Golf is More Than a Sport

I want to share with you a joke I recently heard.

Arthur is 90 years old. He's played golf every day since his retirement 25 years ago. One day he arrives home looking downcast.

"That's it," he tells his wife. "I'm giving up golf. My eyesight has gotten so bad that once I've hit the ball I can't see where it went."

His wife sympathizes and makes him a cup of tea. As they sit down she says, "Why don't you take my brother with you and give it one more try."

"That's no good," sighs Arthur, "your brother is 103 years old!!! He can't help."

"He may be a 103," says the wife, "but his eyesight is perfect."

So the next day Arthur heads off to the golf course with his brother-in- law. He tees up, takes an almighty swing and squints down the fairway. He turns to the brother-in-law. "Did you see the ball?"

"Of course I did!" replies the brother-in-law. "I have perfect eyesight."

"Where did it go?" asks Arthur.

"I don't remember."

I like to share this joke for the simple reason that golf is a lifelong game, and unlike any other sport we can play until we are a 100 years of age. Regardless of age or background, golfers pit their skills against the challenges of the course. The elements are tempered against the beautiful backdrop of the surroundings and being outdoors. Look down the fairway today and you see foursomes composed of young and old alike brought together by a shared passion for the sport. Is there any other sport that allows people of different ages come together like this for competition and companionship?

Golf also offers us the chance to learn important life lessons and skills. I would like to share a story of mine about a Mr. Charles Bell who flew me out to California to give him a lesson on his 90st birthday. It fascinated me that a man with legendary accomplishments as a leader and CEO of General Mills would still seek improvement and learning at 90 years of age. He illustrated to me the point that one can never stop learning. Life is an endless journey and golf offers us many fairways to travel down.

What a sport!

--Gerald McCullagh