26 years!

I'll be damned if Man can invent a sport as challenging, as intrinsically infallable, and as rewarding as the game of golf! Robin Williams summed it up best in a comedic diatribe, but even though I've been playing for 26 years I still haven't come close to tiring nor mastering this little passion of mine.

Let's face it, I run a golf course, have been solely responsible for my current acreage for 4.5 years now, and during the season the last thing I want to do is play my golf course. It's an over-extended mindset to play your own golf course. Being your own worst critic, it becomes work. You see something you missed during the day, something you'll take care of first thing in the morning, something to add to the "to do" list, it gets really annoying...really fast! I barely make it through two holes before my mind has shifted from shot making into task making. I love the challenge of golf, and I love the challenge of managing a golf course, I just hate doing both at the same time...and it shows.

In college and as an Assistant Superintendent I played golf at least 6 days a week, and it showed. Not to toot my own horn, but I was good; a scratch golfer for 7 years. I never strived to achieve wealth via professional golf, I knew the stats, I knew the rigorous schedule, and frankly, I'd rather be competing amongst friends for a few bucks rather than nitpicking over every shot in preparation for the next day's match. I played competitive golf in high school and enjoyed the hell out of it. There wasn't much to impede the thought process back in those days. I've moved on, I'm past the competiveness, it has now morphed into an internal struggle that now dictates my practice regime.

I took a HUGE step for nastalgia's sake today, took a half day at work, convinced two of my good friends to do the same and went back to my old stomping grounds Mill Quarter Golf Course in Powhatan, VA and did what I had done on so many days for so many years growing up and I walked 18 holes, carrying my own bag, and more or less focused on enjoying the game instead of getting frustrated with my rustiness. This sounds so common, but about 80% of the last 100 rounds of golf I've played have been done so with a cart, a cooler full of ice cold beverages (smuggled or purchased on-site), and a schedule. Not so today, just the opposite.

I'll just add a little footnote here: Most golf courses average around 7,200 yards in playing length (not including distance from green to the next to tee that ='s approximatel 4.5 miles. A typical golf bag, clubs, balls, etc. weigh in between 30-45 lbs...it's a great workout!)

I'm hoping my New Year's Resolution will finally come to fruition: (Speaking to myself of course) Get back to enjoying the game you love, not the game you've become accustomed to playing.

I didn't play well today, I didn't expect to, I haven't expected myself to play well in almost 4 years, sometimes I do, and I really enjoy those days, but that's golf. I hit enough shots today that make me want to try to recreate them. I hit enough shots today that make me want to try and avoid them. Idle post-round talk was, "we need to do this more often" but I left with a sense of accomplishment and a definite sense of invigoration.

My course is closed until April 1, 2009. I'll play it before we open, as I typically do, to get the "Member's View" about a week before to polish up on things we might not have noticed. My goal this year is to play my course at least twice a week, I want to play at least 4-5 times a week, but that includes other courses. I really think it will help my game and my career. It's tough to make yourself play golf at your course in the middle of a self-mandated 65 hour week, but I think it's more than an often overlooked opportunity. I've got friends in the industry who suffer from the same frustrations that I have, and with a little cajoling, they'll become my other 2 rounds per week.

Golf is free to me and my industry peers...it's a "good ole boys" club, you pay your dues, you give free golf, you get free golf. If I play a public course, I generally pay the greens fee out of respect for their revenue stream, I generally don't announce my position in these cases, I just pay like every other patron. It's not the cost of the game that is keeping me from playing, it's the mental stuff that clouds the opportunity.

I'll delve into my absolute love of agronomy (and all Life Sciences for that matter) in subsequent posts, this one is to serve one purpose, and one purpose only...Tee it up!

Come on Spring

Since this has been yet another disappointing winter here in the Commonwealth, I beg thee, Mother Nature to reliquish your grasp and let's move on already. I've got visions of tillering corn, blossoming tomatoes, and of course, a green golf course.

I know I'll be wishing for winter in the middle of the putrid July heat, but I long for turning the clocks forward and getting this preverbial ball rolling once again. Either blanket us in a foot of snow or grace us with your Spring. This climactic limbo is getting annoying and it's playing hell on my immune system.

Recessionary socializing

Tough to beat herb marinated grilled chicken, a spread of delicious accoutrements: namely saffron rice, some doohicky microwavable blasphemy that Sarah had handy, fresh salad, green beans, and a limited number of Anheuser Busch's (now InBev) finest elixer.

I like low-key Friday nights. I'm fortunate to be only 78 paces from some of my best friends. They've figured out two things I hold dear: a) I love to cook b) I don't like people coming into my house... and they have capitalized on the obvious. I swear I could make a killing cooking for hire, but I refuse, it's a labor of love.

Soup Loop? Most Southsider's are missing out on surprise deliveries of the Soup de Week. Sure, they're probably miffed at the fact of an idling diesel engine outside their residence, with a man cloaked in cold weather gear scrambling to drop off his latest creation at 5 a.m. on a Monday morning, but I like to think they find a smidge of appreciation once they pop the lid on the tupperware at their feet on their way to work and smell the efforts within. Maybe it gives them a millisecond of peace, with one less thing to worry about, in their schedule of the hectic day's planning? I don't really care, just make sure that tupperware makes it back!

2nd Ammendments and innocent dirt mounds

While some of you may have some really high-falootin' plans for tomorrow, Saturday, like going to the Boat Show, spending time with family, cleaning the house, etc... I have BIG plans!

Over the years I have acquired an assortment of firearms. I like guns, and being an avid hunter, they become an instant necessity. Tomorrow I'm meeting a friend to celebrate our 2nd ammendment rights at 7:30 a.m. in Goochland, at my golf course, for some serious shootin'! He's got a new rifle, and I have an abundance of land along the James River that just begs for the resonance of early morning, frost laden, gun fire. It'll be cold, but I'll keep myself warm by the heat radiating from the freshly discharged weapons.

What I'll be bringing to the table:
Glock 19 9mm
Remington Model 700 270 Winchester Short Mag
Marlin Model 70 Semi-automatic .22 Long Rifle
CVA Optima Pro 209 .50 Caliber in-line muzzleloader

Hunting season is now officially over. Those die-hards that were clinging to the last remaining opportunity to go hunting have since been sequestered with the departure of the Winter Migratory Waterfowl season West of Interstate 95 last Saturday.

I'll call it really early pre-season preparation, with a grueling 7 months of waiting before we can put anything tasty in the crosshairs.

Hooters

Not long ago it was tradition that my buddies and I would meet at Hooters for Happy Hour on Thursday nights. One: because it was a rather central location for all of us Two: because one of my buddy's girlfriends worked there (eek!) and would "hook us up" Three: why the hell not!?

A few of us will find ourselves at this aforementioned establishment on an occasional Thursday evening for a little blast of nastalgia, but for the most part, we have moved on to more sophisticated watering holes for our libations.

With a far more refined palate in my old age, I find spending money at this place is just prolonging its ever-failing existance. It is certainly not the hot spot it used to be, and on my last visit I parked next to a pick-up truck (huge shock there), where upon further investigation, I noticed the driver was "asleep". Now I don't want to offend anyone, but who sleeps in their truck in the Hooters parking lot? Maybe he'd been there for lunch, had a few too many draft beers and had to sleep it off? Maybe he'd been up all night fighting with his girlfriend in their trailer? I didn't really care and didn't want to know any specifics. But I did watch him rouse from his slumber and amble into the place upon ordering my third 7 oz. Happy Hour special draft beer.

It is Thursday, but I don't think I'll make it tonight.

Canine

Let me introduce Jefferson (aka Jeff, Geoff, Jefferson Starship, Jeff Derooley, Hammerhead) my forever shedding, 100 lb., paperless pure-bread, Yellow Labrador Retriever, who accompanies me nearly everywhere (including work at the golf course everyday) in his securely fastened Pet Porter in the bed of my pickup truck. Stay tuned as he's voiced some interest in starting his own blog... Dear lord, that's what I need...

Ready...Go!

Now everyone can experience my thoughts as they occur (or when I have time to put them into text). Good for you guys! Enjoy.