The Problem with Golf

In my first golf lesson in 50 years, I hit four beauties—they went straight, high and long and made Casey the golf pro smile (he was working wonders with this old man).

The problem is I hit a total of 50 balls. Twelve of them (triple the number of beauties) dribbled a few feet off the tee. One hit a goose (no, that’s not a golfing term—a real goose).

And therein lies the problem with golf, and the reason I’ve tried to avoid it for most of my adult life.

If one manages to write a beautiful sentence, chances are another one is close behind. And more will follow. At least few will look like a first-grader wrote them.

Not so with golf.

“So what went wrong with that one”? I said to Casey the golf pro.

“Your back swing was too close to your body.”

“And that one?”

“Your back foot didn’t pivot.”

“What about that one?”

“You raised up. Keep those knees bent.”

And so the conversation went. There are over 40 ways (seriously, I counted) one can mess up a golf swing.

And that, friends, is the problem with golf.

Yes, I’m going back. Sanity has never been a strong suit.