I submitted this to Golf Digest magazine in 1999 for a series they had titled "My First Time." Alas, it was not selected.
I was 17 years old the day I first broke 80, a moment I still remember clearly, twenty-two years later. It was a day of vindication for me, as less than a year earlier a terrible case of the shanks had almost driven me from the game. Reflecting on my earlier trials, it was with an immense amount of pride and satisfaction that as I walked off the final hole the Vernonia (Oregon) Golf Club that June day in 1977. It was especially sweet since the score came during a local tournament competition.
Up to that point I had broken 40 a couple times for nine holes, but on this day I went out in even-par 36, and didn’t know what to do. I was astounded that I had done so well, had hit so many good shots, and made so many putts to make the turn at even, and just wanted to quit right there. I was in uncharted territory, and came back to Earth a bit on the second nine, shooting a 41, but I was still proud of myself. On the last hole I hit a 9-iron punch to the green, and the minute it landed I knew I was home free, relieved that I had kept my first two shots in bounds on this short, but narrow par-5. Wow, I thought, I did it!
That evening I shared the round with my Mom, who gave me on of my most treasured possessions the year I took up the game - a paperback edition of Tommy Armour’s classic How to Play Your Best Golf All the Time. That book taught me how to properly grip a golf club, and I’ll never forget all the encouragement my Mom gave me. Today, I don’t play much anymore, but golf is still a special game to me, and always will be.