My husband taught me to play golf when we were first married. We went to the range at the Presidio in San Francisco in 2001 or 2002, and I was good enough at hitting the ball that I wanted to keep at it. I got my first clubs from a sporting goods store; they were a discounted floor sample set. After more practice and lessons from my husband, I got brave enough to actually play with him at a par-3 course in Alameda. Over the next 15 years, pregnancies and the demands of nursing babies and young kids didn’t allow me to golf much. When I did, I preferred playing “crappy” courses at off times when my husband and I likely wouldn’t be paired up with strangers. We would often compete hole by hole for chores or putting kids to bed (with my husband giving me a 1-stroke advantage, so if we both got 6 on a hole, for example, then I won). I was not a great player, but I could keep up and not embarrass myself too much.
When we moved and Sister started kindergarten, I joined a women's group that meets on Tuesday mornings to play 9 holes at a local course. We are called the Nifty Niners. Here is a picture of most of us at our 2019 Christmas lunch--I'm in the middle of the top row:
When I showed up the first day, the group was looking for new officers, and I volunteered to be the treasurer. Good thing I did, because there were some lackluster rounds and many curse-under-my-breath moments that made me want to quit, but it would have been lame for the group to have a treasurer they didn't know, so I persevered. After playing more consistently, taking 3 private lessons from a pro named Dodie, and getting a tip from my husband to turn my hands to the right on my grip, I improved quite a bit. During a 4-month period in the summer and fall of 2019, my 9-hole handicap went from a 25 to an 18! The computer was confused and would give me a skeptical "Are you sure this is the right score for this golfer?" message when I entered some of those rounds. That felt good, as did being presented with this vase at the end of the year for being the most improved member of the Niners:
Early this year, our new president asked me to attend a regional meeting about 45 minutes away where there would be training on some new rules and software. It was to be on a Wednesday when my kids are out early from school and Sister has horseback riding, so I said I couldn't. She said something like, "I really need to insist that you go," and I got a bit flushed and said, "But aren't Barb and Donna going? Couldn't they just fill me in?" Then she said, "I was trying not to tell you, but you're getting an award." Turns out I was the most improved player in a women's 9-hole group in the South Bay/Monterey region! I ended up attending the meeting, where they paid for my lunch and recognized me, calling me up get a picture with the area president and to be presented with this golf bag tag. (It has my name on the bottom, which I blacked out because the Internet):
I hope golf will be part of my life for a long time. Maybe our kids will even play some day? (They've dabbled in it and have clubs, but it's not a passion so far). Although I sometimes feel self-conscious about its hoity-toity reputation, golf is a good reason to be outside, provides some decent exercise and social time, and is something my husband and I can enjoy together almost anywhere we go.
