Those who know me can attest to my love for the game of golf. I've been playing the sport (yes, it's a sport) since I was five-years-old. My dad sawed off some old clubs, put them in a little golf bag and took me out to Indian Mountain Golf Course, a local 9-hole public course in Kresgeville, PA that was my "home course" for most of my life. My dad would take me out on late weekday afternoons for 4 holes, and then later 9 holes and 18 holes as I got older.
I remember taking golf lessons only a couple of times. I remember playing in the Henry Moyer Junior Golf Tournament a few times at the Mahoning Valley Country Club, and winning a few (I still have the hardware to prove it, too). I ever remember the video footage from the Blue Ridge cable news (channel 13) from their coverage, and the announcer saying about my swing "He looks like a dapper Bobby Jones," which he probably wouldn't have said if he saw the actual ball flight (video camera = nervousness = shankasaurus).
I've played competitively at the high school and college levels. My swing is a work in progress, taking information from reading books on golf (Harvey Penick) and watching the pros on TV. My swing has modified as I've grown older and wiser, because when I was younger, I just thought about hitting the ball, which is probably why I didn't play as good then as I am now. (I still shot in the 70's in high school and college, but not consistantly.) I'm a "feel" player, meaning I don't really worry about the technical stuff. I have a few things that I think about now: shorter stance, strong grip, keep the left arm straight on the takeaway, make good contact and swing down the line where I'm aiming.
If I didn't do optometry, I always wondered the result of going the professional golf route. But then I realize I probably wouldn't think it as fun as I do now, and my back probably wouldn't have held up for this long, either.
So when I do feel competitive and want to have fun, I look for local scramble golf tournaments in which to play. Yesterday (which was a gorgeous day), I played in the Rehrersburg Lion's Club Annual Golf Tournament at Green Acres Golf Course. Not only did I play in the event, but I sponsored a tee, #15:
It was my first time playing in the event, and it was well-organized! Plenty of food, soda, beer and snacks! I even got to place some Weaver Eye Care Associates pens and magnets in the goodie bags for everyone to take home, so I'm hoping that helps get the word out about the practice. Thanks to Derek DeLong, Jim Yost and my dad for making up our group for the tourney.
So, after 18 holes of club swinging, our team placed in Second!!! We were only 1 stroke behind the winners, and we account that to a bad hole on number 6. We had a bogey, which is a major no-no in a 4-person scramble. Despite that, we hung together and finished the round.
My tee shot on the Par 3 #2 landed just a few inches outside of the Pot o' Gold hole. However, I did win closest to the pin on that hole, since no one landed inside the five-foot radius circle the whole tourney. Jim and I also won some non-skill prizes from the raffle afterwards.
It was a great day, and we're all planning on playing in the tournament next year. So, thank you to Green Acres Golf Course for having a wonderful site for a scramble golf tournament. And a big THANK YOU to the Rehrersburg Lion's Club, who will use the proceeds to benefit individuals with vision care needs, the blind and the maintenance of the park in Rehrersburg. Hoping to win it next year...
Dr. Weaver
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