BY JEFF KEATING
TO DESCRIBE MYSELF as an "occasional" golfer these days probably does a disservice to the word "occasional." In the middle of a round a few weeks ago, I realized I hadn't played since the previous spring, and was hitting the links for just the third time in about a year.
There was a time — before marriage, two little kids, a pressing work schedule, and the 10,000 other things that make for a high-quality life — that I played much more often. Once or twice a month, at least, and for an exhilarating span in my mid-30s, once and sometimes even twice a week.
I apparently had time, and money, to burn.
It was a heady run. Alas, it ended.
Now, I have to plan ahead — way, way ahead — to hit the links. For my round a few weeks ago, I started chatting up one of my work buddies around Christmas, then checked with him every week to see if the latest upcoming Saturday would be good.
You know how these conversations go. "Man, we gotta get out." "Yeah, we do. When do you want to get out?" "I dunno. Let me check what's going on at home." "Yeah, me too. But we definitely gotta get out." And then you don't "get out" until, oh, Memorial Day.
But we finally strode onto the first tee at Yucaipa Valley Golf Club on a sunny and slightly breezy Saturday a few weeks back.
As my Callaway driver "thwicked" through a Top Flite and headed more or less straight down the fairway, I couldn't help but be surprised.
Sure, I'd put in a little time at the driving range earlier in the morning — also for the first time in several months — but I didn't expect to come off the first tee that strong.
Then an odd thing happened: My good play continued.
Iron shots from the fairway flew solidly in the general direction of the green. Wedge shots popped off the ground just like they're supposed to. My putting — well, that's another story. But by and large, my ball-striking was sound even after a multi-month layoff.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not talking about a round in the 70s here. More like the mid-90s. I had one birdie putt and missed it. I didn't have that many par putts, either. But my game was consistent — solid, even.
Not to look the gift shots in the mouth, but ... what gives? "You weren't thinking about it," said Joshua Lightner, assistant pro at Sierra Lakes Golf Club in Fontana.
"You just went out and swung easy, didn't try to kill it ... when you go out and play more, you think more, and don't relax." Aha! So this not playing is, paradoxically, actually a good thing for my game! "Well, if you played a lot more you'd get better, too," Lightner said.
"That's just practice." Such an investment of time and money seems unlikely for me. Did I mention I have two little kids? But I'm excited to learn that not thinking actually can be used to my benefit when it comes to golf.
Heck, I can not think with the best of them.
While I'm in the midst of that, I'll start chatting up my buddy about getting out again. We definitely need to get out. Gotta check the schedule at home, but yeah, we need to get out.
I think I'm free on Labor Day.
