The year began with great expectations and my handicap briefly dipped under 15 in the spring. I thought I’d finally turned the corner and was on the road to being a respectable golfer, even if still decidedly average in the big scheme of things.
But in golf, even modest goals can slip away faster than a major from Rory McIlroy. Swinging my Callaway Epic Max Driver, a club I entered 2024 with confidence in, suddenly became a harrowing experience.
What was once a gentle draw that people seemed to be impressed with (at least coming from a man of my skill level) too often turned into a snap hook that threatened to separate me from my sanity. With penalty strokes piling up, posting good scores wasn’t easy, but a funny thing happened.
Even while my handicap rose to its current mark of 17 and I battled big numbers, I strangely made more birdies and seemed to hit more really good shots, even if they were limited in number.
That’s golf.
More important than any numbers the USGA GHIN app uses to sum up my on-course performance in 2024, here is the most important thing about the last 12 months: I’ve never had more fun playing golf.
Win or lose, playing for $5 a side with friends on weekends is one of life’s simple pleasures. I was fortunate enough to lead two golf trips this year in addition to returning to my hometown for the Helltown Classic, an event that means nothing to anyone outside of Front Royal, Va., and everything to the 32 participants who play in it. (For the record, after winning the coveted championship belt in the event’s first year, I’ve played like a donkey the last four years.)
On another trip, Chad Chrisman and I got beat so bad in a best ball match by Bob Lippert and Mark Beale that I was begging for mercy at the turn after running my mouth the night before. The Old Fashions Chrisman and I enjoyed late into the evening may have had something to do with our performance, but I’m not one for excuses!
In a year that didn’t include many victories, Tim Sifford and I ran Pat Pullen and Brian Whetzel down late in a match that featured 6 holes of best ball, captain’s choice and alternate shot. Just thinking about Pullen and Whetzel trying to figure out what to do with their second shot from the bushes on True Blue’s ninth hole (our 18th), knowing they had to win to halve the match, brings a smile to my face!
Whether you play great or look as if you’d never seen a golf club prior to arriving at the first tee that day, what makes the game great extends far beyond your scorecard. Golf is an excuse to stay in close contact with old friends and a way to make new ones. In a time where people lead increasingly insular lives, the game’s virtues are amplified.
While the goal is to play better golf in 2025, if I can have as much fun as I did this year, it will be a victory.
