Tea Time

Is it tea time yet? When my mother, who is very English, would ask that question, my

father would agree, grab his golf clubs, and head to the links. An avid golfer for most of his life,

he even managed to play eighteen holes the week before he passed away at the age of seventy‑nine. Dad never felt too “under par” to enjoy the game. I am just beginning to play golf and can finally appreciate his enthusiasm for this delightful and difficult sport.

I have begun taking lessons with my grandson, Kevin. Every week we strive to become golfers. I’m making excellent progress. My instructor has told me that my swing is really improving. Sadly, I don’t always connect with the ball. Yes, Dear Readers, that little, white, evil ball is the thing that stands in the way of me being any good at this game. I’m beginning to get the “swoosh” in my swing, but I just don’t always connect.

Kevin is fourteen years old and already progressing at a much faster rate. There is something about learning early that seems to make sense. However, I am encouraged when I look around at the white‑haired folks who are out in force, swinging away with gusto and making it all look so easy. Hey, you don’t have to be young to play golf, you just have to play young. And you definitely need some power in the swing to make that booming drive.

One of the keys to success is to practice the fundamentals of good posture, alignment and grip. There is no excuse (so I’ve been told) for not having a good setup. There’s nothing worse than hitting a solid shot twenty yards off the line. I suppose it helps if you look at your target, not just the ball. Yet, I am still struggling with body positioning. How the heck am I supposed to keep track of where my feet, back, head, arms and wrists are all at the same time? Plus, I have a big club in my hand and I’m trying to the hit blazes out of a very small ball.

Lies, lies and more lies. No, I am not referring to the discussion that golfers have about their scores (I can now break 80), but the lie of your ball. I’ve noticed that hitting from a fairway, where most of us practice, is a lot more fun than getting the dang ball out of the rough. I’ve heard that certain lies require specific adjustments, but I think the best lie of all is when you just can’t find the ball in any of those nasty places.

When I play with my grandson, he works on distance. I guess control comes later. I’m still working on what exactly to wear, since it’s common knowledge that the real key to a great golf game is how you look out on the course. Well, everyone seems to have their own goals and adjustments to make. Improvement in this sport comes in pretty small increments.

There are many, many things to learn when playing golf. Oh heck, just grab the driver and swing like it’s baseball bat. Well, not quite. Chipping? Easy. Aim the club square and open your stance. Need better flow? Cock your wrists more. Want more power? Get that front heel off the ground. Want to land a hole in one? Watch me. As I said, golf is all about lies, lies and more lies.

My mother is coming out for a visit next month. When she asks, “Is it tea time yet?” you know where I’ll be. See you on the links!