Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2024 - 6

INSIDE
THE MG A
What is MGA
Membership?
When You're
Busy Playing Golf,
Life Happens
In
the sprawling beauty of Minnesota, the
land of 10,000 lakes and 500 courses,
my golfer's
tale began-not at an upscale
country club, but with my grandpa at Hyland
Greens Golf Course in Bloomington. Those
early days were marked by more divots than
birdies, and as a gangly kid, my swing resembled
a flamingo attempting yoga. The thought
never crossed my mind that those precious
moments on the course with him would evolve
into a journey to becoming the Executive
Director of the Minnesota Golf Association.
An
engineer for 3M, my
grandpa
approached golf like most engineers, always
tinkering with his equipment and implementing
a " measure twice, cut once " mentality.
His passion for the game grew as he realized
the opportunity to use it as a means for connecting
with me, an only child with a single
mother. Our rounds together existed largely
in silence as our bond to each other and to
the game transcended the need for small talk.
Walking those short nine holes with him was
always the highlight of my week.
As I grew and my swing began taking form,
he recognized the need to move on to longer
courses. Grandpa would still never pull
driver, except for the season he purchased the
original Big Bertha, which was quickly banished
back into the bag for good (the thought
of a lost ball kept him up at night). I started
besting him regularly as a teenager, a fact that
brought more pride to him than me.
Playing a round with him was always about
more than " just golf. " But it wasn't until later
in life that I truly understood the importance
of that time together: life lessons, an unspoken
connection and an unbreakable bond
forged on the greens.
It was once said, " At some point in your
childhood, you and your friends went outside
6
MINNESOTAGOLFER Spring 2024
" Every golfer has
a story of why they
play and what keeps
them coming back
for more. "
to play together for the last time, and nobody
knew it. " I don't remember the last round that
Grandpa and I played together because I always
assumed that the next time was right around
the corner. He passed away 10 years ago on my
birthday, another tribute to the special bond we
will always share. A God Wink, if you will. Each
year since, I walk 18 holes on that day, physically
alone but with him by my side.
I begin my first season in this role with an
acute awareness of the role that golf plays in
the lives of individuals, within our communities
and across the state of Minnesota. Every
golfer has a story of why they play and what
keeps them coming back for more. Over the
past few years, we have seen more and more
people " being shown the light " and flocking
to golf. The MGA welcomes these new players
and stands ready to serve the game by upholding
its values and promoting access for all.
Everyone deserves the opportunity to experience
the life-changing benefits golf provides.
This season, invite a new golfer to join your foursome
and give them a chance to " see the light. "
It's your invitation
to play some of the
finest golf courses
around, through
participation in MGA
Associate Members' Days
or the MGA Senior Tour. It's
your USGA Handicap Index,
now updated daily, after
a posted score. It's your
subscription to Minnesota
Golfer magazine, delivered
to your home. It's your
support of programs and
services that make
the game better.
The USGA GHIN
Mobile App
As a benefit of your
membership with the MGA,
you get access to the free
USGA GHIN mobile app. It
allows you to post scores
to your Handicap Index on
the go, along with these
other benefits:
* Play with any golfer
on a fair and equitable
basis
* Track your stats
throughout the year
* Enter hole-by-hole
scores
* Preview the hole you
are playing using
course GPS
* Play games with
golfers in your group
Jon Mays
Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer
Download the app today in
the Apple App Store or the
Google Play Store.
mngolf.org
http://www.mngolf.org
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2024
