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Golf

BY ERNIE DORLING

The United States has more golf courses than any other country in the world, with more than 16,000 courses representing about 42% of the courses worldwide. And Florida has more courses than any other state in the union, possibly because Florida has an abundance of senior citizens with free time and disposable income. Oh yeah, Florida also has an abundance of sunshine.

On a recent afternoon, David Tomczak spoke enthusiastically about the game of golf. Tomczak, who started his career in golf as an assistant pro at the age of 20, recently retired as the general manager of the Duran Golf Club.

“I love the game,” he said. “Every round is a journey. However, people should understand that no matter who you are, you will never be perfect at it.”

Tomczak is a Professional Golf Association (PGA) professional who plays golf three days a week.

“Weekend and amateur golfers should take a few lessons,” He said. “Think of it as an investment in your game that will pay you dividends for years to come. Find someone you can connect with to help you.”

Most golfers would know that Tomczak is right: No matter how badly you play, it is always possible to get worse. There are few sports, if any, where lessons with a one-on-one instructor are the best way to learn the game.

Alex Basso, 69, of Viera, plays golf twice a week. “My goal is to always break 90,” he said.

Basso’s favorite group to play in is on Friday mornings at Patrick Space Force Base. “We’re called the Militia,” he said. “That’s because the majority of us are former military and/ or retired government employees. However, that is not a requirement to play with us.”

John Gowing, who runs the Militia league with the precision of the planners of Operation Overlord involving the D-Day invasion, said, “The only real requirement to join our Friday league is access to the base. You can contact the pro shop and get an application for a golf pass. We have about 40 members, and while our target audience is seniors who are prior military or retired government employees, everyone is welcome.”

Gowing has been playing golf for 45 years.

“What I love about the game,” he said, “is that no matter how many times you play it, the course is always different. The challenge is

You Laugh

continuous.”

John Sherry, 81, of Suntree, has been playing golf on and off for 50 years and also plays in the Friday Militia group. “I love the game because it keeps me young and, somehow, provides a calming, relaxing environment,” Sherry said. “However, what disturbs me the most about the game is others who might be having a bad day doing things to interfere with mine.”

Sherry’s sentiments were echoed years ago by a very wise man and former PGA professional who said, “I was told by my father years ago, that no matter how poorly I was playing, I had no right to ruin anyone else’s round of golf.”

“That’s another thing about golf,” Tomczak said, “It doesn’t build character, it defines it. You can learn a lot about people on the golf course, including how they deal with adversity.”

There is no dearth of golf courses in Brevard County. Playing opportunities abound. Area golf clubs host numerous men’s and women’s leagues and golf groups. For those couples who want to play together or simply work on their short game, the par 3 course at Duran is the perfect solution. Duran hosts a Friday night couples league where everyone is welcome.

You can play golf well into your 90s if you take reasonable care of yourself, both physically and mentally. Clint Eastwood, when asked about golf and aging, said, “I wake up every morning and don’t let the old man in. If you think you’re old, if you talk about it enough, you will be.”

Maybe it’s time for a lot of people to throttle back on talks about all medical ailments and do what professional golfer Nick Price suggested about playing golf: “Spend more time with the people who make you laugh, and you’ll always have something to look forward to.” SL