1.) The setting is gorgeous.  We had a really nice day and I was able to bird watch (one of my favorite activities) while my colleagues teed off.  I was so engaged watching a great blue heron fly across the pond that I forgot I was in the middle of a game!

2.) I love the accessories!  I had no idea there were so many items golfers can purchase to enhance their game.  I was surprised to learn about magnetic place holders that can connect to gloves or a visor when not in use and the Never Bend grips that can be placed on putter handles so you never have to bend down to pick up a ball on the green again!  

3.)  Riding in the golf cart was certainly a fun experience; driving one should be a sport in itself.  

4.)  Golfing is a fun way to spend time with friends and celebrate summer!


If you enjoy playing golf, you may want to check out UCP-CM’s annual golf tournament on June 20th , 2011, starting at noon, at Wapicada Golf Course. It’s $90 per golfer, and all the funds raised go to support a great cause.  More information is available on the UCP-CM homepage.