Learning to Golf

Ever since I was a little girl, the men in my life have wanted me to learn how to golf.

My father has enjoyed golfing all of his adult life and was always asking me and my sisters to learn the game and go out on the course with him.

None of us were ever interested. The sport seemed like a hard thing to learn and it just took so much time.

A few years after I got married, my husband learned to golf and fell in love with the game. For years he has been encouraging me to learn how to play so that I could enjoy spending time playing the game with him.

Yesterday I surprised him by telling him that I was ready to learn, and today he was dressed and ready for me to go with him and learn as soon as I came home from cleaning Miss Fran's place as a part of the Home Helpers Ministry.

"Get dressed Julie," my husband announced to me as I walked in the door. "I'm going to teach you how to golf this afternoon."

"Oh," I said, "That's great, just let me wash up and change and grab a bite to eat."

"Well, hurry up! I'll be waiting for you outside in the car."

So I hurried and washed, changed and grabbed something to eat and then out the door and into the car so I could be driven to my very first golf lesson.

As I sat there in my passenger seat, I was already having second thoughts. I'm not a real outdoorsy kind of girl. Take me to see a play, listen to a lecture, wander through an art museum, sit down and sew, or give me my crossword puzzle book or a decorating magazine and my favorite blanket and I'm happy. And although I do like to walk for exercise, I seem to tire easily when I am outside too long.

These were the thoughts that we running through my head as we drove to the local high school driving range to practice.

"Here are your clubs," my husband said, "Carry them like a back pack on your back. See, watch how I am doing it."

So we slung those heavy clubs across my back, and my second thoughts were turning to third and fourth ones with every step I took with those heavy clubs slung on my back.

Then we got to the place of instruction and the real fun began.

"Stand right here, put your hands right there, lock your elbows, turn your wrists, align your body, swing back slowly . . . Does that look like a swing? You're not locking your elbows. Look at me. Watch me. Put the club facing up. Not that way, this way."

I could feel my head spinning. I was sure that I was not going to survive this first lesson. And if I did, I was sure the nagging voice of my husband wouldn't.

"Could you please stop nagging me?" I politely asked him in the middle of all this instruction. "I'm trying real hard to listen and I'm not really sure about what any of this means, and yes, this is what a swing looks like in a person who is just beginning to learn the game of golf."

"I'm sorry," he said, "I'm not trying to nag you. I'm just trying to help you."

I thought I was the help meet in this relationship.

"I know," I said, "But just give me a chance to swing and hit a few balls so that I can get the feel for what you are telling me to do."

And he did. And guess what? I began to hit the ball. And many of the balls I hit landed right about where they were supposed to.

"Hey! I'm pretty good at this!" I exclaimed.

"Yes, you are. See, isn't this fun? Isn't this going to be something fun that we can do together?"

"Yes, it is. I can see why you love it so much, it's quite a strategic challenge and I like it. I think I'm really going to like this."

You should have seen the happiness on my husband's face when I said this. More than anything he wants to enjoy this sport with me, the wife of his youth.

"Good, now let's hit some more balls and then let's play this little 3 hole course."

So we hit some balls and played the course, and played the course, and played the course again and again until I finally mentioned that I needed to be heading back home.

"What do you need to do back home?" he asked me, as if he had forgotten that I am not only the wife of his youth, but the keeper of his home and teacher of his Ladies Sunday School class as well.

"Oh, just a few things like make dinner, type out my notes for tomorrow's class, walk my 2 miles, iron our clothes and prepare the rice, corn and brownies for tomorrow's dinner."

"Well, I'm not really hungry, so do you mind if I drop you off and I go hit some balls on the little course near our house."

Does this man ever run out of energy? Does he ever get tired?

"No, not at all. I'm just going to take my walk, then I will get busy with the other stuff."

And then he asked me the million dollar question . . .

"Did you have fun golfing today?"

"I did."

"Really? Or are you just saying that?"

"I loved it. I really did. And I look forward to doing it again."

"That's great! It'll be so great having you as my golf partner. Don't you just love being outside in the beautiful sunshine and fresh air?"

"I really could care less about being outside in the sunshine and fresh air, what I really love is being able to spend a bunch of time doing something with you."

"Oh, me too," he added, "I like being outside spending time with you too."

P.S. Now that I know that I like this game called golf, I'm going to have to buy some cute things to wear and carry around so that I can look the part. And I know just the bag that I am going to get . . . it is this really cute black and white hounds tooth thing . . . :)!