Now that I am in the transition period of replacing the swing of my golf club for that of a splitting axe, it’s a good time to think back about this past season. Besides capitalizing on the great golf weather these next few weeks have in store for us up here in the northeast, I also like to take a few moments to be appreciative and thankful for the opportunities I did have on the course. It may sound a bit corny but when I check out the news and see the crap that’s going on in the world…I’m pretty lucky.

At any given moment I could have just grabbed my sticks and shoes and hit the links. Something we take for granted but I could never imagine it any other way. It just sucks to think that there are countries where their daily decisions involve which child to feed, forget about what course to play. I’m thinking that quadruple bogey on the 9th really shouldn’t have consumed me that much. Great, I just made myself feel shallow and selfish for playing golf.

When the season began, I had it all planned out. The annual “I’m going to play more than I did last year” pre-season declaration surfaced it’s worn out head and just like last year, I somehow played less. Granted there was some wedding planning, a wedding and a honeymoon that threw a wrench into my golf schedule but I reached deep down and unleashed my Darwin-esque instinctual survival skills to adapt to whatever stood between me and the course. And if your definition of adapting is not playing then we’re on the same page. There’s always something, right? Just kidding honey…

The most important thing to take with us from every golf season is not just the memories of the great shots, putts or not so great shots but who we shared them with. The camaraderie is what truly makes a round that much better. Plus it gives us ball breaking gold to remind a buddy of how he spent more time in the woods than Paul Bunyan. Unless, of course, that blue ox named Babe belongs to us.

Hit’em long…yell FORE!!!