There’s no doubt about the boring, eyeball-rubbing, forever-yawning stigma that comes with sitting through a golf match, right? I thought so too, but then it was as if the eye of Tiger stared me in the face and said, “Give it a chance.”
Of course, you can’t deny one of the most successful athletes of all time, so on Thursday, August 24, I gained a newfound respect for the sport because it was then I decided to join the Chiefs golf team.
My first round on the course was excruciatingly painful for my friends on the team to watch, yet pretty humorous too. I kept pulling off because my baseball swing took over. The ball skewed rights into the bushes and the rough. Every time. My stance was all wrong. I had my feet too close together and aimed my feet the wrong way. Also baseball’s fault. But I was having a great time. The sport requires an odd ratio of knowing what you’re doing, and pure luck. It truly is a recipe for a challenging, engaging, good spirited time.
Golf, unlike football and hockey, is definitely one of those things you have to do to really understand. There’s no defense, no offense; it’s a man or woman versus self competition; and the challenge mocks you during every hole.
There are a ton of factors that must be accounted for the on the course. How far is the green from the tee-box? How strong and what direction is the wind blowing? Which way does the green slope? How strong should I swing? Which club should I use? And in order to keep the game going, all of these external factors must be considered and accounted for in a matter of seconds.
Now that I have acquired a basic understanding of the game, it’s easier for me to watch the sport. I may even try to figure out the next televised PGA tournament.
