Photo: David Slotto
A few years ago we were so lucky to win a trip to golf Pinehurst #2. I drove the green on Hole 16 but missed my 4 foot birdie putt. :0(
Golf— the Sport of Fools
a Haibun
If you are serious about golf, I recommend that you stay away from any opportunity to join a foursome of which I am a part. It will take me about three strokes to catch up with your drive. I’m too old and too skinny to do otherwise. Frankly, I doubt if I have an athletic gene in my DNA. Ask any member of my 9-hole golf league. Or ask my long-suffering husband.
Why do I golf, you may ask. That’s a question I ask myself each morning I awaken and know that I have a scheduled tee time. But as soon as I walk approach the tee box on the first hole, look down the fairway at an expanse of green surrounded by trees, standing like a guard of honor to welcome me, as soon as I hear the songs of mockingbirds, wrens (and even those crows just waiting to really mock me), and as soon as the words of encouragement of friends raise my spirits or I hit that unexpected long fairway shot or make that troublesome putt, then I remember. Plus, I’ve golfed with 90-plus year-old’s. How better to keep our older bodies agile and alive. When I post my score at the end of the round, I only pray that no one waiting behind to do the same is peeking over my shoulder.
my drive soars skyward
boosted on by spring breezes
sun breaks through the clouds
This week’s Haibun challenge at dVerse Poets, hosted by Bjorn, is asking us to write of sports. Well, the Warriors beat out Cleveland last night for the NBA Championship, and that makes me happy (Sorry, Cleveland cousins and other fans) but, lets just say I never excelled in any sport other than swimming–that happens when you grow up in Southern California. But there is one sport that does keep me moving, other than dog-walking. And now you know.
Victoria C. Slotto, Author 
Check out my golf blog
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I have never golfed- suspect I would be hopeless but as you shared it is as much about the scenery and camaraderie as anything else.
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Oh I have never golfed, but I have many friends who does. It seems to absorb you fully when you do, and that’s a good thing I guess…
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To golf well, you really have to be in the present moment. One of my best rounds recently was the day I started on a med that is suppose to help nerve pain but also zonks you out a bit. I call it my “I don’t give a s—
pill.”
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Humorous and inspiring at the same time. Yes, doing something we love regardless how good we are at is indeed an amazing feat. Well done on the haiku
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Love your honesty and your determination and humor in this. Gotta have fun with it. That’s the only way to play.
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Wow! You’re quite a sporty soul Victoria. One of my maternal uncles used to play golf and so I’ve seen a golf ball. This much with this regal game. Love your haiku.
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I am anything but sporty…much rather watch. But there comes a time when you have to make yourself keep moving. The scenery helps.
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I went through 36 holes of miniature golf in one day recently with three family members. I even got a few hole-in-ones by accident. The company made it worth while. I’ve never played real golf.
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Big smile.
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I admire this haibun. To continue doing something and find joy in an activity where we doubt ourselves is truly commendable. That person doesn’t have a big ego and that is a feat of humanity that few accomplish. Your haiku at the end is so full of hope and the promise of ‘helping hands’ to press on in life despite the challenges and disappointments. You are inspirational!
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Thank you, Victoria. It helps that my golfing buddies aren’t that serious about it either. I dread being matched with someone who is so dead set on winning. I’m not competitive. Can’t afford to be.
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And now I know! It must take some agility to golf….all that swinging and twisting. Makes me rather envious. Must be good for the waistline.
We golfed in Scotland….in the Highlands years ago, where we had to hit between the roaming sheep. I felt sorry for the sheep as I was truly a rotten golfer. And there are so many random golf ‘courses’ in Scotland….not the big and famous stuff….but just small fairways, with lots of big boulders and sheep to swing through. LOL! That was the first and last time I ‘golfed’. Really enjoyed your haibun and your haiku, Victoria.
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We have ducks and geese that are at danger. Used to have a gorgeous white swan on the water hazard outside our place but a golfer cold-cocked him with his drive. I can still weep when I think of his beautiful body stretched out on the grass. Golf is dangerous at times. I broke a window last year on my first shot of the season and the owner was standing right there. Not a good way to start! What a privilege to golf in Scotland, though.
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Oh! that poor swan. I guess it couldn’t be helped, but what a terrible waste of a life. Swans are so beautiful, but can break the arm of a child easily. So can a goose. Their wings ae very strong. Had a Nigerian goose, who thought my hens were his, and he got really mean about it all. My husband and son took him to a park with a lake and I am told that he chased the car as they drove off. I made them go back to get him, but he was gone. I hope he survived. We had a 4ft deep above ground pool just for him and it was glorious to watch him dive and play in the water. After that, I never had a goose again. he was big and grey with a black face. I used to put a leash loosely around him and he would walk up and down the street with me. It tickled my neighbors. We would roll in the grass together. I still miss him. Golf is dangerous at times it seems! Loved your story of breaking the window of the homeowner standing next to you. LOL! We were the worst golfers in all Scotland. Mostly hit boulders, but it was fun and since it was in October , it was cool and misty. No sheep were hurt in our playing.
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I golfed a course in Reno that had tons of geese and what they left behind. I was an inch taller by the end of the game
😄
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LOL! Yeah, those damn Canadian geese down here in Atlanta never go back to Canada. I was in Montreal in 2010 January and it was minus 37 degrees one day. Geese were smarter than I was. LOL!
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