Last weekend we attended a Beach BBQ for our friend’s birthday. At this particular event, we had a great time getting to know our friends’ extended family a lot better as well as their other friends. Interestingly, there is one gentleman friend of theirs with whom I’ve always had difficulty conversing. He has a seemingly serious temperament and has never responded well to my “Hi, How are you?” conversation openers. It’s not that he’s unresponsive, rather, it’s quite the opposite. He immediately launches into business-talk and frustrations and irritations. He bombards me with questions that in my opinion would not be filed under the category of “Party Atmosphere”, but hey, who am I to say? So, in the past, I’d generally just walk away to find the nearest drink.
Not this time. I decided it was high time to try and loosen this man up and see if there was anything beneath all that grumpiness. After all, our mutual friends must see something in him that I'm missing. So I thought, what in the world could I possibly talk about that might help build rapport and is safe and light-hearted?
Golf!
Yup. I took a chance and asked the man if he played golf. And with 27 million golfers in the US alone, lo and behold, he said “Yes” with a SMILE! Having played golf many years ago and grown up with golf fanatics for parents, I was able to navigate my way through a positive and intelligible conversation. Whew. The man lit up when it came to discussing his game, his weaknesses, who he plays with, how often he plays, where he plays, his index, etc. By the end, he told me if I ever wanted to play I ought to give him a call.
Cripes. It’s been years, but living in San Diego, I do feel a bit guilty that I don’t take advantage of the incredible climate and golf courses here. Until recently, I came up with every excuse not to play—I don’t have clubs. I don’t know of any girlfriends that play. I don’t have 4 consecutive hours to block out for 18 holes.. An on and on.
But, a few weeks ago, my dear friend “D” whose husband is an avid golfer and friend of some of the folks at Taylor Made, came over one day and GAVE ME a gorgeous full set of seemingly new golf clubs, in a beautiful golf bag! I said, “WTF?” She told me that because her husband knows the folks at Taylor Made, he gets a new set virtually every year and that all his “old” sets were gathering dust in the garage.
Are you kidding me? The set I was looking at looked untouched. I was pumped up, especially as I began to recall the single set of clubs on which I learned the game. Yikes. The driver was way before the days of the Big Bertha. My driver would have more aptly been called the Mini Cooper. The head was so small, it seemed like it was barely larger than a golf ball!
When I saw the driver in this new set, I nearly fell over. Now, I haven’t played golf in years, so I haven’t held a club in my hand nor kept up with all the new technology etc. But this thing was like someone had taken a soccer ball and melded it to the bottom of a stick. Holy cow, I thought, how in HELL can anyone miss the ball with this?!? I was so excited and now I can’t wait to get out and start practicing. My girlfriend had 3 other sets that she gave away and we’ve all committed to getting out there ASAP.
So exciting.
Anyway, getting back to my “friend” at the party.. I don’t foresee us ever going out to play a round of golf together, but if I did, it certainly would be interesting. According to golf legend Bobby Jones, “You can learn more about a man (woman) in nine holes than a lifetime.” My dad has always maintained that golf tends to expose your real character. It tests your fortitude, your confidence, and your humility. Hmmm.. all I ever hear about his golf outings is the stress and excitement he experiences from the regular bets he makes with his friends during games. The way he talks you’d think the stakes were exorbitantly high, but it is never more than a couple dollars or a round of beers.
*Sigh.* To each his own. In the meantime, I’m wondering.. Do they make leopard-print golf attire?
