By Jack Houvouras
HQ 65 | SUMMER 2008
As summer draws to a close, so does the golf season for many of the game’s enthusiasts. Gradually the air turns cooler and fewer and fewer golfers can be seen dotting the Huntington landscape. But for some players, harsh weather is never a deterrent as they continue to follow their passion year round. Neither rain nor sleet nor snow will keep them from their appointed rounds. If you’re not a golfer, then I’m sure you find yourself wondering why so many people are drawn to the game? To understand that you have to step into the mind of a golfer.
My father introduced me to the game when I was eight-years-old. I played for several summers, all of which were quite enjoyable, but then I discovered girls. It would be 15 years before I ever picked up a golf club again.
For me, the round of golf that transcended what was once just a recreational pursuit occurred in the spring of 1993 at Sugarwood Golf Club. HQ Photo Editor David Fattaleh and I had just put another edition of the magazine to bed, and to celebrate we treated ourselves to a round of golf. It was one of those idyllic spring afternoons when we teed off. I parred the first two holes before sinking birdie putts on the next three. I lipped out for a fourth birdie in a row before making the turn at two under par. I stumbled on the back nine but still recorded a score of 77 – the first time I had ever broken 80. Things would never be the same for me after that day. My love affair with the game had commenced. In the years that followed I discovered many reasons why I believe golf is the ultimate pursuit.
First, playing golf is a supreme challenge. Just ask any of the professional athletes who have become so enamored with the sport in recent years. It takes a tremendous amount of patience and skill to learn how to properly strike a golf ball and, as a result, it is all the more satisfying when you actually do it.
While some contend that golf is not a sport, I would have to dissent. It may not be as physically demanding as some sports, but it certainly requires a fair amount of athleticism – strength, balance, feel and hand-eye coordination. Few things in life are as satisfying as a well-struck drive – the feeling of raw power as you send the ball ripping through the air down the center of the fairway. The perfect golf swing is a thing of beauty, a blend of grace and rhythm, focus and fluidity.
Second, golf is a game of the mind. Players must be able to master their emotions in order to perform. Anger, frustration and anxiety are all enemies of the golfer. The ability to overcome these negative emotions and remain poised and focused is what separates the good player from the average.
Third, one of golf’s greatest rewards is the opportunity to connect with nature. The courses themselves are visual delights of lush green fairways, still blue ponds and white sand bunkers. Some of the most stunning scenery I have ever found has been on the golf course. In West Virginia alone we have such spectacular tracts as the Old White at The Greenbrier, Stonewall in Walkersville, the Raven at Snowshoe Mountain, Pete Dye in Bridgeport and Stonehaven at Glade Springs.
Of course there is no better way to embrace all of the game’s nuances than by walking – which is how the game is meant to be played. By doing so, you gain a certain rhythm and cadence that enriches the experience.
Finally, there are the social aspects of the game. The camaraderie shared by friends, including the betting, ribbing and good humor, is one of the game’s many allures. Yet at the same time golf can be just as enjoyable when played alone, pitting the golfer against the course, a challenge to eclipse your lowest score.
Played at its best, golf is one of the most rewarding experiences in life. Played at its worst, it is humbling and humiliating, a cornucopia of angst and regret. Many captains of industry have been reduced to rubble by the vexatious game. Through it all, though, golf lures you back because it can never truly be mastered. And perhaps golf’s greatest gift is that it’s a game for a lifetime, an endless pursuit ultimately worth pursuing.
