I am friends with a man who’s father is a member of Augusta National. Augusta National is the golf club that hosts The Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia.
Along with being a member of Augusta National, my friend’s father is also a member of the Palmetto Golf Club in Aiken, South Carolina (about a half hour East of Augusta).
Palmetto Gold Club has a storied history, obviously not as storied as Augusta National, but, one of the many links between both golf courses is they were both architected by Dr. Alister Mackenzie of Scotland.
Recently I asked my friend what it was like to tee off at Augusta National as a teenager. I asked him how cool it was to learn to play golf at such historic clubs?
I was surprised at what he told me.
He explained to me that he hated playing golf at Augusta National and he really didn’t care to play golf at Plametto Gold Club either (though he did explain he has played more golf in his life at Palmetto than any other course). He said it just wasn’t fun.
“I knew where I was every time I walked on either course. If I left the slightest spike mark from my golf shoes I knew I would be scolded. Palmetto wasn’t as bad, but Augusta, when Dad took me there, I knew I had to be perfect. I really hated going over there (Augusta). I liked playing golf at the real golf clubs.”
That pretty much ended our conversation about golf as we moved onto another subject, but my friend got me thinking…
Do kids feel that way about church? Do they hate going to church because if they trip up there and make the slightest mistake they are going to be scolded. Do they hate to go to church where their parents take them. Would teenagers rather go some place real?
