Personal Narrative: Seeing Past The Athlete

As the end of my senior year is approaching, I find myself looking back on my last four years at Stearns, I was never a three-sport athletic or was considered a “stand out.” Thinking about it now, I regret not playing all three sports. The benefits from only playing one sport for four years is unbelievable. I have gained valuable memories, and friendships that will last a lifetime. I can’t imagine all the personal achievements I would had if I stayed as a three-sports athlete.

Imagine the sun bursting through the trees for the first time of the new day, the smell of freshly cut grass still potent to your nose as you tee the ball up for a round of golf in the cool mist of a spring morning. "That is what brings you back every time, the smell of the air, the coolness of the whether and the beautiful surroundings that make every shot enjoyable." (Suess, PI) This is the game of golf in its finest and most exquisite time to many people and many people it has touched in its long history. Golf is a lifestyle and not just games to people that are avid in playing. The game of golf has a history that is rich in technological advances and personal accomplishments, which through time has shown to shape

What is the only thing harder than disciplining a dozen ten year olds? Disciplining them on ice! All throughout my life I’ve played sports, and no matter what sport it was, there was always one person who seemed to have it out for me…the referee. The referee is one of the most hated people in the world of sports, but is also one of the most crucial. I grew up with the mindset that the referee was the enemy. Whenever they made a call against me or my team, they were always wrong, no matter how obvious the penalty was. But one day, my whole perspective on referees changed---the day I became a referee.

A matter of opinion has separated a variety of sports enthusiasts apart, due to the ongoing debate of whether golf is a sport or simply a skill. Famed golfer Arnold Palmer declared, “Golf is deceptively simple and endlessly complicated; it satisfies the soul and frustrates the intellect. It is at the same time rewarding and maddening – and it is without a doubt the greatest game mankind has ever invented. (ThinkQuest.com)” These words state what every athlete experiences and feels when he/she is turning a double play, making the game winning three point shot, or throwing a hail mary pass for a touchdown. Golfers are athletes too, they train for that big moment just like any other athlete, but

He says, “Don’t worry about anything, just trust in the work you’ve put in and go compete.” These dark thoughts of failure and doubt are now replaced with much warmer memories. I begin to reminisce about the years of long hours practicing and grinding in order to get to this moment. I think about all the time that I’ve spent with my friends that were on the same mission that I was as we played the game we loved from the time the sun popped up in the east and fell down over the horizon in the west. I am much more calm now as I take the tee and our round begins. I look to my fellow competitors and I see many of the same mistakes that I make. This gives me comfort in knowing that even though they do have a prestigious past, the golf ball doesn’t know

How did Roger Banister break the 4 min mile? How did Dennis Kimetto run a marathon in 2:02:57?

When I moved back to Colombia after one year in the states, I knew two things: 1) I wanted to see more of the world and 2) golf was more than just a game; to me, it could be a way of life. So, I got serious. I began preparing myself for tournament play. I golfed every single day. I had gotten a late start, so I had a lot of work to do to catch up to my peers. I either practiced for two hours or played for four. In time, I’ve learned to see golf as a metaphor for how life works. You're always trying to “score” the best you possibly can.

Having never played golf, my first practice was what seemed to be a trial by fire. I was dropped off at the course with my dad’s worn retro golf clubs, tennis shoes, a tucked in polo shirt, and a nothing-to-lose mentality. The veteran players herded us to the driving range to

I have been golfing since I was nine years old. Nothing can beat the smell of freshly cut grass and the burning sensation of a blister on your hand, about to pop. Swinging a club is the best feeling in the world, all of my worries just melt away when I have a club in my hand. Since I was nine, I’ve always wanted to make it to the State Golf Tournament. I want to feel the crisp air and the nervousness that consumes me as I begin to tee off. I want to feel the feeling of a champion, like the bubbling of champagne.

“This is the movement towards improvement,” I thought while hitting a muddy, stained ball. I am squinting my eyes to look through the walls of gray fog covering my target ahead. I can smell the lush, green grass under my feet. I hear the tiny birds chirping in the tall Monterey Cypress trees above. It is just another calm Saturday playing golf on the mushy grass of San Francisco. I could have fished, balled, or skateboarded, but I decided to come here instead. This is because it is a special hobby unlike any other. Golf helped shape my personality, and disciplined me both physically and mentally. This motto was also inspired by golf, which helped me get through many challenging times. This is my golfing story.

Changes in golf equipment over from 1992 to 2003 led researchers to chart the best way to ensure victory in PGA tournaments. In the article, “PGA Tour Pro: Long but Not so Straight,” Erik Heiny affirms the notion that “a high greens in regulation percentage and a good short game are the keys to low scoring averages and high earnings,” and he claims that as “drives go farther, the importance of driving accuracy is becoming less important”(Heiny 11).

I don’t practice endless hours and wrap my hands in layers of tape so that I can be the greatest in the world. I don’t beat balls and roll putts for hours on end so I can be the best in sport. I do it to fill my days with joy. Golf brings me pleasure that no other sport, girl, book, or class has ever come close to. It makes me feel unique in a world where there is so much similarity.

The game of golf has changed ever since its creation in the 1400 's. Yet of all the changes in the game most of them have come within the last 25 years. Golf has developed and changed so much in the last 25 years that players and spectators alike can barely keep up with this new style of play. Research demonstrates some of the basic elements of the game, as well as most of the developmental changes the game has gone through in the last 25 years. Jeff Mashos, a former P.G.A. professional, gives his insight on the game and the changes he has seen in recent years. For golfers and golf spectators this is a brief glimpse at how golf has

Along with his love for the game of golf, my dad also passed down his competitiveness to me. The game of golf stirs up more competition than most

Golf is a part of the lives of millions of people all around the world, and I have been playing long enough to recognize the different types of golfers. The golfing world has been flipped upside down since the entrance of notorious Tiger Woods and his ace rival David Duvall. I have been enjoying this incredible sport for over thirteen years, and I still can't get over the wonderful morning aroma that fills the air when I walk to the first tee at a six o'clock tee time. From my experience on the course, there are five major groups of golfers. The groups consist of the Sunday afternoon amateur, the social status golfer, the I think "I'm the next Jack Nicholas," the know it all golfer,