9/30/23

I have lived a very charmed life.  God has blessed me with family, friends, good health, and lots of wonderful experiences. Certainly, my family and friends have been my most cherished blessing, and I am no less thankful for my lifelong, good health. In the “experiences area” of my life, golf has provided me its fair share of fabulous memories. At or near the top of my golf list of memories was my most recent trip the to birthplace and home of golf, Scotland.  

It is hard for me to adequately express what a trip of a lifetime my visit to Scotland was.  From September 6-15, 2023, Rob, Stew, David, and I traveled to Scotland to experience golf in its original form. I learned many valuable things on this trip. As wonderful as it is for a golfer to visit and play in the birthplace and true home of golf, the trip wouldn’t have been nearly as enjoyable without the companionship of good friends. I have been friends with Rob, Stew, and David since the late 1980s. However, this was the first golf trip that I have spent with them.  The three of them have a group that meets every year in Ocean City, Maryland.  I have played with them there but have never stayed overnight. Spending those nine days with them was a joy. I couldn’t have asked for better traveling mates in general but certainly couldn’t have asked for better golf trip companions. The three of them had planned the trip for a couple of years to celebrate their sixtieth birthdays (they all graduated from high school the same year).  Their fourth bowed out, and they asked me to replace him. Although I am five years ahead of them in school, they felt the I would be a good person to fill out their foursome for the trip. We were a very diverse group. I was the only African-American in the group but not the only person of color. In all honesty, the combination of the hospitality of the Scots and the friendship of these four particular golf buddies took any apprehension I may have had prior to the trip about any racial tension during the trip, completely “off the table” (or “out of play,” as we might say in golf).  The four of us bonded as well as any group of “golf brothers” could, and the Scots couldn’t have been more hospitable in every way!

Golf is part of the spirit of Scotland. Literally, you can feel the game with all of its accoutrements and traditions in the very DNA of the country.  It’s more than just a game in Scotland; it is a way of life. Regardless of whether they actually play the game or not, the Scots embrace the game and the land on which the game is played as gifts from God to be enjoyed and shared. Golf is part of their national identity, and they really enjoy hosting visitors to their homeland and way of life.  I felt, having now experienced the game in Scotland, that the trip had a spiritual component to it for me. Golf has an authenticity to it in Scotland that makes you aware of God benevolence. There is a oneness with the land, environment, and even the weather (which can be challenging at times) that can’t be adequately expressed in words. Golf in Scotland is golf in its natural habitat. That doesn’t mean that playing golf at home is less enjoyable. However, there is an aura of playing golf in Scotland that gives you the feeling that you are indeed experiencing the game the way God intended.

Putting everything into context, my visit to Scotland  was a “bucket list” trip! I am and will be forever grateful!! I am VERY thankful to The Good Lord for allowing me to live, not just play, Scottish golf. I pray that every golfer gets the opportunity to visit the birthplace and home of golf! Truly, playing there is golf for the soul!!