Minnesota Golfer - Summer 2010 - 36

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InsidetheMGA
Another Season, Another Reason to Love the Game.
By Tom Ryan
This spring was
the best in terms
of weather that
Minnesota has
experienced in a
long time. Virtually
every golf
course in the
metro was open
by the end of
March, with many reporting record play
for so early in the season. Like many of
you, I couldn't wait to get my clubs and
head out for the fi rst round of the year,
with a renewed anticipation and
excitement for the game that
I haven't experienced in
years.
And while I've written
plenty in this column
about MGA programs and
services, the importance of
our membership and many
But golf is more than just hitting golf
shots.
John Lieser, a high school coach, columnist
for the St. Cloud Times and friend of
the MGA, recently compiled a list of universal
truths that put those feelings into
words. I'd like to share a few with you.
s )TS THE WAY THE lRST TEE FEELS ALIVE WITH
unknown possibilities.
s )TS YOUR 3ATURDAY MORNING GAME WITH
a little money on the line and no haggling
about teams.
s )TS THE KID IN THE NEXT FAIRWAY WITH HIS
bag slung over his shoulder, cap pulled
down low, hoofi ng it toward the
green.
s )TS A BOWL OF POPCORN AND
a cold beer at the end of the
round, when stories can be
embellished, if only a little.
s )TS THE BELIEF THAT THE
magic you've found in a new
driver will last forever.
We're participants in the sense that we
actually play the same game, with the
same equipment, as the best in the world.
other aspects of golf, I haven't recorded
much about the game itself. Specifi cally,
what is it about golf that consumes us?
One appealing difference between
golf and most other sports is that we're
participants in the sense that we actually
play the same game, with the same equipment
(and the lucky amongst us actually
play the same courses), as the best in the
world do on TV. It's cool to think that a
pure iron shot hit into a tucked hole location,
or a long putt holed for birdie, mirrors
what we see Phil or Freddie do on
television. Most of us can't say the same
about a Joe Mauer drive to the gap or an
Adrian Peterson sweep around end.
34
MINNESOTAGOLFER Summer 2010
s )TS STANDING OVER A lVEFOOTER THAT
doesn't matter to anyone but you and being
thankful for that feeling.
s )TS THE WAY YOU PRACTICE YOUR SWING IN
an elevator, the way you put an overlapping
grip on the rake, the way you see golf
holes where others just see fi elds along the
highway.
s )TS THE WAY TOURNAMENT GOLF FEELS EVEN
if it's just a club event.
s )TS WINNING THE PRESS ON THE$TH
s )TS NINE HOLES LATE IN THE DAY WHEN
the sun is sinking and the shadows are
stretching, showing every bump and roll
in a golden light.
See you on the course.
Grand View Lodge
Celebrates its One
Millionth Milestone
On Saturday June 5, Mark Schrantz, 57,
of Roseville, Minn.-an MGA member
at Highland National in St. Paul-was
recognized as the one-millionth paid
golfer at Grand View Lodge in Nisswa.
Schrantz, a lifelong golfer, was presented
with a collection of items from the Grand
View Lodge's pro shops and a gift certifi -
cate good for a golf group getaway for
himself and seven friends at Grand View
Lodge this fall.
www.mngolf.org
MGANews
Updates on people, places
and events from the MGA
and its Allied Associations
Generation
Next
Summer is a great time
to introduce the next
generation of your
family to the game of
a lifetime. And coming
in July is the MGA's 9th
Annual Bring Your Family to the Golf
#OURSE 7EEK +IDS$ AND UNDER PLAY
free when accompanied by a paying adult
*ULY !
Participating MGA member golf
courses around the state will feature a variety
of golf events designed to get more
families and kids on the golf course.
Check your local golf course for family
golf programs, or visit mngolf.org to see
a list of golf courses participating in the
9th Annual Bring Your Family to the Golf
Course Week.
http://www.mngolf.org http://www.mngolf.org
Minnesota Golfer - Summer 2010

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