International Country Club
Don’t know how old I was – maybe 6 or 7 – when I first learned that the strange brown bag in our home basement which housed somethings called golf clubs actually belonged to my Mom and Dad. Golf was a foreign language to me so I was amazed when I found out it was a sport that my parents had occasionally indulged in during their dating years. To the best of my knowledge my parents never golfed again once they married and had children. I think the reason was, in those post depression years of the 1930’s, a combination of the time involved, the cost, and parenting a young family.
Fast forward thirty plus years to when Jerry and I were starting our family. Birthing five children in six and three quarter years did not leave much opportunity for a time consuming sport like golf. As the children moved beyond the baby stage Jerry would occasionally play with friends and sometimes I would too. But for me it was the fun of doing an outside activity with my husband rather than any attraction I felt for golf. Golf courses are usually in settings which show case the beauty of nature. Little did I realize that the seeds of my golf addiction were starting to take root.
Now fast forward to the 1980’s – we were empty nesters – except when the children were home from college. Our five children all started and completed undergraduate school in the decade of the 80’s. I branched out a little in my golf, not only playing with Jerry but also joining a women’s group at our local golf club. It was strictly a social activity for me – I wanted to play with Jerry and I wanted to play with friends. The fact that I shot in the 70’s and 80’s for nine holes didn’t bother me a bit. It was a delightful social time and also I don’t think I realized how bad my golf scores really were.
Now fast forward again -this time to the 1990’s. We had moved to Century Oak , a new community being built in Fairfax, in Northern Virginia. Somewhere in this time period I began to start caring about my golf scores and just my game in general. We joined a near by country club, International CC. And I joined their 18 hole Ladies Group. And I took golf lessons. And my game improved. The scores I used to have for 9 holes of golf were now the scores I wanted when playing 18 holes. I have never quite reached that goal, my best for 18, so far, being 102 on a challenging course like International.
Now in our late 80’s we basically play two times per week and sometimes three, and we specialize in 9 hole golf. A bit of arthritis dictates the amount of golf we can play. It is a special treat when we play today with our children and/or our grandchildren. And there are so many happy memories of golfing with my brothers Bud and Pete, and with dear old friends and with my precious goddaughter, Margaret.
Most golf courses show off the beauty of nature and ours is no exception. So even if your golf game is misbehaving it is so enjoyable to just soak in the beauty of the course. In these political times I can well relate to the words of Billy Graham about golf: “A golf course is an island of peace in a world often full of confusion and turmoil.”
OctoBlogger 