Personal Narrative-State Golf Tournament

Four years ago I would have never expected to be a golf team captain. Due to my variety of hobbies and interests, I like to consider myself a jack of all trades so it was hard to decide on what sports to play in high school. Upon asking my father if he had any recommendations, he told me that if I could learn the fundamentals of golf I would have a tool that could benefit me for a lifetime. I wrote down golf on the dotted registration line and, well, forgot about it.

It was a Monday morning on June 13, 2016 and I was not ready for what was to come of today. I was practicing for my tournaments all summer long and this day was the day for me to show that my work has paid off. Even though It was a qualifier into a high skilled tournament I need my game this summer to be one of my best years so I can send my resumes to coaches around the country. So now the round Is about to start and I was nervous. Playing against kids much older and much stronger than you is intimidating, but i knew that was not supposed to change what was going to happen today. This golf course is a tricky one with lots of trees and hills but that should change my mindset of trying to win this qualifier. And we were off, I striped my drive

It just always seemed like something that I had to do. Ever since I was ten years old I’ve been playing, practicing, and talking about golf. I always have had a love for the game, but I never really thought about how stressful and painful it made my life. Even at ten I thought my future had already been planned for me. I was already thinking of life as a professional golfer. I was certain that I would go play golf for a big college, and instant fame would soon follow. It wasn’t until the last couple of years that life has changed for me.

The sport that I have dedicated the most time to, golf, has become a part of me—in my soul. To me, golf is more than a sport; it is a lifelong journey of training to temper myself both mentally and physically. Playing golf opens my eyes to observe the world in a unique way, and it lets me taste the bliss of striving. The Georgia State Golf Championship in my sophomore year was one of the most memorable experiences that influenced me, not only by contributing to my interest in golf, but also by building my character and teaching me life lessons. It did not push me to the road of being a professional golfer, but it instilled the spirits of a golfer within me.

Once, a very long time ago, Vincent Van Gogh was said to have drunk yellow paint, hoping to gain happiness. Three years ago, I joined my school’s golf team for the same reason. I found myself isolated at school, realizing that I was pushing school work over my social life during my sophomore year. It was when I desperately struggled to surround myself with positivity that I found myself at the Santa Teresa Golf Course. The first few practices at a sport I had never touched was more upsetting than enjoyable. Unexpectedly, golf requires a mentality where the confidence to overcome obstacles is essential to successive progression in the sport. Being compared to my older sister at home, and then struggling to fit in at school, made self-doubt a

After two patient years of golfing, the weather was perfect to play with. As I look over the lush green grass, my father besides me casted a shadow over me. The freshly cut grass, reminded me of possibly getting a hole in one. As I start to walk on the pathway towards hole one, I start to mentally prepare myself. “I can do it. Play confidently and play to win,” as I mumble to myself. It’s just important to be physically prepared as mentally. My dad, jokingly says, “I’ll give you a ‘gazillion’ dollars if you land a hole-in-one.” Well my dad, better get that “gazillion” dollars ready, because he is in for a surprise.

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

I’ve been playing golf with my Pa since I was 7 years old. I loved the alone time with my Dad, but until I turned 14, the game was just a way to get attention from him. When I was 11, we moved to Washington, DC so that my Dad could study English. He didn't have much time left for golf, but we did have lots of time to explore. I loved being in a new place, a new country, and I loved learning English. Even though I took golf lessons once a week, I didn't compete, and surprisingly, I missed golf!

All my life I have been very devoted to the sports of which I participate. Baseball and golf have been a huge part of my childhood and it has always been in that order. Baseball always took precedence over golf. Golf was just a hobby and when it came down to it, baseball was going to be more a part of me than golf. But recently my heart has shifted and the level of precedence in my mind has switched over to golf, and being very involved in the baseball team with my high school, it was time to make a very difficult decision with countless ramifications.

I was walking to the 16th hole at the regionals tournament at Lake Forest in Ann Arbor. I was walking with a small group of girls listening to them give pep talks to their less confident team member.

I arrived at practice with my shoes laced, hair pulled back, and the mindset that I was unstoppable. I could play against every member of my team and come out the victor on any given day. It was the first day of practice that week, and challenge matches were scheduled to begin. The team went through our daily shuffle of drills, conditioning, and running to prepare for what was lying ahead. While warming up with my friends, I felt great, talking about homecoming, boys, and a variety of irrelevant events. I felt ready. The odds were in my favor and nobody could stop me.

It was a peaceful, sunny day and perfect for golfing. The lake shimmered with sunlight as my dad, Ellie and I scooted up the hill in our golf cart, ready to go putt out balls in the hole. “Hey Kate,” my dad said, “Go see if you can find your ball, I will come and help you after I putt my ball in.”

Gabe’s quote that he chose that best represented his presentation stood out to me. I can relate to these words of wisdom with volleyball. Getting to the State Tournament is never easy for high school volleyball. My sophomore year we fell short in the second round to qualify and that was so disappointing for our team. The next year we came back with lots of intensity and drive, but fell short in the last game before qualifying. Fortunately, we took all the anger and disappointment and worked our tails off. We ended up qualifying, it was one of the coolest experience that has happened to me, and it shows that hard work pays off in the end, and to never give up.

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

Ever since I was young I was a part of a discourse community that I couldn't relate to. It was the golfing community. I was constantly asked if I was going to play or if I had caught some match or tournament in the past week, I had not. It was not until my freshman year of high school that I began to accept this community and become a part of the conversations I had always ignored. Golf turned out to be quite the adventure.