XX - LEARN TO PLAY GOLF.

My wife told me it was about time that I learned to play golf.

You know, golf...that's the game where you chase a little ball all
over the country when you are too old to chase women.

So, I went to see Mr. Jones and asked him if he would teach me how to play.

He said, "Sure, you've got balls don't you?"

"Yes, but sometimes on cold mornings they are hard to find."

"Bring them to the clubhouse tomorrow morning and we will tee off."

"What's tee off?"

"It's a golf term and we have to tee off in front of the clubhouse."

"Not for me" I said, "you can tee off in front of the clubhouse if you
want, but I'll tee off behind the barn somewhere."

"No, no, a tee is a little thing about the size of your finger."

"Yeah, I've got one of those."

"Well, you stick it in the ground and put your ball on top of it."

"You play golf sitting down? I always thought you stood up and walked around."

"You do, you're standing up when you put your ball on the tee."

Well folks, I thought that was stretching things a bit too far and I said so.

He said, "You've got a bag haven't you?"

"Sure"

"You're balls are in it, aren't they?"

"Of course," I told him.

"Well, can't you open your bag and take one out?"

"I suppose I could, but I'll be damned if I am going to."

"Don't you have a zipper on your bag?"

"No, I am the old fashioned type."

"Do you know how to hold your club?"

Well, after 65 years, I should have some sort of an idea and I told him so.

He said, "You take your club in both hands..."

Well folks, I knew right then that he didn't know what he was talking about.

Then he said, "Swing it over your shoulder..."

No, no, that's not me at all. That's my brother he's talking about.

He asked, "How do your hold your club?"

And before I thought about it, I said "With two fingers".

He said that wasn't right, got behind me, put two arms around me, and
said for me to bend over and he would show me.

Well, he couldn't catch me there for nothing. I didn't spend four
years in the Navy for nothing.

He said, "You hit the ball with your club and it soars and soars..."

I could well imagine that.

"... and when you're on the green..."

"What's the green?"

"That's where the hole is."

"Sure you're not color blind?"

"Then you take your putter in your hands"

"What's a putter?"

"That's the smallest club made."

"That's what I got, a putter."

"And with it, you put your ball into the hole."

I corrected him, "You mean the putter."

"No, the ball. The hole isn't big enough for the ball and putter too."

Well, I've seen holes big enough for a horse and wagon.

"Then," he said," after you finish with the first hole, you go on to
the next 17."

Well, he certainly wasn't talking about me. After two holes I'm shot to hell.

"You mean you can't make 18 holes in one day?"

"Hell no! It takes me 18 days to make one hole! Besides, how do I
know when I am in the 18th hole?"

"The flag will go up!"

Uh, huh...