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.
