19th Hole

Kim Anders
Director of Instruction
John Jacobs Golf Schools and Academies Estrella del Mar Golf and Beach Resort
Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico, AZ
jkanders4@gmail.com

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Our Group of Misfits

About once a month I will play with a few of our regulars here. It’s a fairly diversified group of various abilities and personalities, but somehow we all hit it off and enjoy our competition and interaction.  

One of the guys is an ex-golf professional who plays pretty well, but has a few quirks. Then we have Doc who, as it happens, is a doctor, carries an 18 handicap but plays like a 10. He never misses a fairway but only hits the ball about 160 yards, and regularly gets up and down from anywhere inside 100 yards.  

Our fourth player is Geno, a semi-retired real estate salesman who’s biggest concern is will we finish each 9 holes before he runs out of beer.  

The ex-professional is afraid of the hook so he opens the face nearly 45 degrees and then makes some sort of gymnastic flip with his hands just prior to impact to get the club squared up. He never goes left anymore but does visit OB right sometimes. Then he asks me why did that happen? Gee, I don’t know! Your club is pointed way out there…….

Doc frequently wins. He wanted me to help him hit the ball farther. I got him hitting his tee shots close to 200 yards for a while but now he’s back to his old swing because he’s not comfortable letting the club release.  

Doc, do you want to hit the ball farther or control your club?  He just laughs – I never get an answer from him. He still asks how he can hit the ball farther, and I still tell him to let the club go – it knows what to do!  

Then there’s Geno. I’ve worked with him for about 14 years, but just when we play together. That is when he’s not telling us we need to speed up because we have 3 holes to go on the front 9 and he only has 2 beers left. He’ll shoot somewhere between 78 and 105.  

Every time we’re out Geno asks me what is it he needs to do to hit the ball better. Every time I answer Big Wrist Cock, Soft Hands. He says, that’s right – why can’t I remember that!! I don’t know Geno, I just don’t know.

So why do I keep putting myself through this? This is my pack of misfits, my buddies. And, the entertainment alone is worth far more than the 400 pesos (about $22 US) we play for.  

We range in age from 48 to 74. We love the game of golf. We love each other. We hug when we get together and again when we part. This is one of my groups of friends. I love this game and the people that play it!!

I bet almost all of you have a group similar to this. If you do, you are lucky!  

Kim Anders is Director of Instruction at the John Jacobs Golf Schools and Academies at the Estrella del Mar Golf and Beach Resort in Mazatlan Mexico. You can contact Kim at jkanders4@gmail.com.