What Day Is It?

Seriously! Does anyone know what day it is or how long we've been cooped up in our homes trying to avoid the Covid19 pandemic?

Life has been anything but normal and I think most will agree that this really sucks.

I know in the grand scheme of things I have it pretty good right now with a roof over my head and high speed Internet to stream Netflix. As good as that is, I still miss so many other things we used to take for granted.

The nicer weather has started to show signs of returning as the days get longer and warmer. I might even take my snow tires off the car this week. This change that we'd normally be happy about isn't being met with the same enthusiasm as it would have had 2020 gone as planned.

Everything is pretty much shutdown or closed to try and keep people safe, although it seems some selfish morons are still trying to do things they shouldn't. These mental defective numbskulls aside, most people are making an effort to keep themselves and the most vulnerable in our communities as safe as possible.

Here it is the end of April. What things would I be doing at this time of the year that I can't now. Obviously the first thing I think of is spending quality time with my Fiancée. We don't live together and therefore are not allowed to get close to each other. Are either of us carrying the virus? Probably not but that doesn't mean we can risk it for her health or mine. We'll make up for lost cuddle time when this is all over.

The snow is gone so clearly I'd love to put my golf clubs in the car and head to the course to shake the rust off my swing after a long winter.

Not to mention carrying my clubs around the course chasing the ball for exercise. As of right now, all golf courses are closed and our leagues will have to wait to begin, if we ever get them started this year.

I'm not alone in wanting the option to do other things like go to restaurants, walks in Provincial Parks, going to the gym and most importantly, gathering together in person with family and friends.

All we can do right now is put everybody's health first. That is more important than standing outside Tim Hortons having a smoke with your buddies drinking coffee. It's more important than taking kids to play on the swings at the park with their friends. It's more important than getting into arguments and fights with store staff or other people because you had to wait in a line to get groceries. Use the common sense you were born with and do what HAS to be done and not what you WANT to do.

Stay safe and let's take care of all of us.

Life Gets In The Way

Summer highlight having the family together in Canada.

 The summer isn’t officially over yet but having moved into September it can definitely be classified as being on life support. This has truly been the summer from hell. Easily one of the hardest summers of my life and that’s saying a lot for me.

Going into the summer I was feeling great. I had lost over 170 pounds, was working out daily, work was going well, family was doing fine and the thought of feeling the heat of the sun on my face again was something I was looking forward to. The only thing that didn’t look promising was my love life which in all honesty hasn’t been much to cheer about for a very long time.

I don’t mind sharing my own personal thoughts and life story with all of you because I like to think I’m a pretty open book. There are some family things that will always remain as private as possible. I try to walk a fine line between being honest and protecting those I love.

The one big reason why I’ve been neglecting my blog this summer revolves around my father who was diagnosed with kidney cancer and not the kind that can be cured. It’s Stage 4 renal cell carcinoma and unfortunately it has moved out of his only remaining kidney and into his lungs.

Quite simply, it devastated us when we learned the news as I’m sure it does for most families. My dad is my best friend and the toughest man I’ve ever known and he’s wearing a brave face through all of this but knowing what he is facing in the months ahead scares me and I’m sure behind his brave face he is also feeling some fear. But I made a decision to spend as much time as I can with him and keep life as normal as possible which I think I’ve been pretty successful at doing.

The support of family and friends has been pretty amazing to see and I know my dad and mom both appreciate the kindness of those who have closed ranks around us at this time.

Of course with all that is happening in my family it has taken up a lot of my free time which I’m perfectly fine with. But my plans to be more active this summer by golfing more and walking and running more has suffered. I haven’t golfed nearly as much this summer as I have in past years and as far as my health goes, the summer has taken a bit of a toll on that as well.

I postponed my gym membership for July and August which means a lot of the progress I had made last winter with my weight lifting and fitness has been lost. I’m still in pretty decent shape but I’ve lost a lot of the muscle tone I had built and I’m sure some of that muscle has also turned into fat again. Thus, my weight has increased some this summer. That’s not to say I’ve ballooned up again but I’d say I gained about 20 pounds at one point.

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been trying to ease back into my old routine again and the pounds have started dropping again and I’ve returned to my original goal weight. Come the middle of September my gym membership will kick in and I hope to be back pumping iron and burning more fat.

My love life this summer has been interesting at times. Perhaps I should just dedicate a whole other blog to that subject as it’s kinda interesting how times have changed since I used to date years ago.

So I’m sort of back writing again but as usual I’m sure life will throw me some curveballs and I won’t be able to write as often as I’d like but I’ll do my best.

Little Balls For Cancer

Mark, Lyle, Andy and Bundy strike a pose

For the eleventh straight year I recently took part in the Terry Fox Golf Tournament and although we remained dry, everyone had a bad hair day thanks to the gusty winds.

The forecast heading into the day was calling for wind gusts up to 80 km/h, rain and cool temperatures. Luckily we only saw a few brief drops of the wet stuff and thanks to being dressed for the day it wasn't all that chilly after all. However the winds didn't disappoint which made for some tricky club selections.

OK, the truth is we usually try to win the tournament as I think we've won it at least four times in the past but there were a couple of teams that may have brought in a few ringers which meant our chances were very slim. But other than bragging rights, the real reason we play is to raise money for the cause...cancer research.

Well, we didn't win. In fact we struggled all day long in the best ball game and eventually finished at one over par. It's the first time in eleven years that we didn't have a single birdie the entire round. We weren't the only team to struggle.

It was amazing how many times we'd hit what appeared to be an excellent tee shot only to have the wind swallow the ball up and drop it or move it no where near the trajectory should have taken it. Mother Nature had our number and all we could do was keep our hats from blowing off and shake our heads in disbelief.

For the second year in a row our team consisted of Mark Adams, Lyle Williams, Andy Koetstra and myself. We had a lot of laughs as we struggled along and over $8000 was raised for the cause. I don't know if they'll be having the tournament next October but if they are, you can bet we'll be there again.

Autumn in Canada

Crisp cool nights, the leaves changing colour and all that other happy crap that comes with the arrival of autumn in Canada.

No, this time of year isn’t my favourite season but as bitter as I seem to be about it, I’ve noticed this year more than any other, I actually hate it a smidgen less than usual.

Boy, you people are going to start thinking that I’m turning into a sour and cantankerous old man. The truth is…I’m not old at all.

I enjoy life but I’m not going to lie, I enjoy it a great deal more when you can actually feel the heat of the sun, the leaves are green, the tee times are abundant and women wear a lot less. Yes, I’m a lover of summer, among other things.

For some unknown reason however, this fall I am feeling less Grinch like about the changing seasons and inevitable arrival of old man winter. Autumn 2010 has been quite pleasant. The weather has been comfortable and rather dry for the most part which always puts a smile on my face.

I even found myself out on the golf course this past weekend in only a t-shirt. Yes, I was wearing jeans but no sweater which was wonderful. The latest I’ve golfed in Canada in the past was December 15th but that was several years ago when I was bothered less by the frosty temperatures. I did golf once on New Year’s Day but that was at a friend’s golf course and it was just after midnight using glow balls on the snow. Alcohol was involved of course.

The one thing I absolutely despise in the autumn is raking leaves. Every year we do it three or four times as some trees empty quicker than others. That was the case again this year but the purchase of a leaf blower that also mulches made the job so much more…I don’t want to say enjoyable, but less time consuming and back breaking. Money well spent.

Knock on wood, we’ve only had a few snow flurries so far but that will change soon enough I’m sure. The next task will be to decorate for Christmas. I’m not too gung-ho about that job either but I think the lights look nice once they’re up.

One thing I can’t stand is when people go crazy with their Christmas enthusiasm. I don’t mind people being excited about the season but don’t turn your yard into a toilet bowl in which Christmas threw up on.

A house in my neighbourhood takes it too far and the gaudy decorations make me ill. Oh sure I’m betting the kids like them which is fine but personally, it’s a bit much having 15 blow-up items cluttering the front yard. On the plus side, all of the vehicles that usually park on the lawn are now in the backyard I’m guessing. Yes, we do have rednecks in Canada.

Probably the best thing about autumn is when the grass stops growing. This year has been crazy. Cutting the lawn twice a week was common so it’s nice to have a break from that. The downside is that although the mower is put away, it’s been replaced by the snow blower which I’ve already had running in preparation of the unavoidable winter storms to come.

So I’ll continue to enjoy the season as best I can. Unfortunately that likely won’t be for long. I just checked the forecast and we’re looking at highs of plus 3 by the weekend with possible snow. Crap!

Golf Season Winding Down

The leaves on the trees are changing colour and falling to the ground beneath and there’s a chill in the air now that autumn has officially arrived once again. Even as I’m typing this I can hear another flock of Canadian Geese heading to the warmer weather of the south.

With the arrival of fall we mark the end of one of the better summers I can recall in recent memory. Sure it was hot at times but there wasn’t a lot of rain during daylight hours which meant we could enjoy more outdoor activities like barbeques, games, picnics, swimming, camping and sports like my personal favourite, golf.

To be perfectly honest, I suck at golf compared to most amateur swingers. Sure I have my odd good or better than average rounds but most of the time I’m lucky to shoot bogie golf or better. I honestly believe my body type is my main hindrance; mainly the fact that I have more body than most. But I make it work as best I can and while it can be a frustrating game at times; I never get mad or take it too seriously.

What I enjoy most about golf is the social aspect. Just last night I went out with a bunch of guys from the men’s league and we split up into six teams for a 3-man scramble or best ball. Nobody gets serious, and everyone has a good time. I couldn’t make a putt to save my life but it didn’t matter. It was enjoyable to just swing the clubs on a beautiful evening and have some conversation with the guys.

That hasn’t been the case for the most part this season for me though. In fact, I haven’t golfed nearly enough this year and I suppose it’s partly my own fault for not forcing myself to go out. But it’s tough to find people to golf with at the times I’m able to go out. When I first became a member years ago, I had a regular foursome that would hit the course every Sunday morning from the time the course opened until the course closed for the winter. I’d be on the course three times a week. In recent years that group has disappeared and only I remain willing to do that.

There are other good guys I could easily golf with but when you work all week and have to get up early every day, it’s nice to sleep in a bit on the weekend to recharge the batteries. There are advantages to it but getting up at 6am to be on the course for 7am just isn’t a strong enough motivator for me. Sure I could do it provided my work schedule stays the same but I guess I love my bed more than my putter most days.

I certainly didn’t get my monies worth this year but that’s all on me. By my count to this point of the season, I golfed a total of 26 times this year including men’s league. Of those 26 times, eight of them were a full 18 holes while the rest were just rounds of nine holes.

But there’s still time, weather permitting, to play more swing and swear before the snow flies. The weather “experts” say it’s supposed to be a warm autumn season so I could still have plenty of opportunities to lose some balls amongst the leaves before storing the clubs for winter.

Who knows; maybe next year I won’t be feeling as tired and I’ll find more inspiration to swing the clubs. Perhaps I should join the women’s league, that could be instant incentive right there.

The Tail of Tiger

Some of you might have been wondering if I had any thoughts regarding all of this hub-bub surrounding Tiger Woods and his...er...um...indiscretions.

Well, I do have an opinion but rather than going into a long drawn out and in-depth discussion, I'll keep it fairly short and simple.

In my opinion, Tiger is a pretty boy superstar athlete who couldn't resist the temptations that came along with being a celebrity. It doesn't take a genius to know that when you're good looking, rich and well-known, the skanky, gold-digging whores are not going to be far away.

I don't know if his home life and relationship with his wife was healthy but when you're married, you don't cheat on your wife. Get out of the relationship if you're not happy and then you can take as many rides on the town bike as you like.

A real man doesn't cheat on his wife.

These women are also at fault and should be getting crucified by the media but they aren't. They knowingly slept with a married man and that is just as wrong as what Tiger did. They deserve nothing from this and should be treated like the tramps they are.

As far as all of those sponsorship dollars and endorsement deals are concerned...it should all be gone. No company that wants to be taken seriously would continue to associate themselves with an adulterer and man of poor morals such as Tiger Woods.

I feel sorry for his beautiful wife Elin. I can only imagine how embarrassing this must be for her.

I am a fan of Tiger the golfer and hope he can get back to playing golf in the future but he will never be a legend of the game to be mentioned in the same breath as Gary, Jack and Arnold ever again. They were true gentlemen of the game both on and off the course. Tiger may end up with all the records, but he will never be a true champion.

October This and That

I was just sitting in front of the computer and figured I should probably post an update on the blog but I really don't have any particular topic that has peaked my interest lately.

My Habs have been playing fairly well despite a bad night tonight in Vancouver and the fact they're starting the season with a long road trip and the Leafs haven't won a game yet, so that's all good. Plus my hockey pool has begun and that helps to keep the season interesting.

The world has been dealing with some crazy stuff lately with typhoon's, tsunami's and earthquakes and thankfully none of it has really affected me at all other than feeling sorry for those who have suffered.

I tried my luck at Geocaching the other day but gave up after about ten minutes. I just don't have the patience to trek through the bush looking for hidden "treasures" just for the heck of it. If I was searching for the secret location of a group of undersexed sorority girls then that might prove to be a bit more motivating.

I went out golfing earlier tonight for the first time in about a month and it wasn't a compete failure. It was cool, the winds were blowing at about 1000 km/h and my tee shots looked great until I made contact with the ball. Eventually the sun came out and the colours of the leaves on the trees were amazing. I had a lot of fun golfing with the guys. Truth be told...I've golfed a lot worse and actually hit a few good tee shots. My putting sucked though. Hopefully I play better on the 17th as I take part in the annual Terry Fox Golf Tournament.

Thanksgiving is coming up on Monday and I'll be working all day so that won't be too exciting. On the plus side I'll be enjoying some delicious dead fowl drowning in golden gravy on Sunday night. I love my mothers cooking.

And the other day I had some fun watching the local Air Force Search and Rescue Techs practicing their skills on the bay south of Brighton. Of course, I had my camera in hand and managed to snap a few frames (see below). I've seen this stuff before but it's still impressive to watch as they drop guys in wetsuits into the water and then come around to pluck them out over and over.

So aside from some boring work related stuff, that's about all I've been up to lately. I hope your life is more interesting than mine.

Copyright © All rights reserved.

Copyright © All rights reserved.

I Stink At Golf & Tiger Doesn't

I love playing golf but I'll be the first to admit I suck at it. I'm not going to sugarcoat anything...I truly stink. But, I can't stop playing it as I enjoy it too much. Golfing with friends and taking part in fun tournaments make it most enjoyable to me. My score is most often the last thing on my mind.

To put it in perspective, I'm as bad at golf as Tiger Woods is good at golf. He really is something to watch and the worst part of watching him play on TV is having to listen to the commentators and how they love him so much and how wonderful he is.

I'm not saying he isn't the best golfer in the world because it's impossible to argue that. He has an amazing ability to play and he thrives on pressure situations. He is a true professional. But having to listen to the nauseating drivel spewing forth from the mouth's of guys like Jim Nantz and most annoyingly Johnny Miller makes it tough to watch. I swear if Miller thought he had a chance to sleep with Tiger he'd have his pants off quicker than I can hook a ball out of play.

I enjoy watching Woods play but the television coverage goes a little overboard. As an example, I was watching the final round on Sunday afternoon and evening and there were several groups still finishing out their rounds with Tiger in the final group. I'm sure there were other players hitting shots on the last few holes but rather than showing us those guys live, we were forced to watch Tiger walking with his caddy down the fairway to his next shot. After watching this riveting display I came to the conclusion that I can walk almost as well as Tiger can so that's something. Do we really need to see him that much? Wait until he's walking up to the 18th green before you show that crap.

My point is the Tiger Woods Love-In goes a little overboard at times. I think he's great to watch and is extremely gifted but he should keep his distance from Johnny Miller or he might have to clean the drool off his shoes.

Having said all of that, Tiger did it again on Sunday by winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational in dramatic style on the 72nd hole with a long birdie putt for the win. It was quite exciting to watch and if you missed it, here it is for you to check out.

It's Golf Season Again

Well it has finally arrived. With temperatures back at or above normal it's only natural that the golf courses in my neck of the woods are open for business.

Last night I ventured out for a quick and fun nine hole round of scramble golf with some friends. I hadn't swung a club since Boxing Day in Florida so I knew I'd be rusty but I wasn't prepared for all the rust I had. I was playing like a FORD vehicle that's how rusty I was.

I thought I was going to play well. I stepped up to the first tee and my first shot of the season settled about 2 inches away from the hole. I damn near had a hole-in-one with my first swing of the year. I thought, "Hey...this might not be too bad after all."

Sadly, after getting my birdie on the first hole it was all down hill from there. I was sculling the ball, topping the ball and one time I even missed the ball completely. It's funny how you, or I, have to retrain myself after having all the time off. I needed to tie my head down so I wasn't peaking but I couldn't stop myself and my swing was looking like a folding lawn chair. Ya, I'm not sure what that means either.

Any way, I managed to finish the round and other than my tee shots, the rest of my game wasn't too bad.

Here it is the following morning and I'm in a lot of pain. I guess I found some muscles I haven't used all winter and they're letting me know they didn't appreciate being ignored for the last six months. On top of that my left foot and my right knee are both feeling less than top notch as well.

I think that's just my body telling me to wait until the golf carts are allowed on the course and I should ride the rest of the season. In fact, that's probably why my game stunk so much...I was in too much pain and tired from climbing the hills.

I'd like to think that's the reason. Oh well, it's just the beginning of the season so there's plenty of time to work on some better excuses.

Golf Winners Again

I don't like to brag...probably because I rarely have an opportunity to do so but I thought I'd do it just this one time.

Back on October 13 I took part in the Terry Fox Golf Tournament for the seventh year in a row. My current team (foursome) has been together for six of those years and of those six we've won the tournament four times, including this most recent event.

Of course we play mainly to support a good cause but with so many members of our golf club taking part we also enjoy bragging rights for a year.

It's a good time and with so many of us taking part there are usually some impressive shots during the round. This year was no exception.

Golf Cart Tragedy

Who ever coined the phrase, "A bad day on the golf course is better than a good day at work" probably wasn't expecting this to happen.

A 65-year-old golfer died Tuesday after his golf cart plunged 75 feet off a cliff and crashed into a road below.

The man teed off with three friends on the second hole of the Pala Mesa Resort Golf Course in northern San Diego County at around 10 a.m. and then got into his cart. The vehicle veered off the concrete pathway, traveled down a 25-foot embankment and went over the edge of a cliff.

The recently retired real estate agent was ejected shortly before the cart hit the road beneath the cliff and died on impact.

What the heck happened? I've been driving golf carts for a long time and I can't imagine anything other than an error by the poor man driving (hitting the gas instead of the brake) or some sort of mechanical problem to cause this accident.

I have seen other accidents before. At my regular course I've seen people acting like idiots behind the wheel and some have resulted in damaged carts and minor injuries but fortunately nothing this serious.

I came close to having an accident once at a tournament. It was early in the morning and the grass was very wet from the dew. While coming down a steep grass hill on a Par 3 I tapped the breaks to control my descent but that was all it took to send the cart into a spin. I did about three revolutions and came to a stop just before hitting another parked cart. I was lucky but certainly couldn't have been blamed had I done any damage.

If nothing else, I gave the folks with me something to talk about for a while.

Florida Vacation Memories

The mere fact that I've found time to add an update to my blog is proof that my vacation is over and I'm back to the usual routine of day to day life in Canada.

I recently arrived home after spending two weeks in Florida visiting my brother and sister-in-law and seeing the sights. I thought I'd share a few of the highlights of the trip with you and hopefully you'll enjoy them.

My uncle Mel and I left around 4:00 a.m. on Friday March 16th with much anticipation and a little trepidation as well with the knowledge the trip could be rough. Sure enough we starting running into the bad weather at the New York / Pennsylvania state line and it got worse from there. The snow was awful and the driving conditions were horrendous, however we kept going as best we could. We had to stop a couple times to remove the snow and ice build-up from the front of the van as it was causing the engine to overheat. It wasn't until we were off Interstate 81 and part way across Interstate 66 (just West of Washington in Virginia) that the snow turned into rain. You might think that's a good thing except we went from a blizzard to a monsoon with strong winds and torrential rain blinding us until we reached North Carolina. We had been on the road for over 15.5 hours and I'd had enough for the day so we stopped for the night in Kenly, NC. My hands were sore from gripping the steering wheel so tightly all day. Saturday morning we were on the road shortly after 3:00 a.m. and the drive into Florida was much better and we arrived at 3:00 p.m. at Scott and Erin's doorstep.

I'll spare you every little detail of the trip as I don't want to bore you to death but I'll give you a few of the more memorable moments. First off, Scott and Erin were fantastic hosts and their home is beautiful. My only criticism would be that I didn't see any pictures of me hanging on the walls or in any picture frames around the house. I didn't venture into their bedroom so I'm sure they must have them all located in there. Scott even let me cut his grass that first week which I enjoyed very much. It gave me an excuse to get outside and work on my tan. The meals were excellent and Mel and I were certainly spoiled.

The first Sunday we all went shopping at the Ellenton Outlet Mall and it worked out great as I was able to buy almost everything I had hoped to purchase on the trip. The first week Scott and Erin had to work a fair bit and that worked out well. Mel and I did a little shopping, running around and lounging around as well which was perfect for me. I enjoyed doing very little and it was probably a good thing because the weekend would make up for it.

We left for Orlando on Friday morning and went to Disney World, the MGM Park to be exact. I'd never been to this park before and it was a lot of fun. The only controversy of the day happened shortly after we arrived and Erin had purchased her $13 bottle of sunscreen. We decided to go on the Aerosmith Rock 'n' Roller Coaster. I should preface this by telling you that I'm not a big fan of roller coasters but I can handle a mild one like Space Mountain without any loops or corkscrews. Scott assured me that the ride was very tame and there were no surprises. Well, shortly before we entered the building an announcement came over the speaker to remind everyone of the intense ride and that it included a corkscrew and loops. Needless to say my heart rate increased dramatically and I let Scott know I wasn't pleased with his sneaky ways. I'd like to tell you I remember the ride vividly however my eyes were shut most of the way around it. We took off like a shot going 0-60 in a matter of 2 seconds and pulled five G's on the very first loop. I don't remember much after that as I was just trying to not have a heart attack. I survived but just barely. The rest of the rides and shows were much more to my liking.

After we left the park we checked in to the Hilton Hotel across from Downtown Disney, refreshed ourselves and went for supper and checked out the stores and shops in Disney Market.

On day two we went to Epcot. I'd been there before but it had changed a fair bit. The first ride we went on was Mission Space. Now I'm very interested in shuttles and space exploration so this was right up my alley but when I heard that a couple people had died on the ride, the heart kicked into high gear again. Looking back now, having survived, it was an awesome ride. The centrifuge spins to let you experience the G's during take off and also a simulated weightlessness. It was very cool and intense. After that it was off to ride on Test Track which was very entertaining as you hit high speeds on high banked corners. It was pretty cool. The rest of the day we enjoyed other rides and the many different countries represented. My feet were killing me by the time our two days were done there but it was worth it.

On the following Monday, Scott, Mel and I got up early and went golfing at Stoney Brook at Heritage Harbor which is located right at the end of Scott's street. It was a nice course set amongst the many houses with lots of water, sand and wildlife. Sadly, my golf game was lacking and I had a tough time enjoying myself. I think I lost about a dozen balls and my vocabulary got a serious workout. Despite my terrible game we still had fun but damn was it a hot day.

Other activities during our final week included a visit to the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota. This place was amazing. I'm not a huge fan of art work but I couldn't help but be impressed by the hundred's of pieces in Ringling's collection. The actual home that the Ringling's built was amazing and the guided tour was very interesting. I would recommend you check it out if you're ever in that area.

Scott, Mel and I also got up early one day and went to the Myakka River State Park which was very cool. Here we walked though the forest and climbed the tower in the canopy tour which gave a great scenic overview of the entire park. We also photographed many alligators and different birds. Being somewhat of a nature buff, I really enjoyed this. Sadly we didn't run into any rattlesnakes or panthers.

We left for home around 5:30 a.m. on Saturday morning which meant we missed out on the community Easter egg hunt but at least the drive home had much better weather. We did run into rain in Pennsylvania but I've come to the conclusion that the sun must never shine in that state.

All in all it was a super trip and we had a lot of fun but all good things must come to an end. I was hoping we'd come back to find the weather much warmer in Ontario but that wasn't the case as the forecast called for flurries and below normal temperatures the week of our return.

NOTE: If you'd like to view more photos from my trip, please click on the 2007 Bundy Photos link on the right. Also, below is a video someone shot of the entire Test Track Ride.

It's Official...I Must Love Golf

As the 2005 U.S. Open gets under way today I've come to the conclusion that I love the game of golf.

I'm not the type of golf fan that sits in front of the TV for four straight days glued to the coverage hoping that the golfers I have in my Major's Pool do well. It's more personal than that.

Sure I'll be tuning in from time to time to see who's doing what and especially how our Canadian boys are doing but mostly I'll watch Sportscentre in the evening to get the highlights of the days events.

Last night at my usual Wednesday night Men's League round in Wooler, I had an epiphany and came to the realization that I MUST love golf. We were about 10 holes into our round of 18 when the rain started. I'm not talking about a shower or drizzle or a sprinkle. No, I'm talking about a Monsoon or torrential downpour.

In all my years as a golfer (about 7 years), I've never golfed in anything like this before. Usually if it's raining so hard that the umbrella does nothing but give me something to hold in my right hand, I can be found heading for cover. Not last night. We were on the 17th hole in Wooler on the forward white tees and I couldn't even find the flag on the green, less than 100 yards away. We were blinded by the onslaught of precipitation yet we went ahead and made our shots.

Somehow, mine did find the green but was a mile away from the hole. We finished the hole and moved to the 18th tee.

By this time I was beyond wet. My shirt had become like a second skin, sticking to my body with a suction effect. Despite the talk of quitting, we went ahead and played the hole. The rain hadn't let up at all and everything was soaked from my head to my toes. Once again, somehow with a drenched golf glove I managed to make it on to the green with my tee shot and pared the hole.

Luckily by the time we moved from there to the clubhouse the rain came to a sudden halt and the sun came through the clouds. I stopped by my car, changed shirts and put on a new golf glove and we continued to finish the round just as it was getting too dark to see the ball.

After persevering through that monsoon, I realized that I must love the game as any man in his right mind would have called it quits. I was reminded of the Minister in the Caddyshack movie having the round of his life and didn't quit until the bolt of lightning struck him down on the last hole. Like him, I was having a good round and had to continue. Of course, if I was having a bad round instead of a good one, I probably would have been the first one to find shelter.

The Greatest Game?

What is golf? Some define it as “a game played with a small ball and a bat or club crooked at the lower end. He who drives the ball into each of a series of small holes in the ground and brings it into the last hole with the fewest strokes is the winner.” Hmmm…sounds simple enough. Then why do I love to hate it…and hate to love it?

Golf is a game that I have come to love over the past 5 years or so. Sure I’d played it as an adolescent; but back in the day it was just once or twice a year. Since I became a member of the Murray Hills Golf Course in Wooler, I’ve taken my love of the game to a whole new level.

I’m happy to say that this new level no longer involves wrapping my putter around a tree or trying to set the record for 5 iron tossing. I’ve comfortably settled into the level where my game still stinks on a regular basis but is good enough to keep me thinking that there’s hope of improvement. I’m sure I’m not the only one at this stage in their game. That’s not to say I don’t unintentionally break the odd club from time to time. That’s just normal wear and tear. Ok, I broke the head off a putter while hitting a ball like a baseball after playing a particularly stinky round...but that was a rarity.

One area of my game where I have truly improved over the past couple of years is my vocabulary. I’ve come up with several interesting and never heard combinations of curse words on the links. Now with golf being a gentleman’s sport, I certainly do my best to mutter those profanities under my breath during most occasions. Nevertheless there are times when I don’t quite catch myself soon enough and the odd F-Bomb will slip beyond my lips.

Despite the fact the game can leave me frustrated, fuming, weeping, perplexed and minus a few clubs, all of the bad feelings drift away as I sit with my buddies at the clubhouse drinking a few cold pints while making plans for our next assault on the course.