Golf is great sport that provides the opportunity for friends to enjoy spend time together. This is nothing new about this statement and yesterday at Osprey Links Golf Course, my golfing experience reinforced why golf is a great social contact sport. Playing a round with my friends Mike, Blair and Fernando was fun right from the first tee shot. Mike and I play a few times a year (or at least we try) and it is always fun playing our money game. It is not really for the money that we play, but the bragging rights of who comes out as the eventual winner. Blair and Fernando are guys I play with regularly and always enjoy their company whenever we tee it up. So, what made yesterday so special? Well, a couple of things.

It is always a great time to play golf with good friends. I am grateful that Blair, Mike and Fernando were able to play as this groups sets up to be great fun. We support each other’s play through a positive attitude, great play, and of course banter. I like poking fun at my fellow players during a friendly because it lightens the mood and allows for a spirited competition. I have yet to be disappointed with a round of golf with these guys.

Mike and I play a match competition. We play it in three segments: front nine, back nine and aggregate score. Each segment is worth a dollar and a boat load of bragging rights. Over the past few outings, I paid Mike a dollar, but yesterday I put a stop to the dollar flowing out of my pocket. We all started strong on the front nine and then the wheels on my cart fell off and Mike walked away two up. Mike did play well, cementing a 2 up lead as I struggled down the stretch. Such is the way of golf. After a few funny jabs, we were off to the back nine.

There I played better on the back nine and made a late surge to going 1 under on the last four holes. This allowed me to finish the back nine 2 up. Given the scores, Mike and I finished tied for our match (which we think was the first time ever). Given the results, we get to share the bragging rights for this year. Regardless of our result, we all had a great time playing 18 holes of golf.

I cherish the time on the links with my friends. I will generally golf with anyone, however playing with my good friends is something worth relishing. My friends Rick and Kirk are noticeably missing from playing a round of golf. They both live a great distance away, but I am hoping we will have a chance to play a round some time in the near future. Playing golf with friends is always a pleasure and something I am grateful for every time. I am already looking for a fun round with my friends in the near future.

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!