The Masters Tournament

[Cbriddle]

If I were given a week to do whatever I wanted, it would have to be walking the course in Augusta Ga. This is Masters week and it's the first stop on the four major golf tournaments played this year. I can almost smell the azeleas as they bloom. Sure my swing isn't as pretty and powerful as Tiger Woods but so what. I love to play golf and I love to be outside in the great weather. I love how it feels standing over the ball on the first tee and the anticipation and nervousness that runs thru me. "Gee do I hit it as hard as I can and hope for the best" and take the chance of knocking the stupid ball into the woods or even worse - whiffing - that's right - totally missing the ball. I have seen that and it ain't pretty. I usually just close my eyes and let he rip. "What me worry?" As Alfred E. Newman would say.
I remember when my son Brent was no more than 3 years old. I was outside hitting some golf balls in the back yard when he came up and of course he wanted to do whatever I was doing. I teed a ball up for him and I watched him walk up and take his stance, mimicking me with the little knee flex and so forth. He put his club behind the ball and then he swings back in perfect rhythm and whacked that damn thing 100 feet!! I couldn't believe my eyes. I have it on video tape and I still am in awe of the simplicity in which he hit it. It was perfect and I was yelling like a crazy person (Usually do). He just walked on as if it were nothing. My mind was racing " Do I have a Tiger Woods in the making? Is he a prodigy? Oh my gosh what will I do?"

Well since then he has grown and we have played a few times together and his swing is just as it was back then. Smooth and simple. He doesn't try and force it and he just walks on. It's amazing to me how life is like golf. It seems that if you force something - it just won't work right. The results are not what you want and its not as fun. I know I have tried and failed at about a million things but at least I have tried. On my way I have had successes too. I won a few bodybuilding contests, did the Gladiator and the Fear Factor thing. I even produced a TV show (on golf - Can you believe it?! ) Yes I have had my share of hits and misses and I am glad to have tried. I could just sit in my chair and never ever do anything. But what would that teach my son and daughter - that you will never fail if you don't try or rather that you will never succeed if you don't try. I remember dancing around like a ballerina, singing YMCA when I auditioned for Fear Factor. There I was in front of my wife and kids acting a fool but I was picked to be on the show. I tried. I threw caution to the wind and I tried and this time I succeeded.

So if I were given a week to do whatever I wanted I would definitely want to walk the course at Augusta but if given a choice of going back in time and seeing my son hit that golf ball 100 feet and learning that lesson of how you can't force things but you should always at least try. I would have to pick seeing my boy whack that damn ball again. That was a moment that I will always remember.

[Melissa]

Can't think of a more beautiful course. I also fully agree on at least trying. You never know what you can do unless you try. Had I not tried ONE MORE TIME I would not be where I am right now, feeling good about myself. Tried your gym, found I could do it, building on each day. Plan to stay a member there for a while!