By Don Walter
This time of year is when families and friends, well maybe not friends, start to really worry about the golf addict in their lives. By this time in the golf season golf addicts have clocked in countless hours of golf time. Spouses, children, and parents, all start to worry about this addiction called golf!
In Montana, this time of year in golf is compared to the seventh inning stretch in baseball. The season is not over yet, lots of golf to go, but there is definitely more behind us than in front! Golf addicts are knee deep in golf tournaments, like Member-Guests, Charity Scrambles, State run tournaments, and Club Championships. Member-Guest tournaments are where club members invite someone from out of the club to enjoy all it has to offer, they really try and schmooze everyone up. All hands on deck with smiles, and not a blade of grass is out of place! Your wish is their command. Charity Scrambles, usually involve four golf addicts paired up to try and create a fun team! It’s not about the winning that day, but about making sure the corresponding charity makes lots of money, at least that’s what the directors claim! State run tournaments are usually for the more serious golfers and are set up to compete by skill and age. Junior, Open Mid, and Senior keeps everyone trying to win their respective category. Finally, when it’s Club Championship time the gloves come off. It is the most coveted trophy at every golf course. The Club Champ walks away with bragging rights, and admiration from the players he or she beat for life. Once a champ, always a champ! Seriously though, all golf addicts look forward to this weekend more than ever. They get paired up with golfers of their same handicap/ability and try and come out on top.
So with all this golf going on, families really do start to wonder where their addict is and if they are ok. They have missed family outings, rearranged work schedules, and done whatever they can to play more golf! I know this because I’ve done it all. It takes one to know one they say! I can’t give away all my secrets of how I’ve managed to lock in so much golf over the years, but boy it’s been fun!
My wife of 22 years can vouch for me as to what a first class golf addict is. I’ve taken to filling out our on-line family calendar before anyone else can claim my time. July through September are the best of times! If I’m not working I’m probably on the golf course. I’m one of the first “tan” people early in the summer, I’ve been soaked by late evening sprinklers on the course more times than I can remember, and I’ve never had the best groomed lawn in the neighborhood. I love waving at the neighborhood mowing their lawns as I scoot by in my golf cart headed to the course! And I almost never miss a tournament. That’s what the calendar planning is for. As soon as entries come out I’m signed up and ready to go. Traveling here or there, really fills up a guy’s free time!
So if you have a family member that is a golf addict, remember, this time of year, if you can’t find them or haven’t seen them in a while, check the local golf courses! We’ll hunkered down, practicing, playing 18, grabbing an emergency 9, just soaking up all the golf course has to offer. Don’t worry, time will solve the issue, and we’ll be available for Fall Football games, and whatever happens during the dreaded month of November! Until then, hang tight, and know that your golf addict is having the time of their life! MSN
