When I was young, my father introduced me to golf.  It is one of the more fond moments of my childhood.  I have enjoyed this gift for 35 years.  Little did I know that his act of kindness would help shape my way of thinking about the world.

I remember my first set of clubs – Spalding Rebels.  I bought them with my own money and paid $99.  My first ball was a Canada Cup.  If I found one of those I hit pay dirt!  Before I worked for the summer, I would golf every day and my Dad would take me out every week or so to give me tips!  Those were the days.

My Mom took up golf at 44.  The very first time she swung a club, she was hooked! She loved to play, plan their vacations around golf, and beat the people she played with.  Yup, she was very competitive – something you would never know unless you played a round with her.  I remember when she was 67 years young and she called me to ask for advice on how to hit the ball further! I said that you need to exercise and become more flexible – she laughed and said, “I think I hit the ball far enough!”

I remember playing golf with my best friend from high school just before his wedding. This was about 30 years ago and I still remember looking at the Rocky Mountains talking about our lives and our futures.  We played a couple more rounds before I had to go back to work and to this day I can still recall many of the holes we played.

I have won a few tournaments, have 3 holes-in-one, and have had many eagles.  I am still looking for the elusive albatross – I guess it gives me something to shot for.  Mostly, I am grateful for golf because of all the people I have met.  This game has allowed me to meet like-minded people I would never have normally met.  It truly has been a blessing.

Lastly, I have a friend who loves to golf.  Whenever we get together, off we go to the links.  We laugh, joke, poke fun and most of all just enjoy the time we spend on the links.  He is in the UK right now, but no matter when we meet, we will grab our clubs and off we will go.  By the way, if he is reading this – I want strokes the next time we play!.

I believe it is important to be grateful for the awesome things in my life.  I am grateful for many things and at the top of the list are my wife, daughter and friends. However, golf is definitely up there.  I am grateful to my father for introducing me to golf and all the joys I have experienced through the years.  I am a grateful golfer!

What are you grateful for?