T.S. Eliot wrote in his masterpiece The Waste Land that April is the “cruellest” month. In the century since the modern epic poem’s publication, literary critics have devoted hundreds of hours to dissecting its meaning. The conclusion is that there is no clear meaning or understanding; it’s a complex rumination on life, post-First World War, that captured feelings of alienation, despair and a world gone awry.
Seeking inspiration for this latest column, I reread the poem which I first discovered during my undergraduate days at Western University; this act of returning to something which I had not perused in years led to the words flowing. I discovered parallels between this artistic work and the sport that I love.
Like Eliot’s epic, golf is complex. While humans constantly seek deeper meaning to life and want answers to every question, this digression led me back to why I love golf. And it’s not the reason for which many play the game.
I play not to find answers to those unanswered questions; nor do I chase that dimpled white ball for hours on end to seek perfection. Rather, I seek solace, spirituality and moments of joy.
Spring is a season of rebirth and the rekindling of passions. Whether you’re a gardener or a golfer, these days mark the return to a pastime that – like the bulbs in the soil and the turf beneath the snow – lay dormant all winter long, awaiting the warmth of the changing seasons and, with it, your embrace.
This rebirth begins with taking your golf bag out of storage (at least for those of us not fortunate enough to have wintered somewhere warm). Then the spring cleaning starts. Again, if you forgot to empty out your bag following your last round in the fall, just like donning a jacket that hung for years in a hall closet, you might discover a few treasures. For me, those leftovers from last year are nothing more exciting than a few broken tees, a handful of crumpled receipts and some scorecards that I never filled out. Because, as I’ve written countless times in this column, my golf rounds are not measured in shots taken, but in the company which I keep, the conversations that I have and in the good (not that bad!) shots which I make.
After your golf bag is empty of last season’s detritus, it’s time to clean your clubs. Again, this is a task which many complete before storing their sticks for the winter but which others, like yours truly, often put off. Soak the heads of the clubs in warm, soapy water for a few minutes and then use an old toothbrush to get all of that dirt out of the grooves. Then simply rinse off the soap and towel dry, and you are ready for your first game.
Just like the tradition of wearing something new on the first day of the year or first day of school, for many golfers, starting the new season with a new outfit is a tradition.
As I write these words, it’s Good Friday and golf season is officially around the corner with courses in my area starting to announce openings, and The Masters is less than one week away. That event, unlike any other, is traditionally a time when the world’s greatest golfers premiere new apparel from the brands which they represent. As you slip on your golf glove for the first time and get ready for your first tee shot, why not seek a little spring in your step by splurging on a new outfit? Fairway fashion has evolved from tweeds, trousers and knickers for men, and gowns and petticoats for women. As the game evolved and its popularity grew, so did its apparel, which became more relaxed in terms of fit and more colourful in style and design.
If sporting a new look is what it takes to put that spring in your step as you walk to the first tee, go for it! If you want to be on trend, according to the Pantone Color Institute, the Color of 2026, the one that is set to define the year culturally and commercially, is Cloud Dancer – a near-white shade. Boring, you say, but this actually ties in well with my call to become more mindful and serene this golf season because, as the name implies, cloud dancer is a hue that suggests serenity. In this modern world of wars, daily craziness and more news that you can’t use, couldn’t we all use a little more serenity?
Speaking of serenity, before reading the greens this spring, I suggest picking up Zokology: Change Your Perspective Not Your Swing – How I Won on the PGA Tour by Changing the Way I Thought. Arriving via ECW Press on May 19, this forthcoming memoir from Canadian golf legend Richard Zokol – a master of the mental game – is an entertaining read that chronicles the golfer’s ups and downs both on and off the fairways. These range from a walk-on at BYU in his freshman year to leading the team to the NCAA championship in his senior year; playing on the world’s top tour for more than two decades (during which he won twice) and all of the lessons learned in between. Raw, real and filled with humour, these chronicles from the man known as “Disco Dick” is sure to inspire, lift your spirits and stay more in the moment – both on and off the course – this spring.