Back to School -- Back on the golf team

Just a little note about how much I've enjoyed school shopping with my kids this year. Actually, I haven't gone with my son yet. Probably because he's been consumed with making his high school golf team. Try-outs were Monday and Wednesday with the team posting listed Wednesday after 6 PM. Bug made the team! The coach also posted the eight players who would play in their first tournament TODAY. Bug made the 7th place tourney cut. He was stoked, as he was the only Sophomore to make it to the tourney.

But the big news is ... of the 32 players entered in the tourney, Bug took 5th! And his team placed first! There was only one other teammate who scored better than Bug. He hopes that means that he'll also be attending another golf tournament on Monday. (Only 5 players per team.) What a great start to the golf season.

In back-to-school shopping news, I've decided that going to multiple stores looking for shoes, capris, shirts, binders, markers, etc. is actually fun. It's a great chance to spend time with my daughters, to get to find out what their interests and tastes are. To get to reminisce about the good-old-days of my youth. (Dinosaur era.) And to catch their excitement about another year of school.

Bug and Lou successfully went through their schools' registration processes. Bug wanted me to go with him (as he was registering on the Junior's day due to golf try-outs), but Loula Belle just went with her friend from next door. After Bug and I were done and back to the car, he said, "I don't really like all the crowds and people."

"Well, I do," I replied.

"I know. I could tell," he said. "You get all chatty and hyper, talking with everyone and smiling your head off."

I guess he has me figured out. I really do get a kick being around lots of people. Plus I think that part of it is being in the school environment. It just gives me a buzz. Which means that I'll probably enjoy my foray into substitute teaching. And as of this moment, I'm planning to get my certificate current this year (maybe take a class Spring semester) and possibly apply to teach school. That's the plan, anyway.

I did a little quick calculating and figured out that we only have 3 more summers until Bug goes on a two-year mission. And in another eight years all my children will be through high school. Time doesn't march on so much as it goes at a dead sprint. I'm going to try to enjoy each little joy while I've still got my kids at home!

Giving Golf Another Try

It's official. I'm going to give golf another shot.

It's not like I've been a dedicated golfer in the past. I bet I've played less than 10 times. But each time I've played golf, I stunk. And some of the time I'd get frustrated with the game and begin thinking of all the things I had to do back at home. Things that were't getting done because I was out on the course chasing a misbehaving little white ball around.

But here's the thing. My husband, son, dad and possibly youngest daughter are all golfers. My son made his high school Freshman team last year and will be trying out again this year. Hubby and son like to watch tournaments on TV, and I'm finding that I like watching them too. But the thing that really got me back on the golf course was reading a few stories from Chicken Soup for the Golfer's Soul. (Really, it's one of the Chicken Soup titles. Who'd have thought?) Those few stories helped me see that golf is a lot like life. And I'd like to spend more time with the people in my life who golf.

So today Bug and I headed out to play 9 holes. In on-and-off rain. I still pretty much stunk, but I kept my focus on the overall experience, on enjoying the cool morning air, watching my son hit some really great shots, and trying hard to come in under double-par. (Yeah, that's a stretch for me.)

Prior to our outing, I'd also read a bit in Golf Digest and Golf magazines. I learned that white belts are in this year -- only keep the width of the belt in inverse proportion to your own waistline. (And if you're built like me, skip belts entirely.) I learned that when putting at a distance less than six feet away from the hole you don't want to have much of a backswing at all. On the course, my son also pointed out that putting is a slight shoulder rotation, like a pendulum, and not a wrist-oriented action. Reading the golfing magazines was enjoyable, but I didn't know a lot of the terms they used, and I certainly don't have enough experience to put much of their instruction into use yet. But I'm learning.

In fact, I think one those magazines should hire me as a columnist. I could write from the perspective of the know-next-to-nothing newby. "Learning Curves" would be the name of my column. (Note: Most of the articles in golfing magazines are by and for men. Most articles are also for experienced golfers. My monthly piece would round out their editorial coverage nicely.) Problem is, how long can one write from the perspective of a neophite golfer?

From what I can tell, my induction period could last for years.

P.S. I took my camera, but teenage boys are averse to having their mothers take photos while on the golf course. (And no, it would not have slowed play any. There were a group of senior citizens ahead of us whose play enouraged us to take our time.) Alas, the picture above is of the course, but not any of the holes we shot. Sigh.