The game of golf – love it or hate it – it's always fun(ny)

Golf season is here. Many of my friends have already taken to the links, but I'm waiting for a little warmer weather. It does not keep me from thinking about the game though, and in doing so it brings back some cherished memories.Is there another sport that gives one so many opportunities to love it? I think not. However, there is an equal number of chances to hate the game. No other sport offers this contrast in my considered opinion.As a golfer, my intention every time I play a round, is to shoot a good score. OK – maybe my chief goal these days is to not get hurt, but playing well is always near the top of my priorities. You love the game when you shoot a low score, though your opinion as to what constitutes a "good" score can vary as you age or how invested in the game you happen to be.Of course the opposite is true too. Shoot a horrendous score and you will be wondering why you took up the game in the first place. Love it or hate it, the game of golf is, and should be, fun.Will a good shot make you feel good? Perhaps you stripe a long drive down the middle of the fairway, or stake an iron shot. When that ridiculously long putt drops in the hole… well there is not a better feeling. In golf you have 70 or more chances each time out to hit that good shot.But then you hit your tee shot three fairways away or miss that little two foot putt and you are ready to quit the game. You have the same number of chances to frustrate yourself. Love it or hate it, we keep coming back for more chances, don't we?I recall a golfer coming into the clubhouse after a round and announcing to anyone who was within earshot that "the only way I'm going to play golf when I retire is if I miss the frustration of work." We've all had those kinds of days on the course.A good friend of mine once told me that he got so mad after hitting a terrible shot that he walked over to his golf bag and slammed his club against it several times. After the round he went to his bag to get his watch and it came out in pieces. His tirade involved hitting the golf bag where his watch was kept!Another friend of mine remarked one time that he had figured out his problem: "I'm not nearly as good as I think I am!" We all laughed with him. His point proved that the game is fun and can be funny as well.Even professional golfers have their moments of love/hate while playing and it was evident this past weekend when the PGA Tour was in Florida. In the final round Billy Horschel's drive ended up beside a tree. He could not hit the ball right handed – yes, he is right handed – so he turned his club over and left handed struck the shot with the end of his iron. To his surprise and delight the ball made it on to the green some 30 feet from the hole. He then sunk the birdie putt. While the gallery was amazed, he admitted there was a lot of luck involved. He even said that before he hit the shot, he saw his young son some 50 feet ahead on a cart path, normally out of the way. He yelled at him to move because he had no idea where the ball was going to go. "The last thing I wanted to do was to call his mother and tell her I just hit our son with a golf ball!"Also at the Valspar Championship British golfer Tommy Fleetwood set a dubious record. This was his 150th PGA tournament and he had yet to win one. He finished tied for 16th. The record? He became the first golfer to amass over $15,000,000 in earnings without recording a victory. He got over $128,000 for his finish. Viktor Hovland won the event and a check for $1,566,000!I don't know what to think of that. The only thing that comes to mind is now you know why a lot of golfers were not happy to see PGA Tour members bolt for LIV golf. Is there such a thing as too much money?My favorite golf story supposedly happened at a local course. Whether there is any truth to the story doesn't matter to me. I think it shows what I mean by the game being wonderful and cruel at the same time. Oh yeah, and funny.Four guys were walking while playing a round of golf apparently not concerned with Mark Twain's thoughts on the game. Halfway through the round one of the men hit a shot so badly that he decided he had had enough. He walked over to a nearby pond and announced he was quitting the game forever.He soon threw his equipment into the water – bag, clubs and all. He then proceeded to stalk off towards the clubhouse. His playing partners couldn't believe it. They were speechless. After a few moments one of them said: "he'll cool off and be back."Sure enough he soon was seen heading back to the pond. He waded in, fished out his golf bag and set it on the ground. He then unzipped a pocket, pulled out his car keys and proceeded to throw everything else back into the water.He was seriously quitting the game, but he was not willing to walk home!