Golf + Heat

Yesterday was 42 degrees (108F), mighty hot for a casual round of golf. It will get a bit hotter before we leave.

It was a solid but unspectacular round, my first full one after a hand injury kept me off the course for close to 6 weeks. It also marks just over two years since I seriously got back into the game. Back then, in April ’04 I was shooting some amazing scores (think basketball or cricket!). It wasn’tjust the heat that used to tire me, it was all the extra walking and swinging! It was through good friendships in ’04 that I kept at the game, even when it was not easy to enjoy.

It took till October-November ’04 to get my game to a level that was not a public embarassment. In hindsight I wish I had played more during that time, my practice routines were not as well formed or effective as they are now. In early ’05 my game flattened out, then went backwards. There were only 5 full rounds between January and June that year. My scores got worse and there were some bad experiences on the course (either cultural misunderstandings or blatant anti-westerner racism, take your pick). I seriously entertained giving up in mid ’05, but trips to the US and Dubai really turned things around.

There have been up and downs this year, but most rounds now are so much better (40-45 shots a round better) than where I was two years ago. You could say I am actually playing golf now. I’m grateful for the chance over the last two years to get back into the game and make friends through it.