FORE Magazine

Top Menu

  • About Me
  • Contact Us
  • Home

Main Menu

  • Current Issue
  • Digital Book
  • Profiles
  • Sustainability
  • Travel
  • 19th Hole
  • Classic Course
  • FORE Her
  • More
    • Know the Rules
    • Handicap Hints
    • SCGA Junior
    • Where Are They Now?
    • News
    • Public Affairs
Sign in / Join

Login

Welcome! Login in to your account
Lost your password?

Lost Password

Back to login

logo

FORE Magazine

  • Current Issue
  • Digital Book
  • Profiles
  • Sustainability
  • Travel
  • 19th Hole
  • Classic Course
  • FORE Her
  • More
    • Know the Rules
    • Handicap Hints
    • SCGA Junior
    • Where Are They Now?
    • News
    • Public Affairs
First CutSummer 2022
Home›First Cut›Dad Golf: Paying Tribute to a Special Man

Dad Golf: Paying Tribute to a Special Man

By Tina Mickelson
July 21, 2022
2687
0
Share:

We’ve heard of dad jokes and dad bods, right? But did you know that Dad Golf is also a thing? It is. And it’s glorious. Don’t know what I’m talking about? Let’s see:

▪ Pulls up to bag drop with sticker on minivan claiming, “My Child is an All Star”? Check.
▪ Untucked shirt? Check.
▪ Socks pulled up to “almost” knee high? Check.
▪ Visor instead of golf hat? Check.
▪ Yacht Rock wafting from the portable speaker? Check.
▪ Beer smuggled in his golf bag because “those snack bar prices are outrageous”? Check.
▪ Plays from the blue tees when even the whites are more than he can handle? Double check.

You’ve seen him. You know him. You might even be him. And without him, golf is not the same. I mean, who would we get mad at for giving himself five-foot gimme putts with maximum carry-overs on the line? Who would we yell at for constantly improving their lie or conveniently forgetting to add those penalty strokes? It might sound like dad golf is getting a bad rap. No way. Dad Golf is the best. But I guess it also depends on who your dad is.

Playing golf with your favorite people elevates the experience, and for those of us who have dads that rock, we hit the jackpot.

I’m super lucky. My dad is awesome. He was a fighter pilot and flight instructor for the Navy, so he taught us discipline and perseverance. At the same time, he has the patience of a saint, so he never lost his cool with us even while running a tight (but completely fair) ship. And he can fix anything … like anything. MacGyver could learn something from him. He tried hard to share that one with us, too, but sadly it didn’t take.

PASSING THE TORCH

Every year, with both Father’s Day and my father’s birthday celebrated just a couple weeks apart, we play a round of golf as a family and add to the library of memories we have compiled from growing up on the golf course.

I asked the social media universe to share their memories of being with their fathers on the golf course, and they did not disappoint. I think my favorite share was one sweet daughter explaining how her dad didn’t play golf but once asked to tag along. He was wearing shorts with his wing-tips and knee-high socks and was just excited to be there. He was being “helpful” and pulled the pin. Great, right? Except he took the pin to the cart with him instead of putting it back and didn’t realize it for several holes. I laughed until I cried reading that one.

And then there’s the dad who hit an amazing tee shot on a par-three and was so excited that he tore off for the green in his golf cart, not even noticing that his son had tumbled out and was rolling down the fairway. (He was fine.) The man did end up going back for his son, but not before attempting his birdie putt. He missed and learned an instant lesson in karma.

Sure, we poke fun at our fathers, but it should be noted that these same men would do anything for us. Take, for example, a friend of mine whose family could only afford clubs and green fees for one person. Even though his father was an avid golfer, he made sure his son had what he needed to play the game while the father just watched. That melts me. Now that my friend is an adult, he enjoys frequent rounds with his dad, which he appreciates even more because of what his father gave up so he could learn the game.

There are too many special memories with my dad to pick just one, but there is a recurring theme in each of them. He was patient, encouraging, fun and kind. And that is what I remember most, as opposed to any specific incident. So yeah, I’m lucky. And now I want my kids to feel the same way when we are on the golf course together. We still play with my dad as much as we can, and now my kids get to experience that gift as well.

As we think of our fathers, we are thankful for the laughs they provide us, but it’s the love and memories that we hold on to the tightest.

Thank you, dads out there. Thank you for passing down your love for the game. I wish you many more rounds with your children and loved ones.

Previous Article

The Pubs of St Andrews

Next Article

A Roadmap for the Environment: Whittier Narrows ...

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Tina Mickelson

Related articles More from author

  • Summer 2022Sustainability

    A Roadmap for the Environment: Whittier Narrows GC Earns Enviro Cred

    July 21, 2022
    By Robert Earle Howells
  • Fall 2021First Cut

    The Member Guest: Some Rules of Thumb for the Season

    October 26, 2021
    By Tina Mickelson
  • First CutWinter 2023

    Talking It Out: What’s a Round Without a Recap?

    February 6, 2023
    By Tina Mickelson
  • ProfilesSummer 2022

    Guru to the Stars: Ron del Barrio: Hollywood’s Swing Coach Extraordinaire

    July 21, 2022
    By Cole Young
  • ProfilesSummer 2022

    Don’t Stop Believing: Troy Mullins is in the Driver’s Seat

    July 24, 2022
    By Adam Hawk
  • NewsSummer 2022

    King’s Retreat: Park Hyatt Aviara Debuts Game-Changing Upgrades

    July 22, 2022
    By Robert Kaufman

Leave a reply Cancel reply

Recent Posts

  • 19th HoleFeaturedSummer 2024

    A Feast for the Senses

  • At The TurnFeaturedSCGA JuniorSpring 2025

    Mr. & Mrs. Porter

  • FeaturedIn The ClubhouseSpring 2025

    Original Wonder Woman

  • At The TurnFeaturedSpring 2025Travel

    Irish Ayes

  • FeaturedIn The ClubhousePublic AffairsSpring 2025

    Doing More With Less

FeaturedIn The ClubhouseSpring 2025

John Henebry

A Personal Remembrance Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025. A ballroom at Desert IslandCC in the Coachella Valley pocket of Rancho Mirage. The “Celebration of Life” for my dear friend, my colleague, ...
  • Fun & Games

    By Kevin O'Connor
    May 15, 2025
  • Rule 25

    By Jimmy Becker
    May 15, 2025
  • Doing More With Less

    By Kevin Fitzgerald
    May 15, 2025
  • Original Wonder Woman

    By Joe Passov
    May 15, 2025
© 2016 FORE Magazine About Us | Contact Us | Advertise