Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2021 - 32

What I've Learned From
Playing Golf With Veterans
* BY DAN SACHAU *
I
'm a member of a veteran's golf league, but I am not a vet.
Hold the outrage, this isn't a story about stolen valor. We
play nine holes every Wednesday in a league comprised of
veterans of the fi ve branches of service. All the members are
comfortably into retirement, so we play the forward tees. The
tees are assigned by age, which coincidentally, means that players
who served during the Vietnam War play from the yellow
tees and players who served in Korea hit from the reds. Refer to
them as " women's tees " at your own peril.
I was recruited to join, because frankly, there are not as many
vets as there used to be. The boys needed an extra player, and in
this kind of golf emergency, even a civilian would do. Although
the league members know I'm not a vet, and they are very welcoming,
I don't really feel like I fi t in. In addition to being a
life-long civilian, I am fi ve years younger than any other player.
I've only lived in town for 30 years, and I have a soft professor's
job. To make things worse, I've gained much more from playing
with the vets than they have gained from playing with me. So
in the spirit of confession and gratitude, here are fi ve lessons I
learned from playing golf with veterans.
Lesson One: Respect the fl ag. If it's the 4th of July weekend
and the greenkeeper has attached a U.S. fl ag to the fl agstick, DO
NOT lay the fl agstick on the ground. As one vet mentioned,
" letting the fl ag touch anything beneath it, like the ground, the
fl oor, or water, violates the offi cial U.S. Flag Code. " Yes, there is
such a thing. He also noted that some might consider fl ag pants,
fl ag socks, fl ag gloves and fl ag towels a touch disrespectful. " The
fl ag on your golf shirt is fi ne. The fl ag as your golf shirt is not. "
Lesson Two: A little rain never hurt anyone. A soft professor
should not complain about playing in drizzle because he might
be called " buttercup. " He might be told a story about sleeping in
the rain, in the mud, in the jungle.
Lesson Three: A bogey is not a real problem. An angry drill
instructor is a problem. Malaria is a problem. A bullet headed
your direction is defi nitely a problem. And, as most seniors
know, vets or not, heart attacks and cancer are real problems.
So carding a bogey means you're on a golf course, and there are
worse places you could be. As my playing partner, and stroke
survivor, Byron Houg reminds me, " It's better to be above the
ground than below it. "
Lesson Four: Get over yourself. Despite being a veteran's
league, no one mentions or defers to former military rank.
Similarly, some of the members are wealthy and some have
modest incomes, but you couldn't sort the high income from
the low-income players by looking at them. Further, conversations
seldom drift to topics that could refl ect social status. Golf
is certainly a great equalizer. We are all fi ghting the course, our
doubts, and our swings, but time in the military, and being part
of something bigger than one's self, adds a layer of humility that
most of us non-vets can benefi t from.
Lesson Five: It's nice to be one of the guys. Even though I'm
not really one of the boys, I sure appreciate it that they treat
me like I am. The players in the league are guy-guys. They have
nicknames like Obie, Chick, Mickey, Woody, Cal, Chuck and
Hog. Smoke a cigar on the course? No problem. A noonish beer?
Fine. Swear? It turns out, some sailors really do swear like sailors.
The golfers in the Mankato Senior Servicemen's League are
proud of their country, tough, humble, and men among men. I
am lucky to be in their company.
Discover the Joys of a League Membership
The MGA supports hundreds (if not thousands) of men's, women's and junior golf leagues at
its more than 400 member golf clubs around the state. League membership affords golfers an
active USGA Handicap Index through the GHIN service, a complimentary subscription to this
magazine, free use of the USGA Tournament Management software (powered by GolfGenius) for
event and league administrators, the free GHIN mobile app, and eligibility to participate in MGA
championships and member events. For more information, contact Stacy Sazama, Membership
Services Director, stacy@mngolf.org.
32
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Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2021

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