By Jordan Farr
The other day I went out with friends; two couples, and a golf buddy of mine.
We discussed lots of things, but there were a couple of topics I found particularly interesting, one was "love and marriage", and the other about "love and golf"!
It occurred to me that... in certain ways... the two seemed a lot alike. The relationship one has with a spouse... or a significant other... and the relationship one has with the game, actually have numerous points in common: There are good days and bad, days that intensify the love and days that make you feel like you’re stuck in a Whistling Straits sandtrap... without a sand wedge.
Sometimes the game seems to perfectly fit your personality and your interest level, a match made in Golf Heaven. However, you can also find yourself going through a rough patch with golf, where you don’t even want to talk about the it, let alone play the game. Increasingly, you may find your time together fraught with frustration. You fondly remember the past, and the way things once were. The honeymoon... you decide... is clearly over.And just then, something happens that charms you; a putt you're sure you messed-up meanders towards the hole and... responding to an invisible break... drops right into the center of the cup. Or you make a subtle change during a routine session at the range and suddenly you're hitting the long, pure drives of your dreams... one after another. So there you are with golf, right back where you started, in love again.
Yes, golf is a lot like love. In fact the biggest difference my friends and I could find was that after a bad round, you can go to the 19th hole and get a beer and a meal, while a fight with a spouse most often leads to eating leftovers and sleeping on the couch.
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ReplyDeletejordan,
the common element is that they expose our hamartia (1)
the point is, we should enjoy the UPS, and find ways to pick ourselves out of the DOWNS - both in life and in golf
especially when the DOWNS are self-induced and against all odds
similarly, we can be our own worst enemies, both in life and golf, so sometimes we gotta just let it happen, follow our bliss
of course, having earthly responsibilities, and the fear of being labeled insane, cause us to operate within certain civil boundries, except at certain times, both in life and in golf, we can grip it and rip it without concern of consequence - our human instinct to err
cheers !
frankD
ftlauderdale soFLA
(1)(hamartia from Greek hamartanein, "to err"), inherent defect or shortcoming in the hero of a tragedy, who is in other respects a superior being favoured by fortune.
Thank you for that Frank. It's so, so true.
ReplyDeleteHere's to those "grip it and rip it" times.
(I'm going to try to use hamartia in a sentence before the end of the weekend).
Great analogy, and very accurate, especially that last sentence.
ReplyDeleteIn the past I've been let down in love and I've been let down in golf, now I'm in a pretty good place with both. We'll see what 2011 brings.
ReplyDeleteDon't compare marriage and golf. That's not fair to golf. :))))
ReplyDeleteLove and golf have both cost me quite a bit of money over the years. That's the biggest commonality I can see. ;)
ReplyDeleteWondering how her golf game is. :)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEHE3x4_L3s
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ReplyDeletejordan,
yes, and for the other side to that, google this :
GODWARD DOLCE FAR NIENTE
(you might recognize the pose)
cheers !
frankD
ftliquordale so FLA
I prefer my post battle evenings making up...in the marital chamber.
ReplyDelete