Yes, this is a photo of my high school golf team. The golf team was one of the highlights of my dismal high school career. My junior year there were only 4 people that went out for the team and that meant I got to go to all the meets and tournaments. To say that I was not good would be a fair evaluation. I used the baseball grip and had little instructional knowledge. But I got to golf for free at the country club, and I enjoyed smacking the ball around. We were so bad that the coach cancelled the program after that year. I guess we embarrassed  him. One of my highlights of my golfing career, was playing in a tournament with Tom Watson.

 He was playing for Pem Day High School, and was the best golfer in the Kansas City area. At that time he had wavy hair and wore black glasses and looked geeky. Who would have thought that he would go on to be one of the all time great golfers. We shared a connection at the tournament. No I didn't play in his group. But one of us came in first, the other last. My other highlight came after shooting 105 at a regional tournament. 2 of my teammates and I went out and shot some practice holes. On a 140 yard par 3, I smacked my DX Tourney 3 with my 5 iron. It bounced in front of the green and disappeared. I went out behind the green to locate it but couldn't find it. At that time one of my teammates looked in the hole and there it was. The sports editor of the local paper put a little article about it, with the conclusion that practice makes perfect.

Golf is one sport that if you don't do well, it is because of you.
If you don't do well on a hole, the next hole is the first hole of the rest of your game. When I was in college, there was a poster in the hippie shops that I always liked. It said that "Today Is the First Day of the Rest of Your Life". We all have double and triple bogey days, because we all make mistakes in judgement and screw ups. We can not forget our past and pretend it did not happen. I believe we must own our past mistakes, but not let the past define us. Today is the next hole in your game of life. Live it like it is your best.




  Until next time                   The Beggar's Apprentice