Forethoughts: Of Paters and Putters

Jon Rizzi | Colorado AvidGolfer

Father’s day isn’t for two more months, but this issue’s cover story has prompted reflection about the bond golf forges between generations.

I have very limited firsthand knowledge of that bond. My father, who turns 92 next month, and I have played exactly one round of golf together. It occurred some 35 years ago at James Baird State Park in Dutchess County, New York, and I remember marveling at how he, despite playing maybe three times in his life, soldiered through the round in 120 swings without losing one ball. A lesson in perseverance and thrift! When I became a father, I tried getting my daughter and son to join me on the course. She never liked it. He did at first, but I think the attraction was more about driving the cart than the ball and in draining pops in the clubhouse rather than putts on the course. We soon found other ways of enjoying our time together.

One way is watching movies both old and new. Yeah, we both laugh at Caddyshack and Happy Gilmore, but those father-son classics like Life Is Beautiful, Field of Dreams and even The Godfather resonate more profoundly. The funny thing is, a love of movies is something my father and I have always shared. These days, he watches Turner Classic Movies 24/7, and last December my sister and I took him on a TCM Classic Cruise. For five days we savored wonderful films on enormous screens, learned the backstories, met some stars (Robert Wagner, Jane Powell) and truly had the time of our lives. Dad even got to pose with an Oscar. I said he won it for Best Performance in a Leading Role.

In truth, his role was both a leading and a supporting one. He urged and inspired my sister and me to pursue our passions. I’ve tried to do that with my kids. My daughter’s following her muse in California. My son, now a computer science major in college, may have cycled out of golf but he rocked Colorado AvidGolfer last summer as our digital intern.

The pride I felt working alongside Henry probably doesn’t compare with the joy Craig Stadler will feel playing alongside Kevin at this month’s Masters, where no other father and son have previously appeared in the same field. Craig never pushed Kevin to play golf. He encouraged and supported him, caddied for him and occasionally advised him. The results speak for themselves.

The relationship between fathers and sons is ostensibly different than the one between a golfer and his or her equipment (although I do know some folks who’d trade up for a dad with more forgiveness and a bigger sweet spot). But while you’re perusing our Buyer’s Guide remember these clubs, balls, apparel and accessories are merely tools with which to apply your skills. And the skills and qualities that help you handle trickier breaks than you’ll find on any putting green are those a parent need not ever step foot on a golf course to teach.

Colorado AvidGolfer is the state’s leading resource for golf and the lifestyle that surrounds it. It publishes eight issues annually and proudly delivers daily content via www.coloradoavidgolfer.com. Jon Rizzi is the founding editor and co-owner of this regional golf-related media company producing magazines, web content, tournaments, events and the Golf Passport.