More than a Bench

1. My Bench

A golf course is very similar to the journey of life. The legendary golfer, Ben Hogan, once said, “As you walk down the fairway of life, you must smell the roses, for you only get to play one round.” That is why I chose to write my essay on a bench on the tee box of the Northlands Golf Course’s 13th hole. We only live life once, and if we do not take the time to soak in the good times, our round will soon come to an end and we will have missed it all. It’s important to take advantage of every shot in our game of life and make them all worthwhile so we can end with a good round.

This bench lies underneath the tall trees that provide shade in the summer for golfers trying to cool down. As well as providing a place to cool down, these are the same type of trees that act as obstacles in the course. At this bench, golfers come sit down, watch their partners tee-off and soak in their surroundings. It is an ideal place to relax and “smell the roses” between holes. Physically, this bench is composed of organic and inorganic materials, but the true soul of the bench lies in its spirit and what has previously occurred upon it. Memories have been created right here, building the bench emotionally with strong roots. Friends and family have watched their partners shoot a hole-in-one or get a miracle bounce off a tree into the heart of the fairway. Fathers and sons have golfed their first rounds together, creating everlasting memories. The bench is much more than its physical components as it is truly built by past moments that have occurred on or surrounding it.

Visions from my Bench

2.

In front of the bench is the lush greenery of fairway and rough grass. About 250 yards down is a beach-like bunker lying before a dogleg left leading to the green another 100 yards further. To the left of the fairway is a forest of no returns. Many golfers have hooked and sliced their golf balls into this forest which disappear forever. It is a mystery where these balls could hide but the shrubs and trees refuse to return the golfer’s pearls. The woods and the bunker produce fear that haunt each golfer before their tee shots because each one dreads mishitting their shot into these hazards. Aside from this fear, golfers that come to Northlands also experience the feeling of being one with nature. Surrounded by trees and greenery, you are accompanied by deer, bears, rabbits,and many other creatures that are doing nothing more than you; walking along the grass beneath the sky (apart from the whole golf thing.) From this bench, one’s mind goes exploring. You study the fairway and the hole location to determine where you're going to make your next shot and you think about your life and the future, but any stress involved in working through these subjects is eliminated by the experience you are having on the links. The purpose of playing golf is to have fun playing a relaxing sport and to spend the round with a pleasant partner. You want to play your best game and most importantly enjoy what you’re doing.

A Bench Dedicated to Me

3.

If a bench were dedicated to me, I would like it to be along the bank of a river. Rivers symbolize so much more than just flowing water. Being able to sit peacefully along the banks of a river is a very spiritual experience. The flowing of the river represents the passing of time and the users of "my" bench would be able to reflect upon the passing of their own time and whether or not they need to flow in a different direction or continue swimming straight. In rivers, as Leonardo da Vinci said, “the water that you touch is the last of what has passed and the first of that which comes.” Life is right now; the past is over and the future will come.Many people tend to follow the crowd but those who trail blaze are the ones who produce change in the world. This philosophy is very similar to the way fish reproduce. They must go against the current to find remote areas that aren’t “mainstream” in order to deposit their eggs. When people find these untapped territories of thought and life, they are able to deposit their discoveries into the world. To capture the essence of these thoughts, I would choose this passage from a poem written by James Dillet Freeman to be inscribed on my bench:

Rivers hardly ever run in a straight line.

Rivers are willing to take ten thousand meanders

and enjoy every one

and grow from every one.

As the users of the bench come here to rest, these lines will hopefully flow through their minds and inspire them to be “willing” to “hardly ever run in a straight line.” The simplicity of rivers can teach man so many lessons when they are truly understood. When rivers are faced with obstacles, they do not try to run over them. Rivers are willing to go around them, taking the long route, in order to always continue their journey. Rivers never rush things and are always willing to shape accordingly because no matter what, no river ever fails to reach its destination.

Dedicated Bench

4.

If I were to dedicate a bench, it would be placed at the edge of a land that had to be crossed. In a place, out of sight from the final destination, where one courageous stride would result in a domino effect of strides in order to reach the journey’s target. The inscription plate would read this Lao-Tsu quote:

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step."

Crossing a desert or an ocean seems like a very daunting task but you must remember that crossing it will always “begin with a single step” or paddle. Nobody could ever cross the ocean unless they had the courage to “lose sight of the shore,” as Christopher Columbus said. The greatest things in life cannot be achieved with a single step. Powerful businessmen did not become CEO’s over night. I would say 95% of them took their first step in an entry level position such as a janitor or apprentice. They climbed the working ladder to the top by first taking a single step. This is a lesson to follow in life when a risk has to be taken. This bench will be a place for these risk takers to tie their shoes and prepare for their adventure to greatness.

Journal

5.

Today as I arrived at Northlands, I realized it was not an ordinary day for a game of golf. The fairway was covered in a white carpet of snow and the tee box of the 13th hole was empty. Due to the recent snowfall, the golf course had to be closed and golfing had been cancelled for the day. The bench was occupied not by a golfer, but by one of mother nature’s creations and no longer a desirable place to sit. No memories will be made here for a while but come spring-time this bench will become, once again, a birthplace for good times. The bunker that had been a nightmare is now hidden beneath the whiteness and all that’s left is a crater in the white horizon. The yellow ropes block off the entrance to the tee box where shots are taken. The fairway is untouchable and the reminiscences of previous shots are now frozen below the snow. Although the game is at a temporary rest, the round of life still awaits for it’s next shot. The hot sun will rise shortly and the snow will melt away and the course will be unveiled. However, the course won’t be in the same condition prior to the snowfall. It will become muddy from the puddles of melted snow and remain unplayable. With hard work, the golf course workers will recover the diamond in the rough. This period of snow transitioned into mud must be dealt with like a problem in life. Although it may be a horrible sight, the mind must work to repair the damages to restore the normal course of life’s natural path.

Life is like a Round of Golf

6.

A poem by Criswell Freeman epitomizes the experience I had when sitting on this bench. The comparison of a round of golf to the journey of life is what I really brought out of this assignment. Sitting on this bench is where you “give thanks that you can play” this round of golf that is life. Between each hole, some players come to sit on this bench to regather their thoughts and figure out a correction to their swing. Golf is a game of adjustments and these adjustments cannot be made mid-swing. The adjustments are made in between actions in order to not let the round “slip away.” The ability to adjust in tough situations is a separating factor in human beings. Adaptation is how our species evolved and those who are best at adapting, are most likely headed for success. In life and in golf, we must “play through” the errant shots and bad decisions, in order to not let the debacle from one shot, “destroy the joy inside.”

Life is like a Round of Golf

Life is like a round of golf

With many a turn and twist.

But the game is much too sweet and short

To curse the shots you’ve missed.

Sometimes you’ll hit it straight and far

Sometimes the putts roll true.

But each round has it’s errant shots

And troubles to play through.

So always swing with courage

No matter what the lie.

And never let the hazards

Destroy the joy inside.

And keep a song within your heart

Give thanks that you can play.

For the round is much too short and sweet

To let it slip away.

— Criswell Freeman

Philosophy of Life

7.

Criswell Freeman's poem really connects with my new, enhanced, personal philosophy of life. We must utilize every shot we are presented with in life and not “curse the shots [we’ve] missed.” It is most important to understand that some shots will be hit “straight and far” but that some will also be mishit and not lead us down the right path to the green. The greatest shots occur when people dare to fail by taking the risk of hitting their shots into obstructions like water hazards. These people who “never let the hazards” get in their way are the ones who shave strokes out of their score and grow meaningful years in their lives. Some people decide to lay up to hazards but some people risk it for the reward by shooting against these handicaps. “Always swing with courage” because the fear of failure is what will hold one back the most. “No matter what the lie” and the position you're in, it is crucial to take a hack with bravery. The ability to “swing with courage” is what is a hindrance to many people's success. We are given only one life, so we must take our shots without memory and with no insight to the future. If we treat every shot like it's our last, eventually it will be, so why not aim every shot for the pin?