Highs and lows of golf

Playing golf has gotten a lot of people into trouble. Well aside from the usual trouble that they get into the golf course.

Remember that story about a minister who called in sick one Sunday morning so he could play golf?

If not, then the story goes like this:

The minister decides to skip Sunday service to play golf and he goes to the course in the next town to do so.

On the first hole, a par-4, he hits a great drive that clears the water hazard lands on the green the rolls into the cup for an albatross.

St. Peter who was watching what happed with the Lord asked, "How come You allowed that minister to make such a great shot?"

The Lord answered, "Who can he tell that to now?"

While this old golf joke has long made the rounds of various e-mail addresses on the Internet, there isn’t a lack of stories how golf or the addiction to the game has gotten people into trouble.

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A classmate of mine from high school and his cousin picked up the game a couple of years ago and were eager to play on the golf course for the first time after weeks spent at the driving range.

Arrangements were made with their pro and the eager beginners were up so early on the appointed day. My classmate who was the designated driver tried calling their pro through his cellular phone on the scheduled hour that he would be picked up, but he could not be reached.

The cousins decided to head to the golf course anyway hoping that the pro would just pop up. After waiting for about an hour, they got through the phone of the pro who was telling them that he was feeling so bad due to a hangover.

Since there was a driving range, they decided to just hit balls and practice some more knowing that one day they would eventually get to be on the fairway with their pro.

After almost a couple of hours with the pair still at the driving range, they almost lost their cool – the pro arrived at the golf course with a group of Koreans and he did not look hangover.

Darn!

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Yesterday, sports editor Manny Villaruel handed to me a printout of a story where the top air Force official of South Korea got into trouble for playing golf.

The general reportedly went on to play a round of golf despite the news that a Korean soldier died in Afghanistan and it was the first time that a soldier from the country died in combat outside of their shores since the Vietnam War.

Now, there are reports that the Air Force chief of South Korea might be asked to step down months before his scheduled retirement this October.

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Despite the growing interest of people from a broader economic spectrum on the game of golf, there is still that notion that it is a game only for the idle rich and those who want to get deals done outside of the boardrooms.

There is still much that really need to be done to let the people know that it is not a sport for the rich alone and there are now many low-income individuals who can afford to play the game.

The most expensive thing that I believe many would never be able to afford in golf is having the patience to go through such humiliation in all levels of the game. But, this is also the reason why we all come back for some more action or maybe a chance to get it right the next time around.

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MILESTONE: Happy birthday to a man I have called ‘Brod’ since we were in second year high school, Engr. Bienvenido Deogracias Fantonial Nacua.

Naki Boy, as we also fondly call him, is from Ocaña, Carcar, but has made Cagayan de Oro City as his home.

More power to you, Brod!