 I love playing golf with everyone but some of the best times on the course are with other women. If you live in Austin, you know that the weather has been pretty chilly recently. On a particular Friday afternoon not too long ago, I arranged a game with four other gals—all of whom have become friends but who have nothing in common except for their love of golf. It was cloudy and the wind chill was about 40b but no one wanted to “wimp out” so we forged on. With multiple layers of clothes, we met on the driving range for a brief warm up and then on to the first tee we went.
As with most female gatherings, there is constant talking so playing golf can get in the way of a damn good story. It depends on the seriousness of your group, but most lady golfers have grown accustomed to playing with multiple distractions—conversations that continue while you’re hitting a shot, standing in the wrong place, cell phones, and some sort of sudden movement like waving over the beverage cart. I guess you can view it as training for when the opportunity to play competitive golf arises. Naturally I try to educate the new golfers about proper etiquette, but in certain groups golf is only the by-product of a great social gathering. I think that’s why women get the reputation for playing slow. After all, it’s almost impossible to hit a quality shot while you’re talking.
It’s interesting when you think about the many life lessons that are learned on the golf course. Patience and humility usually top the list, but honesty, compassion, acceptance and humor are close seconds. On that Friday afternoon, each time we sat under a tree waiting for a group to play through, it gave us a chance to talk and laugh about life and learn more about each other. The wonderful thing about golf is that you can mix people of different ages, genders, sexual preferences, races, religions, social status, educations, etcetera, and the common love of the game is the thread that bonds the group together. How many times can you put a school principal, a salon owner, an accountant and a lesbian computer nerd together to create a lasting friendship? I love this game!
The next time you want to meet the girls for happy hour, consider making a date to play golf. It’s even better because you can blend it with a physical activity, enjoy the beautiful surroundings and drink an adult beverage at the same time.
Tina Bradley Mayers is the
head teaching professional at Buck Mayers Golf
Academy located at The Golf Club at Circle C
in Austin, Texas. She can be reached by calling
512.413.0574 or email buckntina@austin.rr.com
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