Golf Season! (Softball Season!) Golf Season! (Softball Season!)

 

Remember this classic argument?

 

 

 

Well, replace those two phrases with golf season and softball season, and you'll get an idea of what's going through my mind now that it's springtime. To explain:

 

Last year I got back into golf, and had a really great time re-discovering the game and shaking a lot of rust off my own. I kept track of some informative stats across the year, and I'm motivated to improve this season.

 

But at the same time, I've enjoyed playing softball over the past five years or so. I've been keeping stats there as well, and despite the drop-off in offensive numbers last season, I'm really looking forward to the new softball season (and new team!) as well. Stay tuned for more.

 

So therein lies the conundrum. It's April. The weather is getting a little warmer. The birds are singing. The grass is green again. It's golf season. It's softball season.

It's not that I can't do both. In fact, I made time for both last year, and I will make time for both again. (If you have hobbies or activities you truly enjoy, I think you should try very hard to make time for them.)

 

The real conundrum is that last year I didn't set any goals for either sport. Now that I'm on a mission—two missions—to improve my skills, how do I split the time effectively? I think we'll have to take it week by week, but I'm determined to get things done for both sports.

 

I've already hit the links a couple of times this year. Here was the opening round.

 

 

Not bad at all, considering it was February and cold and windy. That four-hole stretch where I went birdie-par-par-birdie felt pretty great. But as you can see, I had a bunch of messy holes right after that. It happens.

 

As for softball season, that should start up in about a month or so. Time to get to work.

 

All that said, however, I can't forget that Nine Pockets is a blog about trading cards. So to tie those little cardboard rectangles that we all love into this post, here are a couple of former MLB players who became very good golfers as well.

 

 

1985 Donruss #552 Rick Rhoden and 1990 Starline Long John Silver's #34 John Smoltz

Rhoden, in particular, was an accomplished golfer. After his MLB career, he became so proficient that he even played 34 tournaments on the PGA Champions Tour (age 50 and over), with three top 10 finishes.

I've got a lot of work to do before I get anywhere close to that absurd level of skill and proficiency. (As if I ever will—hah!), but that's fine. It's good to have plenty to work on.

 

Thanks as always for following along with my sporting activities. 

 

Do any of you have plans to get out in the fresh air this spring, be it golf, softball, hiking, or anything else? Share in the comment section. And then get out there!