I have lived a charmed life when it comes to access to golf courses. My family bought a lake house in Uwharrie Point, the community around Old North State Club in New London, NC, one of the nicest courses in the state, when I was 5. My dad would take my little brother and me out there with him while he played. My whole extended family that owned the lake house are all serious golfers and would play often when there. Growing up I had a mini-set of U.S. Kids Golf clubs. I never took it that seriously and was much more interested in other sports. I played baseball, football, basketball, hockey, and soccer in organized leagues around the “little league” age. I would play maybe once a year when I was a little kid and ride in the cart and chip and putt a few or hit balls on the range a few more times.

We moved out to Pinehurst when I was entering 8th grade after my dad retired from the Army after being stationed at Fort Bragg for most of his service. If this had not happened, I’m not sure I ever would have really picked up the game. We moved into National (it has subsequently been purchased by the Pinehurst Resort and renamed Pinehurst No. 9, much to my chagrin). Growing up in Pinehurst on a golf course, there was no reason not to start playing more. As kids under that management, we could walk on and play or hit range balls pretty much every day from sun up to sundown for free. By the time I hit high school I was down to basketball and baseball and when I wasn’t playing those two either with the team or just with friends, we were playing golf or whacking hundreds of balls on the range. It also helped that a few of my friends were on the golf team, so they were good players who could help me with my game and gift me old clubs.

By the end of high school, I was playing pretty much every day during the summer and my game was somewhat decent. The great thing about being a high school kid in Pinehurst is that you have a friend or friend of a friend who works on nearly every golf course in the area and they can get you on for free or for a drastically reduced rate.

It wasn’t until I moved out to St. Charles that I started taking the game seriously. When I moved out here, I didn’t really know anyone besides family. I wasn’t 21, so I couldn’t go out. I decided to just start golfing because there was a course right across the street from St. Charles Community College, so I could go right from class to the course. Mid Rivers Golf Links was the first course I played West of the Mississippi. It was a fun, cheap course, kept in pretty good shape, and it actually had a full-sized grass tee driving range. I played it or hit balls on their range pretty much every day after school. The second course I played was the St. Peters Municipal course because it was also cheap and relatively close. The twilight deals at that place were the best. I could get in 36 holes after 2 p.m. for only $20.

Good things don’t last forever though. Eventually Mid Rivers was sold to a developer like so many courses now and it is currently a typical suburban neighborhood with hundreds of identical houses where a gorgeous little golf course once stood. St. Peters has raised their prices while packing the course with what at least seems like more leagues and players while the turf is in serious trouble on a lot of the course. Luckily, I found the GolfNow app in 2013, my second spring here, and began playing courses all round the St. Louis Metro area.

I have played with varying frequency the last 8 years. I have been as frequent as four or five times a week and then the last couple years far less frequent as I wanted to try some other things (and save some money). This past summer I picked it back up again heavy and played 55 times after June 1st and dropped my handicap back down to 8.1 heading into the new year and a new handicap system.

I’m excited to go on this next chapter of my golfing history with this blog with you. This is the first time I think since I was trying to break 80 that I have set real goals for my golf game. It should be cool to see how much my game changes in just a year with my focus so centered on one goal– my Quest for Par.

Let’s get after it.