You may think I am being facetious.  I guess it depends on your ability. There is the Joy of Cooking, the Joy of Baking, the Joy of Painting, but the Joy of Golfing? Much to my surprise, there is a website titled thejoyofgolfing.com. I actually love golfing. I am a moderately skilled golfer, although the golf instructor at my local course thinks I bought the lifetime lesson membership! You are here for lessons again?! Let me tell you why I am serious in my belief that there is much joy in golfing.

I know of groups of men who live for early Saturday morning golf, our own editor Eric Von included. They thrill for the long drives, sinking the putts and in some cases, enjoying a stogie in their carts. They enjoy getting away, relaxing and testing their skills. This is great “guy time”.

It’s also good for the ladies. I joined a lesson league at a local golf course. There were 12 of us neighborhood friends who signed up. We had a lesson, grabbed a cocktail, then hit the course for 5 holes of golf or until the darkness overtook us and we gave up looking for our balls. This was a really fun time for me – fun both because my golfing skills really improved but fun also because it was a time to let loose, enjoy some time with friends and be outside on a beautiful course.

Golfing as a sport can be very frustrating, but it can also be very rewarding. A friend of mine is very serious about her game and plays several times a week in addition to hitting the driving range. I am not that serious and spend more time chauffeuring my children. When my time does free up later in life, I still don’t imagine that I will be that serious. I find it difficult to focus during my backswing and find I am thinking about the laundry or what we will have for dinner. When I timed it, I realized I only had to focus for 20 seconds, so I do much better now, but it tells you I am less than serious.

What I am serious about is finding the time to golf and make memories. My children went through golf lessons and are very good golfers. They tend to get more easily frustrated however when their shots and their play is not what they hope for. Eventually they come around and we enjoy our time together. I love golf for the lifelong sport it is. I love golf for that fact that you can play nearly anywhere – I have played in Lake Tahoe, Arkansas, Hilton Head, Door County, Honolulu and Milwaukee. I find that golf courses are some of the most beautiful landscapes I see on my vacations. I found Arkansas and Lake Tahoe to have the most breathtaking courses.

Most golfers have stories about great shots, chips, putts, etc. We have stories about alligators coming on the course and my friend scaring it away with his monstrous voice. We have hit shots where the ball rolled right between a goose’s legs. When I was a child, I actually managed to hit the ball on my tee shot so it went behind me. Fortunately it hit a large oak and saved my father from an untimely death. We have taken our cart through the “shortcut” in the woods to beat our group back to the clubhouse. We have made many memories with many good and bad shots.

Take a few hours and go to the driving range or golf course this summer. Enjoy the sun and the breeze and the beauty of the outdoors. Hit some good shots and count yourself lucky that you can get out there and hit some balls! Then tell me some of your stories!