Like Father, Like Son

It really sucks getting old. I mean you know what your age is but it's when your body starts telling you every day. And then for a couple of days you step into the past and try to reverse the aging process and you get a cold bucket of reality about how how far gone you are.

We had the Member Guest at the club where I'm a member and for 3 days this past weekend I played more golf than I have all summer. And then on the 4th day I rested. Sore and stiff and realizing that three days of golf are not what they used to be.

But fear not - I am not going to bore you with the details of the event. A Member Guest is like all the other Member Guests you've played. But because this is my blog and I get to pick what I write about I am going to take a break from current events and write about something I noticed this weekend.

I was pleasantly surprised at the number of guys in the field this past weekend that invited their Fathers to play with them. I would guess the average age of the members to be about 50ish - give or take 5 years. And of course that would make the average age of their Father's be 73ish. Not only did they make it through the tournament, they flourished. Some of them make the shootout (our version of a playoff to determine a winner).

Over the past several years I've had many buddies that played in this tournament that would always complain afterward about how poorly their Dad's had played. Their opportunity to win had been comprised by their choice of playing partner. I know they were just venting - we all play to win or why enter the tournament, but that Father - Son bond is about as special as they come.

I never had the chance to play in a Member Guest with my Father. He passed away from cancer when I was 17. I was not one of those problem kids growing up. I loved my Dad and considered him my best friend. The highlight of the day was when he came home from work - even at 17. I learned to love the game of golf from him and I would trade anything I have to be able to play in one Member Guest with him. It's a dream, goal, fantasy of mine that will never come true.

I've shared this story with many of the guys in the tournament. I'd like to think that I have had an impact on how they feel about playing with their Dad's. I know some who played with their Father's up until the time they passed away. They were the lucky ones. To be able to share the love of a game with their Dad until it was time for them to move on.

I've missed my Father more during the last 10 years of my life than every before. The longer he's gone, the more I experience, the more I wish he was here to share it with me. Who knows - maybe we would have won a member Guest.

Here's to all the Dad's who put up with their pig headed sons and still play in their Member Guests. May you never have a 4 putt.

David