Fore!

In trying to decide what activities we were going to take on for the kids this summer, Mike and I were trying to come up with something that we could all enjoy. We've talked about golf in the past and decided this was the summer for lessons.

Mike did some research and we hunted for used clubs for the kids. However, he found a company that designs clubs that can be increased in length as needed to a certain point. After doing the math, we decided to go this route. The clubs arrived last week. Both kids were VERY excited to try them out.

So, lessons have begun. Mike is our instructor. He mostly learned from his uncle who is a golf-pro in Davenport and he was on his high school team. I'm the backseat driver. I'm really probably more of a hindrance than a help. Mike knows what he's talking about and what to look for. I know the basics: head down, knees bent, don't try to kill the ball.

Last week Mike started teaching them the basics in our front yard. Yellow balls were flying (or rolling) everywhere. He moved from one kid to the next and back again.

After that, the kids were given their first putting lessons...in our family room. Note: We have now instituted the household rule that the ONLY club to be swung in the house is the putter and ONLY if putting. One of the first rules was that putting doesn't involve a full swing.

Saturday we made the big move to Water's Edge, the local par 3 golf course. We bought three buckets of balls and hit the driving range. Both kids thought they would just be hitting balls the entire time. Not so. Our golf pro said that there had to be at least 5 practice swings between balls. We soon figured out how long the kids could last without a break, then Mike would get to practice his swings or I would take a turn.

The kids had goals of their own. There was a pond on the side where we were; this was the "hole" they were aiming for. Maddie was excited to have dunked four balls, and Jake was slightly satisfied with two balls.

Three buckets of balls (plus all the practice swings) is a lot to go through so we were out there awhile. But both kids were slightly disappointed when we didn't hit the putting range afterward. I think Mike didn't want them to get burned out. Or maybe Mike didn't want to get burned out.

Either way, our first lessons have been a success. Our goal is that by the end of the summer we all will be good enough to try a round at Water's Edge.