Dearest Mason — 

What’s up, dude? I assumed I’d keyboard a fast notice to you, my 15-year-old nephew, after your highschool golf match a number of days in the past. Heady stuff for a freshman to be taking part in with the varsity reserve huge boys. Thanks for being OK with letting me watch ya. Your mother (my sister) informed me to not embarrass you, and I attempted to not. I didn’t even say something when that girl ran out of her home, proper? I’ll get to that in a sec. 

Nevertheless it was a enjoyable afternoon. So I wished us to recollect it. Possibly this may go up on an overhead at your marriage ceremony sometime. However this shall be greater than a souvenir, although. I believe I discussed that I, your unathletic, unhip uncle, in an period lengthy gone, performed highschool golf, too. And your spherical had me considering again. To Todd, Tim, Jason, Steve, Gavin, Paul and Alfredo. To beavers. To Mountain Dew. You’ve perhaps received three extra years of this, so I assumed I’d additionally provide you with a peek of what’s forward.  

Factor is, although, your spherical and your day weren’t a lot totally different than mine. 

Papa’s profitable guess 

You didn’t see this. However I informed you about it afterward, and you liked it, primarily as a result of Uncle Nick was getting corrected. Anyway, if you have been on the primary inexperienced, I seen that you just kinda straddled your putt in, as a substitute of constructing a clear stroke. So, a few holes forward, I whispered to ya to watch out. However a dad noticed me speaking. And we talked. The dialog began pleasant. I launched myself. Requested him whom he was there for. And I received this:

“You may’t discuss to the children. They’ll disqualify him.”

Oh. 

However I began reminiscing about my dad, your papa. He performed simply two rounds of golf his total life. The primary was additionally my first, and we could or could not have pushed a cart onto the first inexperienced, however that’s a narrative for an additional day.   

Spherical two got here through the end-of-the-year, father-son, nine-hole scramble. To set this story up, all you could perceive is that Papa, whereas not a lot of a golfer, was very a lot a gambler. And we have been paired up with a buddy and his dad — who was a member on the nation membership that when hosted a Tour occasion. We performed eight holes. They beat us on eight holes. However Papa had a thought on the ninth:

“Loser buys drinks.”

They have been in. After all they have been. Then, I child you not, Papa smoked a drive. Two-hundred-and-seventy-five yards. Which was perhaps two-hundred-and-seventy-four greater than he had hit all day. It will get higher. After we dumped our strategy right into a greenside bunker, and with the opposite dad and son not in sight, Papa went hand wedge. You knew that was coming. It will get higher. I hit my sand shot nearer, although. And Papa made the par putt. And so they someway bogeyed. 

And the person taking part in his second-ever spherical of golf received a beer. 

That girl was MAD 

I don’t assume you noticed this one, both, however I rode in a cart with one in all your coaches for half of a gap. Good man. Mentioned he used to teach gymnastics. You informed me afterward that he as soon as did a backflip for you guys. My coach taught science. After we bogeyed a gap (or worse), his phrases of knowledge to us have been: “Simply birdie the subsequent couple.” Gotcha, Coach!  

Anyway, me and your coach have been speaking about how, not like most different highschool sports activities, the respect system is in play. There aren’t refs. And at one level, this pissed off you. You might have sworn one of many guys in your group made a seven — just for him to say 5. Finally, you guys cut up it down the center. Six. Appears fair-ish.

However that had nothing on the final gap. Considered one of your taking part in companions hooked it left. He was out of bounds. The stakes mentioned so. He was additionally in a yard. The signal that learn: “DO NOT HIT FROM THE YARD” mentioned so. However he seemed round. Noticed simply me. Figured I wouldn’t write about it every week afterward a golf web site. And addressed his ball. At which level, a girl got here out screaming some English that we are able to’t publish right here. 

So I began excited about some extra guidelines leisure. My junior 12 months, a bunch of seniors I used to be taking part in towards mentioned I might play winter guidelines, so long as they may. (Whispers: I took ’em up on it. However I’ve mentioned 10 Hail Jack Nicklauses in penance.) My sophomore 12 months, throughout tryouts, in an effort to make the staff, two of my taking part in companions had their scorecards stuffed out — on the first tee field. One did make the staff — and his common someway jumped 17 strokes in every week. 

However he did get free golf.  

‘Can my pal have a trip?’

You guess. You requested me this, and I drove your buddy residence. Anyway, right here’s the place the reminiscences got here flooding again. 

I remembered my rides. We bused to and from the programs. Massive yellow one, for simply 10 of us. Two tales right here. First, excessive rating had to purchase two 24-packs of Mountain Dew for the subsequent match. It might not have been wholesome, however it was residing proper.  

After which there beavers on the bus. OK, so that is hazing. It wasn’t good. You shouldn’t do it. However in some unspecified time in the future within the 12 months, the newbies to the staff have been pummeled by a transfer during which the giver takes the bottom of their palm and repeatedly pushes up towards the again of the recipient’s head. It burned. I received one. Coach drove the bus. I lived. Everybody laughed. 

I additionally considered my matches. Of beating the large, personal faculty. Of how me and a pal drove round afterward shouting up and down one of many busiest streets on the town. So far as we knew, we had all the time misplaced to them. However there was extra. That staff was a bunch of butts. (I’ll use dirtier language if you’re older, promise.) Although, on the day we received, my opponent gave me one of many higher strains of trash discuss I’ve heard on a golf course: “You play baseball, don’t you?” It took me a second, as a result of I did. After all, right here, I used to be attempting to swing a golf membership, and he was, actually, jabbing me. So sure, the win felt good. 

I considered senior promenade. That day, we drove two hours to a match, performed, drove again, received dressed, took footage with our dates, went to promenade, danced awkwardly, went to post-prom and stayed up for 26 straight hours. (When you’re studying this Nicole, I’m sorry I used to be such a foul date.) I additionally considered hitting golf balls into the lake behind the clubhouse of the place we performed our residence matches. I considered Todd, Tim, Jason, Steve, Gavin, Paul and Alfredo. They have been a few of my teammates. Most of us communicate. I’m happening a golf journey this summer time with Todd. Paul is a university basketball ref. Wild. 

After which we dropped your buddy off. And your mother made us burgers and brats for dinner. 

OK, OK. So there’s an even bigger level right here. A lesson. A takeaway. And it’s simple, like your swing, buddy. 

You received’t overlook nowadays.

Shoot, it’s possible you’ll even write about them.  

Love, 

Nick 

Golf Journal

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Nick Piastowski
Patacon.org Editor

Nick Piastowski is a Senior Editor at Patacon.org and Golf Journal. In his position, he’s liable for enhancing, writing and creating tales throughout the golf area. And when he’s not writing about methods to hit the golf ball farther and straighter, the Milwaukee native might be taking part in the sport, hitting the ball left, proper and quick, and consuming a chilly beer to clean away his rating. You may attain out to him about any of those subjects — his tales, his sport or his beers — at [email protected].