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Celebrating Independence Day the Pac-Man way! 🇺🇸🎆 Happy Fourth of July!

I haven't done a #grownostr post in a while. Let's talk about my love for #golf

I come from a golfing family, mostly on my mother's side. My grandparents played, my uncles and aunts all played, my cousins played, my parents played a little, and I played. My grandfather and my uncles were the ones winning all of the local tournaments, so I had big shoes to fill coming from a golfing family.

My grandfather, the patriarch of our golfing family, got me into golfing at the age of 10. Well, at least he tried. He took me to the range to hit some balls. At the end of the night, as it was getting dark, he said he would go out and hit all of the balls back so that I could hit them one more time before we headed home. He ended up hitting my with a golf ball. It was probably my fault for not paying attention 😆 I didn't play again for 2 years.

Now at age 12, it was time for me to live and breathe golf. I played 18-27 holes a day in the summer. My mother dropped me off at 8:30am on her way to work, I met my cousin and sometimes a friend or two, and we played golf all day until we got picked up at 5pm after our parents got off of work.

When I turned 16 and could drive, I was doing essentially the same thing. I would drive myself to the course and play all day, then hangout with friends in the evening.

I played and won various tournaments as a teenager. My cousin and I were best friends, but always highly competitive with one another on the golf course. We played together and against one another often.

In college, I rarely played golf, focusing my time on other things (not school work).

After college though, I joined my family's league team and was able to find the time to play once a week and a couple league or family tournaments a year. It was truly a wonderful time, being a young adult, playing golf with my cousin, uncles, and grandfather on weekly basis. It was great bonding time all around a sport that we loved. I will always cherish these good times and amazing memories we had together.

Our grandfather invited my cousin and I to The Master's down in Augusta, Georgia one year and wow, that was a hell of an experience. Actually, I think that was Katie and I's one year dating anniversary week. Oops.

Throughout my 20's and 30's I played a couple times a month and maybe one or two tournaments a summer. It was hard to find time to play now that I was married had a family. I don't know how my family did that when they were my age.

I haven't played golf for 3 years. I hurt my back playing in May of 2020. I wanted to heal up and take time off, hopefully to play again. Last summer I had surgery and was unable to play. I could probably play this summer if I tried. Maybe I'll go hit some balls some evening.

I still have the golf clubs that my grandfather custom made for me when I was 18. They are Ping Eye 2 clones called Tour Model 2. They shafts in the mare stiffer and men's stiff flex and the shafts are one inch longer than regular men's length. I could probably use a technology upgrade at some point if I ever decided to play again, but I just can't see myself playing golf with any other club. My grandfather passed away back in 2009. To me, the clubs are part of his legacy.

Even if I don't play now, I have friends that are getting more into the game and look for me often for teaching or lessons. I know a lot about the game and swing mechanics, having my grandfather in my ear most of my life, always teaching. I love to help my friends and talk about golf, even though I don't play right now.

Oh, I almost forgot! I worked at the local country club for several years in my late teens and early twenties. I worked inside the pro-shop and I also worked out on the grounds, mowing greens and tees, as well as doing tons of other manual labor. The pro-shop work was easier, but the greens work was more fun.

Do you play golf?