Some Of The Things I Owe To Golf Part I

It came to me some time ago that in one way or another I owe everything I have to golf…just a few examples:

My college education- paid for by my father who was a Golf Professional and an Old Pro of the first order. Read definition of Old Pro here.

My wife- Double O worked with me at Knollwood Club in her summers from college. For some still unknown reason she fell in love with me 20 years ago. She’s fine now but as a Kappa Kappa Kappa she was off the charts…you still are honey.

My Career- when I worked at Knollwood the guys I wanted to be were selling ad space in magazines…SI, Time, US News, it really didn’t matter…I just thought it looked like they enjoyed themselves, and I wanted to be them…20+ years later, I am.

My “Big Pods” Ed Butler – In 1994 Audrey and I decided we’d like to leave Chicago and look for some new adventures…Ed made that happen when he hired me to move to Atlanta to work for him. We were employer-employee for a time, then peers, now business partners but always friends, maybe not from the first day, but not too far behind

My “Lil’ Pods” Blair Leburn- BL has been in many posts and will continue to be…he and I were instant pals 10 years ago when we met…playing golf of course…he went to Golf Magazine which made life a little complicated for a few years but came to his senses and now is with us…now my friends are my partners…and what’s better than that?

Other great mates with a passion for golf include Michael Scott, life advisor Mark Burris and his wonderful wife Betty, Tom Pashley, Barry Hyde, Tony Orfanos, Tim Shea, Jim Woodring, Ed Hardee, Mike Harmon, John Donnelly, Lance Trent, Danny Govern, John Rusher, Geoff Russell, John Hawkins, Bill Golden, Tom Bewley, Gus Bright, Henry Robinson. Shane Duffy, Freddy Warren, Steve Howard, on and on and on,

But the subject of this post are the four cats who have made a very difficult move from Atlanta to Charleston not bearable…but downright fun.

I met Leon and Andy through Cub Scouts…they ran our Cub Scout Pack with incredible skill and enthusiasm…if you know them you aren’t surprised. I’m positive if they were organizing a cat rodeo it would be the best ever produced.

One night after a meeting I asked them if they would allow me to treat them to a round of golf at Bull’s Bay…they both said that would be fun, let’s get it on the calendar.

Then for some reason, maybe it was the appreciative but underwhelmed look on their faces, I mentioned I was also a member at Secession …”would you rather do that?”

Neither had played it but had heard many good things…so that’s what we did. We met in front of Bodacious Bagels at 6:00 and by the time we returned to the cars at 9:00 that night, at least 40 holes later, we were best friends.

If you are still reading, I mentioned four people…Andy’s wife Cheryl and Leon’s wife Allison round out the foursome of the nicest people you could ever meet.

When we moved it was like any move…hard as an into the wind Par 4, 440 over water.

In fact the first day we were in our house we took the boys to the pool. Michael, our oldest, and understandably the most affected, was holding my head under water. I asked him if he was trying to drown me…his response was a simple “yes.” We’re talking tough here.

But we had help. The Leggetts and the Groves put their arms around us…both literally and figuratively. After a late afternoon 18 last weekend we sat in the grill, had a Bay Breeze or two (four), and laughed our asses off.

What is it it about the game? Only a certain kind of people play it…or are forced to through marraige.

This is a minor tribute to these four fine people we feel so strongly about…not meant to be funny, just sincere…it takes a lot to welcome new people into your circle post-40…and you have.

Thank You.