This past Christmas was nothing short of magical for me.
Having not seen my little big man Kayden for the past two years, I wanted to find an activity that he would enjoy apart from our usual outings when he comes home to visit. I thought and thought, and not coming up with any ideas, I decided to give him a call. He answered, "Hey Dad, I'm at golf now; how are you?"
The wheels started churning, and my mind said "Yes! — golf sounds great! We have perfect golf weather."
There was just one tiny problem: I'd never played before. I called North Sound Golf Club and spoke to my buddy, General Manager Jeff Sauvage.
"Jeff, dude, I need help," I said to him. "I want to play a round of golf with my boy when he comes for Christmas, but I've never even been to a driving range and it's already November."
"No problem, Roh," he said. "Let's get some lessons in for you and look at your form. I can give you a crash course on the rules of the game and etiquette."
They were the best lessons I have ever received in anything. I started from never swinging a club to hitting a ball consistently in only six sessions.
The holidays came and I felt ready to golf with Kayden, a member of his high school team. Since this was going to be my first time playing a round on a course, Jeff suggested we pick a morning when there would be the least number of other golfers on the course so that we would not hinder the players behind us.
Kayden suggested we play only nine holes since this was my first time.
The experience was beautiful. It gave us the time to have great conversations while Kayden gave me a few pointers on my game. He has played some of the toughest courses in his area and thoroughly enjoyed the course and the round. He even asked if there was an opportunity for him to work there.
Kayden can definitely play and has a heck of a swing; he made several pars and a birdie that day. As for me, I parred one hole and bombed the other eight, putting at least 10 balls in the water. But I didn't care; this was all about me bonding with my boy.
Thanks to Jeff and his awesome crew at North Sound Golf Club, I am now a converted golfer. I still swing the club like a stuffed pigeon, but I'm happy to learn the game and appreciate its beauty.
I will definitely continue to play and hone my craft. Maybe next time I play with Kayden, I can be more like a majestic eagle than a stuffed pigeon with my swings.
This article appears in the February 2022 print edition of Camana Bay Times.
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