It’s been said that to truly understand a woman’s point of view, one should walk 18 holes in her pastel Nike golf shoes. With that in mind, I played 18 holes last week with members of the Cedarcrest Golf Course Ladies’ Club.
While the golf was great, it was really secondary. On the course, conversation was the important thing. And we pretty much had a new topic on every hole. I enjoyed it so much that afterward I toasted the ladies in the clubhouse the only way I could: with champagne on ice.
I walked away from the day full of estrogen and enthusiasm, and with an appreciation for the sisterhood on the links in Marysville. These ladies know how to swing the clubs and share their opinions on subjects that will cause many a man to bury his head in a sand trap.
The first topic I encountered? Would I would be teeing off from the “forward tees” (note to self: the red tees are not the “women’s tees”) or from the testosterone-laden blue tees? When I realized I would be missing out on quality social time, I opted for the reds.
And I’m glad I did because there were moments when I paused to look at my golf game a little differently. This was definitely a round where gender and golf conventionalism didn’t necessarily matter.
For instance, on No. 3, both of my playing partners, Marilyn Young, 69, and Jaci Legore-Hodgins, 46, out-drove my solid drive — for the first of many times.
It’s also the first time I’ve heard someone on a golf course announce, “I need time to meditate,” as LeGore-Hodgins did prior to putting on a fast green.
LeGore-Hodgins’ propensity to refer to the shortcomings in her golf game as “seizures” — her blast out of the sand trap on No. 5 was a “sand seizure” and her total number of strokes on No. 14 resulted in what she classified as a “hole seizure” — or state that “this hole and I have issues,” which resulted in what she affectionately called “a double par” score of 8, were refreshingly candid.
Maybe there are guys out there who are that light-hearted, but I haven’t played with them. Quite simply, LeGore-Hodgins put the whole round in perspective.
So did Sharon Koontz at the start of the day when she announced, “We’ll see you on the 19th.”
Koontz concludes every ladies club round with champagne on ice.
This ladies’ club spans the ages, from the 30s to 88, and has a membership of 48. In the clubhouse afterward, I noted the supportive spirit, to which Koontz raised her glass and exclaimed, “It’s always nice to have the spirit.”
Isn’t that the truth.
When LeGore-Hodgins hit a drive hard left on a dogleg right, Young jokingly said, “Jaci, the green is over there.”
LeGore-Hodgins quipped, “I had Lasik surgery, but you couldn’t tell.”
Then when LeGore-Hodgins parred the hole, Young was quick to congratulate her. “We support each other,” remarked LeGore-Hodgins.
Obviously.
After one beautiful tee shot from Young, LeGore-Hodgins declared, “That sound, it’s like the sound of the perfect kiss.” As only a woman could analyze. It made me blush.
My own game needed some support after my lower back began to flare up on No. 5.
LeGore-Hodgins, the girls’ golf coach at Marysville-Getchell, offered me some Aleve. I was quick to accept the medication, which provided only minimal relief. By No. 11, my game was in shambles, my fragile male ego had resurfaced, and my chipping was in the urinal.
Then when all three of us ended up in the sand trap on No. 15, LeGore-Hodgins gleefully announced, “We’re going to have a beach party.”
Struggling to maintain my composure down the stretch, I had an unusual thought as I addressed the ball on the 18th tee. My backache, a slight headache, and the growing fatigue got my mind to inexplicably consider: What if LeGore-Hodgins unintentionally gave me Midol rather than Aleve?
And with that, I hit my best drive of the day.
When I shared the Midol thought with LeGore-Hodgins, she didn’t miss a beat and suggested, “Maybe that should be your new trigger word.”
Minutes later, I four-putted and walked off the green disheartened. LeGore-Hodgins, sensing my frustration, once again put it all in perspective. “This is when you leave it on the course,” she offered.
It was the perfect time to head to the 19th hole, order champagne on ice and simply reflect on a round with chic chick conversation.
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