By Shannon Williams
I have a love hate relationship with golf!! After a trip to Top Golf this past weekend, it is more hate! People who play golf have always been a part of my life, my father spent the last 30 years of his life playing golf and my husband plays several times per week. As far as I go, I never really have caught the hang of it. I used to have some basic skills about 25 years ago, but as with any skill, if you don’t use it, you don’t have it anymore. I just embarrassed myself at Top Golf. I could not connect with the ball and when I could it barely went anywhere. My husband was trying to “coach” me and I had to tell him that unless I was paying him, I did not need a golf lesson. I really needed a divine intervention instead of a lesson, but did not have a golf prayer handy LOL!

My father played golf as a teenager and in his college years, as did his father. But having five children there was no time or money for his golf, so it got put up for many years. When he retired, he picked it up again and taught my mother how to play. I would golf with them after I got out of college and was working in our home town. It was a fun way to meet people and spend time with them. I never really took it very seriously, but could hold my own to be the female player in a scramble. When I married and had a child my golf days ended and the only time I was on the golf course was when I needed my parents and they were playing! I would have to jump on a golf cart and track them down on whatever hole they were on. I did work with several non-profits and helped with golf tournament fund raisers and that was always fun to do, but no golf for me.

When Paul and I were dating he would come stay with me when he could. I was usually working and needed to find something to entertain him while I worked. One of my employees was a big-time golfer, so after many years of not playing golf, Paul began to play again, and it has not stopped! I do love the whole concept of golf; you are outdoors with others and it requires just enough mental thought that it takes your mind off of real life. It works well for us, as I enjoy my time alone in the house while he plays golf! As far as a hobby for your spouse, golf is a good one. It is not very messy, you always have something you can get them for a gift (they always need golf balls) and you know where they are and what they are doing. If he has a bad round, I always ask the following… Did you get to be out in the sunshine? Were you with Friends? and was the beer cold? The answer to all three is always yes, and I reply then you should be happy regardless of how you played!

The golfers on Crystal Beach are a fun group of guys. There are several regular games each week, each with a different game being played; some are scrambles and some are skins games etc… They have a group text that they all used when they want to know who is going to play and when. I will hear all these texts coming into his phone and then I get this little boy look as he runs off to play with his friends!!

I am not sure I will take it up when I retire, it just really takes a lot of time and I have so much I want to do. I finally shipped my golf clubs to my cousin on the West Coast as they were not doing anyone any good in the garage! Our grandson has gone with Paul a few times and he really enjoy that. Paul’s son is learning to play, but again, it takes playing several times per week to really learn and have any skills, and right now he does not have that time. He joined us with his girlfriend at Top Golf and it was great fun to be with them and to watch Paul show Travis some tips and tricks. He took the coaching better than I did! I had gotten Paul a gift certificate to Top Golf a couple of Christmases ago and we just got around to using them. I asked him what he thought and if he would want to do it again. He replied it was too hard to focuses on his golf swing with the loud music and all the people around. I guess nothing beats a pretty Sunday morning at the golf course in Crystal Beach with your buddies.

[June-15-2021]