It’s nice to be back writing my greatly anticipated (I’m sure) golf column for the Windsor Times. I haven’t been playing golf yet but I’m cautiously optimistic that I’ll be hitting more golf balls on the driving range and even playing holes on the Windsor Golf Course soon. For those of you who don’t know my story I’m happy to give you the short version.
Despite being born with a left leg roughly twice as fat and a little bit longer than my right, I’ve been a lifelong golfer ever since my dad taught me how to play when I was 7. I was a decent player but couldn’t make the varsity high school golf team because my friends were outstanding players.
After college I kept plugging away, worked on my game at Peacock Gap and San Geronimo and become a solid single digit handicapper. I could walk 18 holes if I wanted to but I’d pay the price afterwards with a swollen leg.
In the 1990s I played in Northern California amateur events and won two big father-son tournaments with my dad. My happiest moments on the golf course were playing and beating those high school buddies I could never quite beat.
Fast forward 20 years and I was still a solid men’s club player at Windsor Golf Club and loved playing in the Saturday and Sunday events with other weekend warriors.
In 2016 my left leg finally succumbed to infections I was getting in my foot and calf and I lost my leg above the knee in November of that year due to a wicked staph infection. Needless to say that put a damper on my golf game. ;–)
I still have a passion for golf and along with Devin Savano, I’m proud to be one of the two coaches of the Windsor Junior Golf team. I suppose I live vicariously through my son’s game (and hopefully soon my daughter’s) but I’m trying not to be one of those dads.
I don’t know if that’s the short version of my golfing life but hopefully it’s more interesting than “I drove, I chipped and I putted.”
So why am I writing now after a many month hiatus? Maybe because the Masters golf tournament was on TV last week, or maybe because I wanted to see my name in the paper again. Regardless of the reason my goal is to try and find interesting stories about local players, tell the exploits of our local golf pros and generally promote this awesome game.
On a humorous side note, I was driving in a golf cart following my 12-year-old son who was playing DeLaveaga Golf Course in Santa Cruz last over spring break last week.
I was talking to his playing partner and I told him I used to have a 3 handicap (which is a very good, dare I say, excellent player). My son stopped in his tracks, looked at me and said, “When did you ever have a 3 handicap?”
How quickly they forget.
The Masters – the most anticipated tournament in men’s golf – concluded yesterday and before it started I asked my golf friends and family who their picks were. Here’s a few of their picks and those players finished.
Katie Calegari – 10-year-old daughter of mine – Rickie Fowler – second place. Katie always picks Rickie because of his style and swagger on the course.
Jackson Calegari – 12-year-old son of mine – Paul Casey – 15th place.
Greg Clementi – Windsor Times Sports Editor – Rory McIlroy – fifth place.
Jason Schmuhl and Neal Hellman – Justin Rose – 12th place.
Alex Wright – he picked winner Patrick Reed about an hour after the tournament ended. That’s just like Alex.
Molly James – she picked the newly resurgent Tiger Woods – 31st place.
Me – Rory McIlroy – fifth place. He was the Sunday favorite and was poised to win.
I’ve been writing this column off and on since 2010 and asking for local experts picks? And my daughter comes up with one of the best picks ever because Rickie is cute? Go figure.
Send golf news to ma**********@gm***.com.
