Golfing and Whiskey
Change is a constant in anyones life. Without change, we are nothing more than static observers. Because I embrace change, I refuse to accept normative behaviors, abide by social mandates, or live a life by someone else’s expectations. With that in mind, one of my best friends has opened my world to a whole new dimension of liquid gold-Whiskey! There are an infinite array of differing flavors to experience. No longer is whiskey the fast track to inebriation; rather, it embodies a delicate balance of flavor profiles that depend on a whole host of mitigating factors.
Not only will I be sharing these new whiskey interactions, but I will also begin to breakdown my burgeoning fascination with golf. I’ll admit that I have had a love-hate relationship with this game. After retiring from professional baseball, I tried picking up the sport thinking that it was a natural evolution, but my baseball swing always hindered my ability to hit the ball straight. All through my 20’s and 30’s, I repeatedly attempted to pick up the games intricacies, but was sidelined from pure enjoyment because of false expectations and impatience with acquiring the basic skills. Recently, I have committed to not giving up so easily and I have been richly rewarded. Within the past year, I have gone from hitting in the high 90’s to low 100’s to shooting an 84 and 89. I am beginning to understand course management, I know what clubs to use and when, and most importantly, I can routinely hit the ball straight! Furthermore, I have a decent set of golf clubs (still looking for a good driver), nice pair of golf shoes, and a golf bag that isn’t from Goodwill. I look back at some of the courses I’ve played up until now and think to myself, “How can I play these better?”.
A short list of courses I’ve tinkered with are as follows: Seascape (Santa Cruz, CA), DeLaveaga (Santa Cruz, CA), Avila (Avila, CA), Morro Bay (Morrow Bay, CA), Pebble Beach (Monterey, CA), Sherwood Forest (Sanger, CA), Eagle Springs (Fresno, CA), Lemoore Muni (Lemoore, CA), Airways (Fresno, CA), Belmont Country Club (Fresno, CA), River Island (Porterville, CA), Hank Swank’s-9 hole (Fresno, CA), Dragonfly (Fresno, CA), Fort Washington (Fresno, CA), Madera Muni (Madera, CA), Riverside (Fresno, CA), Ridge Creek (Dinuba, CA), Fig Garden–No Longer Open (Fresno, CA), Pheasant Run (Chowchilla, CA), Bali Hai Golf Club (Las Vegas, NV), and Genoa Lakes (Genoa, NV). Now I’m going to replay all of these and look at them from different perspectives.
It’s interesting how Golf and whiskey are integral parts of my life. Two great additions to a live worth living!