One of the very few things I bought myself for Christmas was a Sports Fanatic’s Almanac desk calendar.
It is nothing fancy like maybe a new set of golf clubs or even a new driver that could give me 30 more yards off the tee, but it is something that I enjoy seeing on my work desk as each day is a different sports moment or quote that can surely keep any sports buff on the watch for 366 days since it is a leap year.
It probably just so happened that for April 8, the calendar had a quote from Mark Twain about golf. “Golf is a good walk spoiled,” Twain said.
While many men have lived a miserable life since they decided to take up golf, many others have found playing the game an opportunity to actually enjoy life more.
Personally, I’ve only had very rounds that I can say I had fun because of my score, but I cannot count the many rounds where I had fun because of the people I played with.
This is probably the reason why many parents want their kids to share their passion for the game.
Last Monday afternoon, my good friend Alvin Alazas arrived at the driving range in Camp Lapu-Lapu several minutes after I did with his two sons in tow.
“They only play golf once a year,” Alvin told me, “since during the school days one plays basketball and the other plays tennis.”
I also had to tell him that I was there as a golfing dad, but not yet with a champion to hone unlike Deo Gabasa, who always accompanies his champion daughter Irina.
My earnest desire is that someday I can have more enjoyable rounds to play with a son to accompany me.
* * *
Another golfing dad, who touched many of our lives, will be honored with a tournament named after him on June 4 and 6. I am of course referring to the late Albino D. Gothong, who more than being called Amo was a Tatay to the Fil-Chinese committee.
He was a dad in many ways when he guided the tournament committees with his wisdom and provided material resources to make things possible when push came to shove.
He never let the committee down when asked to help even when he was already sick he continued to support golf like a loving father would a child.
This June will be our turn to honor him and the members of the Cebu golf community who know what he had done would definitely be supporting the 1st Albino D. Gothong Memorial Golf Tournament at Alta Vista Golf and Country Club.
This early, we’ve already received a lot of word about the desire of people to be part of the tournament.
Registration will be opened very soon so stay tuned.
* * *
MILESTONE: I would like to congratulate my mistah Maj. Michael Santos of the Phil. Army and his wife Dina, who gave birth last April 3 to a baby boy via the C-Section at the Camp Lapu-Lapu Station Hospital.
Pass the cigar, Bok!