Golf Stories
Golf – The Game of Life
I always wanted to take a vacation to the Hawaiian Islands. My husband and I got that opportunity in the 80's. I was still actively playing tennis and golf.
The Islands were everything that you could imagine and so much more. I fell in love with everything and couldn't get enough of the music. I learned a native Hawaiian dance and as soon as I got home I taught my students this dance.
We played our two favorite sports wherever we stayed. We had an opportunity to play golf at a very popular resort, Kapalua. They have a rule of only foursomes allowed, we found ourselves paired with two men. They took one look at me, a woman, and were clearly not happy.
My husband said "don't worry she can beat you and me!"
Alarmed, I turned to my husband and said, "why did you say that?"
I was extremely scared on the first tee; it was a long stroll to the women's tee. Lucky that first shot was extraordinary. I began to loose my ability to enjoy the scenery, take pictures or just enjoy being there.
As we progressed through the next few holes the men got worse while I was getting better. I felt tons of pressure and the competitiveness that I was very thankful that we parted ways on the tenth hole. The men who played with us apologized to me for the way they treated me. My husband and I played the last nine holes and I was able to enjoy the rest of the afternoon and the scenery.
Unfortunately the memory that I still carry to this day, was my experience with those two guys. But what makes me smile is the way I played. Whenever I tell the story of my golf experience in Hawaii, it should be a little different, but it is what it is. The lesson that I learned is too never let that happen again.
... Sharon Koppe