Golf. (Credit: Soheb Zaidi/Unsplash)
In a scrappy league on a scrappy course, I found joy in missed putts, old-timer wisdom, and the sweet sting of getting smoked by a guy with a bad hip
Golf is at heart a solitary game. During my golf life I have always been playing against myself…it’s an ugly internal battle which I typically lose. One day I’m crushing a course that killed me in the past, while the next day I fall apart and the course crushes me. In golf you wrestle with yourself internally every round, every hole, every shoot. Somedays you are on another level, for better or for worse.
Playing with yourself is only so fun (did I just type that?). Sometimes it is best to get together with other golfers so you can get those competitive juices flowing, and nothing does that better than a golf league. Some leagues are highly competitive where players take things pretty seriously and occasionally throw a club or two. Other leagues are non-competitive and are merely an excuse to hit various courses throughout the area with a cheaper group rate.
I found a happy medium that combines teams, competition, and beers for a dollar. The North Penn Golf League has been around for 50 years losing balls at Twin Woods Golf Course in Hatfield. I’m not even sure when or how I got invited to play in the league, but I’m grateful to have the opportunity to hack it up on a regular basis. This particular league doesn’t require weekly play, which is nice, and they track your handicap just for the course.
If you think Twin Woods is just a beat up old 9 hole track you are partly correct. However, Twin Woods, when you play with the out-of-bounds markers, is incredibly challenging. It’s tight, deceivingly long, with greens the size of available parking in downtown Lansdale. I have always felt public courses that aren’t perfectly manicured offer obstacles that immaculately groomed private courses never have. A bump on the green here, a stray weed in the fairway there. You have to overcome the imperfections, kind of like relationships. Sure a perfectly maintained course is beautiful but a standard public track has quirks that make the game more challenging.
The North Penn Golf League consists primarily of retired dudes who grew up in the area. The stories during rounds of bygone times, old players and various new physical ailments are as fun as the golf. Typically there is a golfer in my group who is 25 years older than me, swings perfectly, sinks putts with their eyes closed and they whoop my butt. Golf is humbling to say the least, especially when a guy who can barely lift a case of beer beats me by 10 strokes. When the round is over, everyone gathers for some cold beers, pretzels and we talk about nothing in particular. It’s a beautiful thing that only happens after a round of golf.
Unfortunately, this column can’t specifically steer you to a golf league. My advice is to call your local golf course and inquire with the pro about their leagues. They should be able to get you in touch with whomever is running a league. The league may need a team of golfers, or they may just put you in touch with a team in need of a player. You may need to be a squeaky wheel and make numerous calls. It’s not like the folks that run these leagues are getting paid.
Hopefully, you can get lined up with a golf league that has friendly people with above average hygiene. Being in a league somewhat forces you to play consistently over a season, and that is always helpful. So give a league a go and have a dollar beer for me.
(The Back Nine is a biweekly op-ed column submitted to North Penn Now, courtesy of Edward Levine. The views expressed are his own and are not representative of North Penn Now or Montgomery County.)
