Golf!

My MI uncle sent a bag of clubs at the start of the golf season (we discovered a few were pretty bent, which makes me wonder if there were some hard times on the golf course up North :) Graysen supplemented with an iron he found at Goodwill for $3 and a driver Buck ordered from online for $30 (I guess a kid gave him a spare pitching wedge today, too :) Brennen also needed clubs, so we found him a complete set on Amazon for under $200. Buck figures B can use it this season (and next if he wants to keep playing), G$ can use the new set eventually, or even Buck could take the clubs to the course himself (even though we haven't golfed since I was pregnant with Brennen :)

The boys have dipped their toes into public school sports, and so far it has gone well! They weren't crazy about the 7 a.m. putting practices in the gym before the weather turned nice, but they kept going. Graysen got to play a hole or two on the course during practice. Brennen, I think, only had time on the driving range before their first actual meet--which took place earlier this week.

Neither knew how to keep score, the rules, which clubs to use, or even how a meet works (9 holes? 18?), but the other teen golfers were really cool about encouraging them and helping them along the way. And not only them! There were kids wandering every direction--searching for lost balls, searching for tee boxes, searching for entire fairways (I actually gave two sojourning girls directions to the only hole I knew how to locate, which happened to be the one they needed :)

I trailed along behind our boys, who were in section a and b of the same flight (so they teed off at the same place, one group after the other). The day was absolutely beautiful! Graysen loved the experience! Brennen wasn't as enthusiastic, but still said he had fun :)

Here's some crazy trivia, one of their childhood friends from our previous town won the meet! We knew it was his new school that we were playing against but had no idea if he was a golfer. Our boys recognized him, but he had no context for them--they are after all, homeschooled, not public schooled. When he and his dad (who I didn't see but would have made the connection much sooner if I'd have known he was there!) got home, my friend, Jill (the wife/mom) said, "Do you know who you played against today?" They were SUPER bummed they didn't know sooner :) Their G said, "That's how that guy knew my name!" I'm guessing they will all bump into each other at future events, since I think the schools are about the same size and play each other regularly in a variety of sports.

I only got to watch about 3/9 holes each at Meet 1, because I had to scoot out to babysit my nephew in a neighboring town, but I was glad I went! B and G$ unexpectedly got to play in their second home meet today, that's actually where they are right now as I'm typing. It's a bit colder, windier, and soggier than meet one, so I'll be sure to catch the next one ;)

It's cool that they are learning a sport they can continue to play into adulthood! Graysen said his score today was better than his first try, so that's cool, too. I'm glad they are (mostly) enjoying the opportunity :)