The Addiction that is a "hole" lot of trouble!

Another beautiful Spring day. Cool but sunny. The ground is thawing. The rivers are flowing. The Spring flowers are pushing their way to the surface. ...And I'm alone again! The golf addiction has raised it's ugly head for another year.

Yes, I speak of one of the most devious addictions that is still untouched by our government.....the addiction of golf. Think about it! A most costly addiction with greens fees, cart fees, outfits, equipment; and, boxes and boxes of golf balls. And don't forget the new "tricks of the trade" such as equipment, techniques, attitude adjustments all covered in the latest costly videos. There are the miles and miles of driving the car in search of the perfect golf course. Oh yes, we're talking about big sums of money and most waking hours concentrating on "the game". In some cases, I'm sure, children are going without the "right" foods and spouses are spending their lives "waiting". In other cases, golfers have sustained head injuries at the hands of their fellow golfers when.....they didn't hear the call, "four!"

The tragedies are endless. The heartbreak, although seen rarely, is as common as the stories about "a hole in one". The golfer sees only the green. The golfer is blind to the hurt caused or the "we" dreams smashed with the swing of the club. And when the game is over, the golfer sighs with only the memory of a "great game" wafting aimlessly in a tired 'ol golf bag.

So, we non-golfers are left with our partner's blind excitement of an anticipated golf game or the exhausted "remains" after the experience has ended. Our golfer is addicted but no one recognizes the severity of the problem....they love the game more than life itself......more than those who love them.....more than a vacation.....and, too often, more than the hungry children.

Do you see? Golf is an evil addiction that must be "stomped-out". Those golf course holes must be filled-in. Those golf carts must have their cushions removed. Those golf clubs need to be used on the streets to curb crime and drugs. We need government support to blot-out this addiction that drains the "fun energy" of our loved-ones.

And is golf addiction so different from drug or alcohol addiction? Well, there is the "compulsive" drive before, there is the "high" during and there is the exhaustion after. There is the financial "drain" with no visible return. There are those blank, lonely faces of loved-ones left behind. It's hard to ignore the similarities to our more recognized chemical addictions.

So, join me in a battle against our most ignored and misunderstood addiction....golf! Lets work to refocus those energies. Lets push our golf addicts into programs that help the poor....lets get them into school volunteer work...lets relive the joys of vacations. Life is full of productive projects...and when we're done, we can see something. Bring back craft projects and home improvement "honey do's". Lets share more...and leave home less. Lets stomp-out golf....the addiction that's a " hole" lot of trouble.

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