The Camera or the Putter: Can I do both?

Snow was on the ground when I last posted an article to my blog. The article I was working on was almost done. when I last posted an article to my blog. The article I was working on was almost done. The images I thought would complement it were ready.  And that was as far as I got. Getting out with my camera and writing were no longer a priority. What happened?  

Golf season!  I discovered that the golf driving range on Benvolin Road was about to open and that Monty’s golf shop across the parking lot from the range was already open.  I soon dusted off the clubs and got them to Monty’s for re-gripping.

With my clubs ready for action and the range open I decided to spend some time getting myself ready for the forthcoming golf season. I needed to  get more drives on the fairway, make crisper iron shots and sink more putts. This would require practice that would be at the cost of blog writing and  getting out with my camera. 

So, here we are at the mid point of the summer golf season. I’ve been on the course 3 times a week with a great group of guys. I’ve won a bit of money and most importantly, I’ve really enjoyed myself. During my fun time on the golf course my camera, for the most part, sat idly on the shelf. 

There were however, two wonderful opportunities that arose to put my cameras back into action. In late May we travelled to Victoria to attend the wedding reception for my nephew Tom and his lovely bride, Emily. Then in mid July we provided ‘gramma and grampa’ transportation for our grandson Kyle so he could participate in the B.C. Amateur Golf Championship in Parksville. We enjoyed both events and managed to catch up with family and a few close friends. Also enjoyable were the times I got out with my camera to make images around French Creek, Parksville, Qualicum Beach and Mount Douglas Park near Victoria. 

But, was all that extra practice and effort really beneficial to my golf game?  Maybe! 

I hit a few more fairways, sank a few more putts and love that my my handicap has improved. It now sits at 27 down from the 29 I started with. But that’s only a number, right?  The positive here is that I have the benefit of many handicap strokes when it comes to the various games we play. Regardless of the numbers, bragging rights are our measure of success.  

By any measure, I’ve come to the conclusion that no matter how much time I devote to practice I will always be what some would call, a hacker. I’m retired so I have the time to have fun playing golf and making photographs. Both can be priorities. 

The images below were taken our recent trips to Vancouver Island. They include one image of our grandson Kyle as he played in his year’s B.C. Amateur Golf Championship. It was a great feeling to be out with my camera again.

The article I left in the draft stage at the beginning of the golf season will be posted to my blog in about 2 weeks.