Trading in the fishing pole for a golf club

The Fourth of July weekend brings opportunity for escape. It is a time of celebration of past independence and hopes of a like future. It is a commercialized period of history shared through parades, fireworks, outlandish parties and visitors. For perspective, I suppose age has a good bit to do with the period as well as the celebration. My escape was one of necessity, a chance to spend time with family in Tennessee, a pilgrimage taken annually which is a welcome change.

This year things are a bit different, yet are still common given present conditions. The drought has removed many access points to waters which in the past were so easily accessible.

Lake Norris and Louden, so much a part of the trip in the past now, take on a totally new dimension. Fishing is out of the question on this trip except for the larger water bodies like Kentucky Lake, which also is suffering and is showing signs of distress. Crowded conditions force anglers and water enthusiasts into tight quarters I try to avoid.

As a consolation, a few rounds of golf were arranged which in itself proved interesting. Unlike the flatlands of Lowcountry, Tennessee involves a few more strokes and an introduction to new golfing etiquette.

Normally, my golf game entails the use of water sports, tree trimming and a good deal of searching.

The courses at home are more inclined to be shared with alligators, no-see-ums and colorful retirees with an attitude.

In Tennessee, you are more inclined to wear climbing boots than golf spikes and the occasional farm animal is as much a part of the landscape as the golfers are. If by chance you should happen upon a flat green, you can bet it was due to some acknowledgment of nature than any predisposed plan of architecture.

One thing I have noticed is that you have more control of the game, not in the final score, but in the manner in which it is played.

A prime example are your drives. A Lowcountry drive is often watched until the final rotation of the ball and is often followed by words like "great shot" or "nice placement," or it can just as easily go the other way, depending on your partner or the bet placed on the hole. On these upland courses, your ball is often lost to the horizon and found only by the knowledge that what goes up must come down -- eventually.

Your chances of seeing your ball from point of contact to its final roll is a matter of circumstance or a poor drive. And if you do happen to be fortunate enough to hit the sweet spot your ball will forever be a matter of disposition based on the lay of the land.

Another oddity which I have had to overcome is the use of sounding devices on the greens.

When a group is fortunate enough to find the green, upon their departure they signal by the use of a bell of whistle. The signal is to inform others on the opposing side of the hill that the way is clear for them to proceed.

The use ofexpensiveballs is a matter of choicemuch like those on other courses butwith a bigger degree of compromise. I have found that more scarred and smiley face balls now occupy my bag than those with a pedigree.

Your clubs comprise a good deal of thought process more as a matter of the conditioning of the green than any physical attribute of the golfer. Drivers are seldom used, mid irons are the norm and a nine iron or well lipped hybrid seldom is returned to the bag. For the most part the club you start with remains in your grip until the change to the putter which on occasion is available for use.

Perhaps the biggest obstacle to overcome is not so much the terrain of the course itself but in arriving at your destination . Getting to the club, for lack of a better term, is as much a challenge as the game itself. I was under the impression most roads in the hills of Tennessee were accessible to vehicles of the modern age. One club which was called for a tee time took two hours to find had ATVs for basic transportation and the clubhouse overlooked a section of the lower forty complete withbarn and hayloft.

Now don't let my trip define any inclination you may have to visit or play golf in Tennessee. There are some beautiful courses and outstanding clubhouses representative of those more inclined to be less frugal than myself. I however was working on limited time and meager funds more in tune with Wally's Big Time Putt Putt. Tennessee has a great number offine courses designed by the elite top of the professionals and suitable for the most indiscriminate golfer who demands only the very best.

This is not me. I simply wanted to find a reasononable line from point A to Point B, finish before dark and get a bit of fishing time in before the cows came home. There were a number of water hazards that looked promising.

Till next week,

Have a safe and enjoyable time.

Lee