The Metropolitan
September/Octobeer
Crazy about golf - fo Guest Column Mark Reardon (Editor’s note: Mark Reardon is the host of “The Mark Reardon Show” on KMOX NewsRadio 1120 from 2 -5 p.m.weekdays ... and a self-professed golf nut.) I’m getting better!!! I made the mistake of uttering those words about my golf game to a lot of people this past summer. You see, I’ve really only been back in the game for about 3 1/2 years. I didn’t grow up playing golf. I remember my Dad had an old set up clubs and would occasionally play in a work “outing.” When I was younger I never knew what that meant. So, as I allegedly transformed into an adult during the 1980’s, I was a HUGE fan of the game on television. I just didn’t play. During a radio stint in Milwaukee about 20 years ago, my friend Bob, who I bonded with over Springsteen music and concerts, asked if I was a golfer. I told him I had never even picked up a club - never! Bob was a pretty generous guy and upon hearing that, he surprised me with golf lessons. I jumped in head first. I took a few lessons, started hitting balls at the range and before you knew it I was obsessed. In Milwaukee County, there was a vast array of pretty decent courses and as a county resident you could enjoy steep discounts. Truth be told, as a radio guy you also get invited to play a lot of free golf. It was amazing. The PGA Tournament came to Whistling Straits in 2004 and the majesty and beauty of that property north of Milwaukee gave me more inspiration to obsess over golf. But here’s the problem - I was all arms. I never really understood the mechanics of the golf swing. I lost a lot of balls, swore a lot of words and never broke 100. I was not getting better. When I moved back to St. Louis in 2006, I was still playing. But I also was becoming a relatively serious cyclist. Yes - one of those annoying, spandexwearing bikers who hog the road. The weekend rides were 3-4 hours at a time. There’s no way you can be on the bike and play golf at the same time … at least, not without getting a divorce. 24
After a 60-mile ride one Saturday in Ap friends if he was going to ride the next d golf.” My response was, “I want to play g I have not been back on a serious bike r mountain bike a few times for a spin ar daughter. But outside of that, since that put my butt on a bicycle seat. To explain, I’m either an “all-in” or “allspent hundreds (ok, thousands) of dolla ment and hit thousands of balls at the r videos and books, taken lessons from g and Craig Story. And I’ve even called m being the instigator of this addiction. At the same time, I’ve tried to pay my lo help of his mother, I bought my little br of Eastern MO a set of starter clubs. He As unsettling and discouraging as 2020 has been encouraging for my golf game derstand what a real swing feels like. I’v ball and for the first time, I’m compress from 100-plus to shooting two rounds t about that … As soon as I had a great round at Tapaw it all went downhill. You could have pla for a good portion of the round, you mi That’s golf, it’s humbling. As soon as you progress, you shoot a 94 and run out of When that happened, I quickly declared hit more balls at the range and played m were back on track. Now I’m worried. It’s the end of the season, and while I’ll play a winter round when temperatures the spring. In these anxious times, Golf not think about pandemics, politics, an For those who don’t play the game, it do Why in the world would anyone put the frustrating, difficult game? Why would F-bombs, yell at yourself and get all wou golf? Why? … Why? … Why? I think it’s because I’ve convinced myse
