Arrive Magazine - March/April, 2007

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a lever from shoulder to club face. He’d I shower and show up to find everybody proved it to us on the video screen with in the bar chewing over (what else?) golf, stopped-motion shots of Tiger, Phil and which includes barroom demonstrations Ernie, all with that pure extension. of our new techniques. I had come to golf

“Pendulum” is the word. The arms school expecting to learn about the “ per-come together at the hands to form a V, fect swing” and better ways to putt and wrists rigid, and then the shoulders rock chip, but I really hadn’t thought about back and forth, a pendulum, to cleanly any social aspects, that there might be propel the ball on a lovely trajectory from some kind of bonding that would build putter face to 4-inch hole in the green. over the weekend. It turned out to be as Same thing with the chip shot, just rock significant a contributor to the experi-the shoulders back farther. ence as the golf itself.

At 4 o’clock they turn Soon we are seated
us loose to play a few for dinner, near strangers
holes, and soon enough thrown together by coin-
golf camaraderie starts to cidence, but golfers. And
set in, the phenomenon golfers know that by the
in which, by the end of a end of a round, or a din-
round, four perfect strang- ner, they will learn many
ers come away knowing things about each other,
the others’ hometowns, and that this very night is
their occupations and the 50th wedding anniver-
the location of the next sary of Terry and Sandy
family vacation. In croquet, a game disap- MacDonald, and that Sandy bought this
pointingly similar to golf for many of us, golf weekend as a present for Terry, and
it’s you against your opponent. In golf, it’s that they drove 700 miles from Michigan
you and your group against the course—a to get here, to learn to play better golf to-
birdie for one is a birdie for all. In the end, gether now in their retirement.
you remove your cap and shake hands Larry, Bill and I are stunned and
with your comrades, whether you shot 18 honored, and with the help of a sparkling
bogeys or 18 pars. bottle from the vineyard of Greg Norman
Our school is hosted at Christman’s (yes, the great Australian golfer) and 15
Windham House, just outside Windham, New York City firefighters here on a golf
N. Y. Built when Thomas Jefferson was weekend, we raise glasses to Terry and
president, the main house is a quaint three- Sandy like high-fives after a birdie. An an-
story colonial with a dining room and bar niversary for two is an anniversary for all.
on the main floor and guest rooms above. Saturday morning, we share breakfast
Golf schools vary widely in their amenities. then head to school. From 9 to 4, we putt
Some, like Crystal Springs in New Jersey and chip and putt and chip and finally start
or Cranwell in Massachusetts, are connect- on the full swing. At the range, Gamer
ed to full-fledged luxury resorts offering puts Terry and Bill on the impact bag,
spas and spa services, multiple restaurants, golf’s equivalent of boxing’s heavy bag.
tennis instruction and organized trips. Each on his own bag, they swing and swing
While you sweat in golf school, the spouse and swing, trying to get the feel of the
sweats in the sauna. Others, like our school weight shift requisite in a powerful stroke.
here, are modest in the amenities and long Bill, eventually wanting the relief of an
on the golf. Which suited me fine. I came to actual ball, asks to pull out the driver for a
become a better golfer. while, to which Gamer says, “Nah, better
We were to meet in the bar for cock- stay on the bag.” Sore as we are at day’s
tails around 6, and then dinner at 6: 30. end, the impact bags got the worst of it.

I had come to golf
school expecting
to learn about the
“perfect swing,” but
hadn’t thought
about the bonding
that would occur.

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