Golf Is More Than A Game

     Golf is more than just a game, it is an international community. We speak a common language, even though that language is translated many ways.  The thoughts are still the same.  There is a lot in this world that potentially divides us, but golf brings many of us together. We have much in common, far more than our differences. It doesn't matter where you are, if there is a course around you have family and friends when you play.
      I just got back from a journey to Louisiana from my home in Merced, California. We popped out of the Arizona desert at Kingman, Arizona and there next to the interstate highway was a beautifully kept golf course. By the way, I have put that course on my "I have to play it" list.  The course was green in lush and green in contrast to the brown hues of the desert landscape. It looked like an emerald gem in the desert.
      About three quarters of a mile from the course we stopped for gas.  As we were filling up a man with a golf cart whizzes by and comes into the gas station. It was fairly obvious that the cart was his.   What did he have on the back of his cart?  His golf clubs of course.  He was ready, and I guess was on his way to the course to play or had already played. He still had his golf shoes on.
      As we traveled through the countryside on our way to our destination, we passed through some wonderful countryside. Our trip took us through many towns seemingly out in the middle of nowhere and through some big cities such as Dallas.  What struck me was the number of golf courses in the small towns we passed through. I don't have any idea as to the quality of the courses, but many of the small towns had courses. You would expect cities like Dallas, El Paso, Albuquerque and Phoenix to have courses but as stopped for gas we came across a course in the little town of Sonora, Texas. This little town of 2,000 plus people had a course right across the street from the gas station.  It was windy as heck, but the first tee was backed up and the course did have a lot of players on it. It was obvious that they were having a lot of fun.
      Where there are golf courses, there are golfers.  This trip was not a pleasure trip, so there was no time to play.  We had to get to Louisiana and get back.  Had we had the time and could squeeze in some golf I am sure that we could of gotten onto a course along the way and played no matter where we were.  I would also suspect that we would have been paired with a couple of other golfers and played as a foursome. This probably would have been the first time we met the people we were playing with, but we would not be strangers.  We would be family, members of the family of golf. It is more than a game.

Catalina Island off Los Angeles has a good golf course. My son and I had a great time with the golf family, even though I didn't know anyone.