1st Day of Jr. Golf...

Our town has a Jr. Golf program during the summer, so the teenager signed up this year so he could continue to compete and improve his game and try out for Varsity Golf at the High School next year.... that is the plan anyway.

So today was the 1st day of Jr. golf. They kind of divide up between the two golf courses in the area by age and ability, and "the teenager" was right on the cusp... so he thought he wanted to play down (so he would feel on top of the pile) instead of up (and getting "his butt handed to him every week" in his words).

This was much much much against what his mom and dad, his golf coach, his golf guru he works for a the golf course thought and advised for what we all thought was best for him to improve.

So today when we showed up there were a ton of 10, 11, 12 year olds a couple of girls and "the teenager". He played an awesome game, it built up his confidence, and he finally convinced he needs to move up to the upper level! Whew! Really glad that came sooner than later.

I do have selfish reasons... at the lower level parents have to come keep score, and at the upper level that is not required because the kids can keep their own scores.

I did keep score today for my first time... it went fine, but they put me with a different group than with my kid (parents can't keep score for their own kids). I had 4 young boys in which two of them tried and tried to argue that I couldn't count, and they didn't have that many strokes, even when I had every stroke written down. At the end of the 1st 2 holes, we would have to recount and remember each and every stroke they made... "no the second stroke was over by the tree and then you hit it into th e rough" finally, I had to finger out to them which stroke they were on each time they hit the ball, and then they would agreed with me at the end of the hole when I took out anything for them to argue about. I'm a quick learner... I have lived with a master manipulator slash negotiator for a few years now! Luckily it was my first and last time having to keep score!

Whew! I won't have to kill someone else's kid! Whew!

(no really they were pretty good kids, I am kind of just being sarcastic!)

One of the teenagers friends from school is really bummed out he is leaving to play up at the other course next week. He was kind of the only kid she knew on this course. I tried to hang back and just watch... and as I hear her say "hi" to him when we first arrived, I wasn't sure if he responded. Then after they had sign in's, I heard her walk by and say "hi" again... this time the teenager walks in a different direction and says "hi" back, pretty short and sweet, but keeps on going away from her. She stopped and looked down at the ground, I could feel her frustration, it was so thick you could cut it with a knife!

So I just looked over at her and said "I guess, he's a man of few words today ", she smiled and said "usually he is giving me such a hard time at school I can't get a word in otherwise" and laughed.

Making excuses for what now seemed like "THE RUDE TEENAGER" because I realize he actually knows her well. I said "well maybe he's just got his game face on".

So shortly after they finished golfing, I see them sitting and talking together, she seemed like a "lovely girl" with no "horrid habits" (my favorite line from the parent trap). But just a friend from school, he is still pretty afraid of getting girl germs because he will text with them, but in person - calm cool and collected on the outside, but eeeewwwwww coodies on the inside! I guess at this point as his mother I am ay-okay with that.

Oh and as it turns out her last name is Rhoades... I wonder if she is related to the Rhoades Bakery family in this area?

When we finished up there was another group of really really young kids getting ready to start the next round. Their golf bags were little miniature versions of the big guys, sooooo cute! And one of the girls had a barbie golf bag with pink sparkly golf balls and tees! How cute is that!!!!

But we had to giggle, most of them had 3 clubs... "the driver, the wedge and the putter... that's all a real golfer needs in his bag!" according to the teenager! Laughing out Loud!!!

Well it was fun while it lasted, next week he moves up with the big boys and no Mom's allowed, so I will have to get the low down from another source.