LOCALadk Magazine
Issue link: https://localadkmagazine.uberflip.com/i/830178
38 Summer 2017 LOCALadk Magazine LOCALadk TEE OFF Golf is more than chasing a little ball around all day. It's a tactical game of strategy and skill that is both challenging and rewarding, and a chance to spend time outdoors on a huge, meticulously manicured lawn. It can be played with friends or solo, driving a cart or walking, and with or without adult beverages. A round can consist of either 9 or 18 holes. In terms of time consumption, that equals about 2 or 4 hours, respectfully. That's the same amount of time it takes to play a game of Halo 3 on your Xbox or to hike to and from the fire tower on Azure Mountain near Malone. There's no stodgy exclusivity here, either. The region's golf courses are welcoming and open to all. There are memberships available, but anyone can schedule a tee time to play, and greens fees are very reasonable. Most have rental clubs available, but for those who want their own there's no need to go buy a new set. I personally have a set of used golf clubs that cost me something in the neighborhood of $20 total. (My fancy bag surpasses that amount, but that is another matter.) There's no need to go buy a pair of new plaid pants, either. And alhough some courses appreciate the use of golf-specific shoes, as they have "spikes" on the bottom to aerate the greens, there is a fairly lax dress code for most. Each year, as summer arrives in New York's North Country, I invariably experience an acute sense of urgency to check off an impossibly long list of hikes, bikes, paddles, tours, and events. After all, we only have about 99 days to recreate between the unofficial summer bookends — Memorial Day and Labor Day. There is one activity on every year's list that represents a modifier to my frantic summer agenda. It's as if the giant, tree-lined, green carpets have voices. "Have a round on us," the region's classic golf courses whisper to me. At least, I think that's where the voices are coming from… Now, I'm going to just put it out there: I know that to the uninitiated, the sport of golf is perceived as a great- grandparent's game; boring, expensive, and time-consuming. Of course, I wholeheartedly disagree with that assessment — and it certainly doesn't apply to our region's courses. In fact, when I think about playing golf, it elicits an immediate sense of both calm and delightful anticipation. by Kim Rielly Powered by ROOST