After watching the Honda Classic this past week as Rory McIlroy earned his title as number one in the world I couldn't help but think, golf is easy. As a golfer myself I was shocked as I said it, but watching those pros on TV make you believe it. I spent Thursday-Saturday watching in awe, being inspired that I could drive the ball that far and sink a 30 footer nonchalantly, until Sunday came. I found myself playing a practice round in Savannah Georgia at Savannah Quarters country club (beautiful course). I teed up on my first hole-which happened to be hole 14. And stretched got ready to hit a great shot, and then surprised myself when my ball was headed left for a sand trap instead of right down the middle of the fairway. I thought, wait a minute, Rory doesn't do this, then I realized that is why I am a college golfer and not on the LPGA myself. Talk about a reality check.
Yet I haven't learned. Golf tournament after golf tournament I watch and pros just make it look easy. Then I go out hit a few good shots on the range and wonder who they consistently never miss fairways, or greens(for the most part.)
To most golfers, golf is a pain. You love it, you hate it and it goes back and forth like that for the rest of your life. It is a nasty game to love, but impossible to walk away from. My dad sent me this poem once and I read it almost daily. I can't help but laugh to myself because the poem perfectly describes my feelings of the sport we call golf.
In my hand, I hold a ball, white and dimpled, and rather small. Oh how bland it does appear, this harmless looking little spehere. By its size I could not guess, of the awesome strength it does possess. But since I fell beneath its spell, I've wandered through the fires of hell. My life has not been quite the same, since I chose to play this stupid game. It rules my mind for hours on end, a fortune it has made me spend. It has made me curse and made me cry, and hate myself and want to die. It promises me a thing called par, if I hit it straight and far. To master such a tiny ball, should not be very hard at all. But my desires the ball refuses, and does exactly as it chooses. It hooks and slices, dribbles and dies, and disappears before my eyes. Often it will have a whim, to hit a tree or take a swim. With miles of grass on which to land, it finds a tiny patch of sand. Then has me offering up my soul, if only it would find the hole. It's made me whimper like a pup, and swear that I will give it up. And take a drink to ease my sorrow, but the ball knows... I'll be back tomorrow.
No one has golf humor like Ben Crane. He is a PGA tour player that take the time to make internet videos to share his golf tips with all. He appears in his iconic red outfit topped with his black helmet. He recently got a few other golf boys together to create the Golf Boys music video titled "Oh Oh Oh" the video was presented by Farmers Insurance who said they would donate $1,000 for every 100,000 views of the video with the charitable porceeds going to support both Farmers and Ben Crance charitable initiatives.
Even the outakes of the videos had me laughing out loud. Youtube videos are a new sensation in this social media world and Ben Crane grabs it by the handles putting his own funny spin on it.
All these videos featuring Ben Crane will have you laughing. Heck take some of his silly pointers, who knows.
Nothing helps me after a rough round of golf then finding these little cartoons to cheer you up, and remind you that everyone struggles. I once read golf can best be defind as "an endless series of tragedies obscured by the occasional mircale, followed by a good bottle of beer." And all the older men I have played with swear by this.
In the end all you can do is laugh about how the course wins everytime no matter what you shot, because there is always that one putt that could have been or that one chunk that cost you a stroke. There is no such thing as a perfect round, ask any golfer.
In the end your mind is so jumbled and you question every thing, why do I golf? Why torture myself? Yet you can't help but return day after day with that thought in your head that today is the day I beat the course.
Here are some of my favorite humorous golf jokes I recieved in an e-mail:
These greens are so fast I have to hold my putter over the ball and hit it with the shadow. -Sam Snead
I was three over. One over a house, one over a patio, and one over a swimming pool. -George Brett
The only sure rule in golf is – he who has the fastest cart never has to play the bad lie. ~ Mickey Mantle
The ball retriever is not long enough to get my putter out of the tree. -Brian Weis
My favorite shots are the practice swing and the conceded putt. The rest can never be mastered. -Lord Robertson
I never pray on a golf course. Actually, the Lord answers my prayers everywhere except on the course. - Billy Graham
If you watch a game, it’s fun. If you play at it, it’s recreation. If you work at it, it’s golf.. -Bob Hope
