Golf Odyssey

Golf ball on fairway
Shawn Carpenter via Creative Commons

So what’s the happenin’ scifi writer about town do when he’s not writing or working the day job to support his writing habit? Well, I’ve taken up golf.

I had a golfing phase in the 90s. I bought a yard sale set in an ugly lime-green bag shortly before moving to Cincinnati. It was so old that it had actual woods as opposed to the modern titanium and composite clubs. I got to the point where I could drive for about 150-170 yards. My putter, however, was a glorified 1-iron, not the nice big jobs that help you line up a shot today. One day, someone broke into the storage locker where I lived and stole my clubs. That was it for golf for the next twelve years.

This past year, I got engaged to a woman whose adult son loves golf. A couple trips to the hitting range got me back into the game. By October, I had my own set put back together thanks to hand-me-downs and used clubs (and a 1 iron I walked off after a wink and a nod from a hitting range owner.) My first game on a par 3 was nothing to brag about, but I’ve gotten to know my clubs. The 1 iron, often considered to be the club for only God and Jack Nicklaus, is now what I call my Par 3 Driver.

So how is this all shaking out? It means from April to November we will hit a different golf course every two weeks, starting with a par 3 course we already know and ending with three of the most difficult public courses in the area. The one I’ve been lusting after the most is Blue Ash, only a few minutes from my home. For years, I thought it was a country club. Then I discover it’s actually a city-owned course. The city is Blue Ash, but the course is beautiful with a large clubhouse. But there is no membership fee with outrageous monthly charges to play (for additional green’s fees.) I like golf, but not that much. Just driving along the course, however, shows you the challenge. It’s nothing but water hazards. Yeah, I’m going to have to get good at this.

I did not expect to get back into golf, and I did not expect to like it when I did. Yet, the more time I spent at the hitting range, the more I got addicted. I got to the point where I regularly hit over 200 yards with my driver and have found consistency with the other clubs.

Except the putter. I need to get to know my putter.

Oh, well. I can always come home and write to forget all those 3-putts on the course.