*This blog was written in August of 2007 after playing my first round of golf at the SIS's Pasatiempo event. Thanks to Camille, Patti, Liz, and Donna for making it a wonderful day. I missed you all at Pasa this year.
Also special thanks to Chad Goodin of C. E. Goodin Photography for the great photos of the day.
I am not a golfer. Or am I?
I have worked in the SIS office for almost three years now and have never felt the urge to pick up one of the many golf clubs lying around to swing it at imaginary balls. I do not know any golfer who would be able to walk by without at least fondling a club head. I have come to believe this is the way to test for a “true golfer”.
My journey onto the golf course began after the 2007 15th Anniversary at Harding Park. I met Patti Parlee, a member who generously donated to our auction on behalf of Clarus Transphase Scientific, makers of the QLink. Patti and I became fast friends and I asked her how I could thank her for the donations. “Play golf with me,” she replied. I laughed, but agreed hoping she would forget. Within hours, she was our first registration for Pasatiempo and I was on my way to a golf course for my first 18 holes.
I am not one to “go softly into the night”, nor to the golf course for that matter. I did some checking into the Pasatiempo event and in all other years combined, a total of 7 women had played this course. I began a campaign to get as many women to play as possible. I called every woman I knew that owned clubs, spoke to the wives of several members, and resorted to begging to get my group for the day.
The week before Pasatiempo, I picked up a set of beginner clubs, shoes, and some balls. Of course, my biggest concern was color coordinating everything.
I signed my 9 year old son up for a 3 day golf camp at the local municipal course and off I went with him to the range. On the second day, I took my husband for moral support. BIG mistake as he laughed the whole time and counted the times I sliced into a certain cypress tree. On day three, Austin’s instructor felt sorry for me and came over to help “correct” my stance and slice after hearing I was playing Pasatiempo.
In fear of embarrassment, I emailed Jo Hardy and begged for advice on how to rid myself of the hated slice. “Freedom of motion” was her first piece of advice.
“Imagine that you are swinging the club at eye level like a baseball swing (you've seen many!) Take several baseball swings and let your arms do what they naturally do. Don't make anything happen but rather let the natural bio-mechanics of your body take over and watch/feel how the wrists and arms naturally rotate. Do it several times.
Do you think your golf swing feels as free? I suspect not. Can you have a similar intention for freedom in your golf swing? Keep going back to the baseball swing as a reference point. Rather than judge that one is good and the other bad, just keep feeling the two motions and how they are with respect to freedom.”
How brilliant! I could do that, or so I thought.
I printed her email and took it along with me to Pasatiempo for reference. I had no expectations of doing well. My goal for the day was simply to keep up with the golfers in front of me while keeping my ball hopefully on the right fairway!
PASATIEMPO ARRIVES
My Group: Camille Canzone Tarrson, Jo Crisp, Patti Parlee, Liz Smart-Foster, & Donna Schoenecker (not pictured)
Keep in mind that three of us had never played golf, one was currently taking lessons, and one played regularly. To ensure we had fun, Camille and I had loaded our cart with margaritas.
We went down to hit a few balls at the range and I was still slicing. Camille offered to tee off on the first hole and I was relieved for the clubhouse windows.
On the 2nd hole I had a horrid slice off the tee. It was decided that we needed a margarita.
On the 3rd hole, we stood there looking at the bunkers and the slopes and decided it was going to be a LONG day! I hit a long shot and watched as it sliced just slightly, then rolled to the middle of the fairway. We considered it a victory when we narrowly escaped the bunkers and went on to four.
On the 4th, Steve Cohen, the Society’s illustrious president, was standing on the edge of the 3rd green and I almost took him out when I shanked one. I actually put a hand to my forehead looking for the ball out on the fairway until I heard the laughter behind me and saw the direction Patti was pointing. How embarrassing!
At some point, perhaps due to the tequila, I began to relax and really started thinking about Jo Hardy's advice. I started my practice swings at the tee by swinging the "bat" and feeling the freedom then while swinging, would work my way down to the ball. Then I would step up and hit it before I had time to think about it. It not only straightened my ball out, it added about 50 yards to each shot.
By 10, I had given up on putting but was enjoying trying to hit the ball where I wanted.
On 11, the world changed! I hit a beautiful shot to the middle of the fairway before halfway to the bridge. On the second shot we debated whether we should try going over the bridge. I boldly stated I was going to "lay up by the bridge" and go over to the green on my 3rd shot. The ladies looked and me and said "where did you learn that?" and I laughed as I stated "from a movie!" (Thank you, Kevin Costner in Tin Cup)
AND I DID IT!
It was a perfect shot landing about 5 feet before the bridge with my third shot landing on the edge of the green, on the lip of a bunker. Steve and the group behind us were watching from the tee and loved my "happy as hell" dance. The fourth shot was my first chip ever! I just stepped up and it landed 4 feet behind the hole!!!! Needless to say, I picked the ball up without attempting the putt. Why ruin my best hole by attempting the impossible?
The rest of the round was spent enjoying the day yet testing myself, but without any expectation, which allowed me to be free.
I can not honestly say I am in love with the game. It was truly the company that made the day so wonderful.
Am I a golfer? Those who saw me play that day say I am a natural.
All I know for sure is that I recently found myself in the office talking to Steve while swinging a 7 iron, trying to feel the “freedom of motion”, and picturing the next outing with the girlies.
