4 Plus One Doesn't Always =5

Our PGA teaching professional at the course where I practice, Glen Annie, asked me last Wednesday if I was available to play a tournament on Saturday. A charity tournament where the pro golfer plays his own game for prize monies against the other pros, while helping his four amateur team members in their scramble format.

I arrived thinking how enjoyable, all be it long, the day was going to be. Hoping that I may be paired with a mixed team of men and women as is my preference in scrambles. Knowing I could help as needed and still provide the concentration it would take for me to score low and earn some of the cash.

I checked in, said hello to the local club pro, warmed up and then took a walk down the row of waiting golf carts and players. I wanted to meet my team. I would be going off of hole #6. Marked on the carts were the hole numbers matched with the team members names. 10...9...8...7...there we are, number six. There was my surprise! Awaiting me, with little aknowledgement, sat the local high school golf team consisting of one freshman, one sophomore, one junior and a senior.

My mind spun double checking the cart numbers. Realizing I couldn't back out now the only thing was to jump in with both feet. "Hi guys," I said in my most encouraging voice. I was introduced to the guys and off we went to play a 6 hour round of golf. That means every 6 holes required two hours to complete. High schoolers play 9 hole matches and generally take 1.5 to 2 hours to complete. Can you imagine what distraction looked like by hole number 10? Nice guys for sure. Course etiquette - never! I can't explain how much I wanted to find their coach, who happened to be playing in another group and remind him...oh well, smile and move on.

As the day wore on the game became less of an interest to the guys. Texting, balancing golf clubs in as many ways and in every possible place, driving the golf carts in every direction including over most anything in their path -- became their focus. Needless to say the focus on playing good golf was fairly impossible. Was it a good day? Sure, the weather was beautiful, they were nice guys and the course was...Ok.

All of life can be interesting if one chooses to make it so. I doubt I'll ever see those boys again and I'm sure they didn't remember my name after our last hole. I'm not sure they ever knew my name. But together we teamed up and made a go of it. We collaborated. We didn't win, but that said, I think their goal was to finish in time to eat. Mine was to maintain my sanity.

We accomplished both and along the way, whether they remember me or not, the experience of having to work as a team to accomplish and complete a goal will remain. That was worth the goofy, silly, funny and sometimes ludicrous six hours with the boys from the local high school golf team.