Sometimes I feel vaguely defensive about playing golf, long considered the pastime of idle fat cats in white shoes and ugly pants.
In reality, I walk public courses using hand-me-down clubs in the company of other grandmothers for about the cost of a movie or a tee shirt. I took up golf at 62 and had never
touched a club till then. No mystery, then, on why I’m not particularly good at
it. But I had retired from teaching and was looking about for something to fill
the time no longer spent keeping teens in their seats while working through the
War Poets or untangling Shakespeare. It was also a godsend during Covid. Golf
was one of the few no-contact things available. Exercise! Fresh air! Other
people!
Yes, golf courses take up large
expanses of land that could be
used for
farming. However in my area, the rich land of the Connecticut Valley, once a
big agricultural area, the farms have been folding over the years. (Sadly, the
small farms are especially challenged this year after flooding that destroyed
the entire year’s crop.)
And yes, all that
grass needs to be maintained, but from a climate perspective, I’d rather see
grass and trees than the asphalt of another shopping area or housing
development.
And the views can’t be beat.
I would MUCH rather see grass/trees than shopping centres and parking lots too.
ReplyDeleteDid you take lessons when you first started? - Jenn
ReplyDeleteYes, I did. And every year or so I'll take like a 1 week refresher. And yet my game changes not one iota. :o)
DeleteI'd be content with walking the course and leaving the golfing to others.
ReplyDeleteIt's a pleasant space for a walk. I used to play tennis and thought that I would save golf for my later years. Back problems put an end to those thoughts.
ReplyDeleteMy sister took up golf later in life, too. She's not terrible but will never be very good. She sure enjoys it, though. Me, not so much.
ReplyDeleteI've always thought golf is mainly just an excuse to walk around outside. I figure I can do that without swinging a club!
ReplyDelete