Requiem for a Lifestyle

   When we moved from Chattanooga to St. Simons in 1995, we looked for a residence that was close to a golf course, and ideally right on one of the holes. We did not even want the course to. be separated from us by a lake, a road or a fence. We were picky..

   We found a great location, a home located on the 4th fairway of the Sea Palms West Course. Sea Palms is a 27 hole layout, with the West Course being the one separated from the other two nines by a major road. There was less play on the West, since the resort proper was located inside the other 18 holes, and thereby easier to just walk out the door and play.

   The first 10 years that we lived in that house I must have played those nine holes a couple of thousand times. It was great.

   When we came back from our three year sojourn in Virginia, we bought a condo adjacent, but not directly on the course. Again, walk out the condo garage, go across the street, begin on No. 5 and play around to No. 1, then keep going and finish on No. 4.

   Anytime family came, we could go out and hit a few. No worry about crowds. We could play 3 holes or 9, no matter. Supposedly we had to let carts from the other side play through, but there were very few of those.

   With water hazards on 8 of the 9 holes, we had an abundance of wildlife. Gators, turtles, herons, egrets, osprey, even owls. Deer tracks were numerous in the mornings in the traps.

   Then things began to change: The resort put their money into the other side, and the West suffered. Weeds grew up around the ponds, the sand traps were not kept up, the red-headed stepchild was forgotten for the most part.

   Then the word come out this year. Sea Palms was planning on abandoning the West Course. Their work schedule had showed their intention, but they made it official. They left the flags in the holes, and the tee boxes still sported markers for the different level of golfers. However, I imagine they will all be gone soon.

   Those of you who play golf and have to get in your car, drive to the course (sometimes miles away), have a tee time, put together a group to play, just can't know how nice it can be to:

   1.Decide to play a few holes...

   2. Walk down in the garage and get your clubs out of your cage...

   3. Walk across the street to a tee box...

   4. Play 3 holes or 9, whichever you have time for...

   5. Or just practice on the nearest green for a few minutes...

   6. If you happen to have a friend who lives in the same complex, and is willing to go anytime, that is even better...

   In short, it is what we referred to as "Paradise with a small p", and that set-up will be missed. It was a good lifestyle for golfers, maybe not so good for wives.

   Now we can still walk where the cart paths ran, we can hit balls out of the old fairway, and even try to putt on the old greens, but we moan all the way.

  What will happen to our "playground" we don't know yet, l but we will miss it, and we won't look forward to any development going in.

   Perhaps it might be turned into a park of sorts, or at least a green space with walking trails, but, alas, I fear land is too valuable here for that sort of amenity.

   I've had a twenty-year run of this kind of golf set-up, and I'm pleased it ran so long.

   But, if I ever get back to playing, I will sure miss it.

   Blessed for sure...

Hot Dog..A Visit

   When you don't get out too much, you miss the interactions with other folks. If they are not around where you live, or don't make a special trip to see you, they just don't show up in your life. Emails are no substitute, and even FaceTime or cell phones lack the personal touch of sitting down on a porch and just talking, laughing and reminiscing.

   That is true of family also, when the closest child is 5 or 6 hours away, and the farthest one a couple of days out there.

   That is why visits from from friends are always welcome.

   Yesterday, we had one…

   Bob and Brenda Cain have been friends from way back in the 70s in Chattanooga. Although they were younger than us, we shared many interests, and we had boys the same age. Doug, our third and Brent, their first, were in school together, and we were all in the same church.

   Bob and I played softball on the church squad, and later on we rode bikes together on some higher milage trips. We even rode Damascus, VA to Berea, KY on a multiple day trip with our wives driving the support vehicle.

      Even though they now live in Watkinsville, GA, near Athens, they were on vacation for a few days in north Florida and stopped on their way home yesterday to pay a call, even bringing some key lime pie to share.

   Of course we talked of all the mutual friends we had, especially those in the church home we shared for a bunch of years. We talked of the youth that Bob had worked with, and those that had interacted with our three kids over that time period.

   We spent a lot of time catching up on kids, all of them in both families, I think, now older than we adults were back when we palled around together.

   It was good to spend a couple of hours just remembering those good times.

   And I promise to write only good things about any of you out there who can still get on the road and visit St. Simons. Might even let you partake of my killer meat loaf if you stay overnight.

   The door is open for you.

   Come on, and maybe Bob and I will let you in on our next cycling adventure.

   We'd love to see more of you. Anytime...