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 Golf by David McPherson Springing into Spring 46 | www.snowbirds.org
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