There are two things of immense importance to me (other than my immediate family): golf and spending time with my grandchildren.

       Recently I discovered a way to do both without breaking the bank. I had always wanted to take my two grandsons who live nearby to play but hesitated because of the costs involved. If you are like me and exist on a shoestring budget, playing golf is enough of a financial burden without adding two more paying customers to the tab.

      There was the issue of taking two neophyte golfers out on a busy golf course. It is frustrating enough to play when the course is so crowded nobody can move, but to have a couple of high-spirited youngsters in tow would be even more frustrating.

      I knew that some of the cheaper courses around town would be a good option because their prices would accommodate my budget better and if it is crowded, at least I didn’t pay a fortune for the experience.

      My two grandsons (Jonathan, 14, and Jack, 7) had been asking me for months to take them out on the course. It was probably my fault (tee hee) that they were into golf because whenever I was around their father, all we did was talk about our latest round or how Tiger did over the weekend. 

   I got lucky. My first call was to Fiddler’s Green at Cecil Field on Jacksonville’s

Westside. I asked them how much they charged for juniors.

     “Juniors are free with a paying adult,” the man said when I reached the clubhouse by phone. 

    Wow, what a deal. I couldn’t believe it. Now all I had to do was get another paying adult to go along with me and both boys could have their first golf round. My youngest son, Joe, had been wanting to play a round with me, so I suggested we take his nephews (which also just happened to be my grandsons). He was immediately agreeable to the idea, so we set it up for a Saturday afternoon.

      Not knowing how well the boys could hit a golf ball, I arranged to arrive at the course an hour before our tee time so we could hit a few from on the driving range and get in some putting and chipping practice. 

      As expected, they were a little tentative off the tee but they showed good hand-eye coordination around the green, so there was some hope. I was pleased when they both wanted to try hitting from the sand trap. I let them have at it for a few minutes until I realized they didn’t know how to do it. I gave them a couple of tips, i.e., hit about 3 inches behind the ball and follow through with your swing. Within a couple of swings, they were both popping golf balls out of the sand onto the green like pros. Sweet.

     I knew my biggest problem was going to be relaxing and letting them have fun. Adults sometimes have this control-freak attitude and I knew that I could lapse into that if I didn’t watch myself. I decided to take a deep breath, relax and let the boys enjoy the experience as much as they could. It worked.

       Jonathan scored an honest-to-goodness par on a 150-yard par 3 hole and he was ecstatic for the rest of the day. He hit his drive to within about 15 yards of the green, popped the chip to within about 3 feet of the hole and made the putt. That was especially sweet.

Jonathan, Jack and Papa at Fiddler's Green Golf Course.

       Meanwhile, one of Jack’s drives had a distinct metallic thwack to it, even if it didn’t travel a long distance. He turned to me and said, “I like the way that sounds, Papa.” Yes, Jack, that is a truly sweet sound, I told him.

      After few holes, I was starting to relax and pay more attention to my game than theirs. We all hand a grand time. Granted, Fiddler’s Green is not the best golf course in Northeast Florida but it will do do. I don’t think I kept track of my score or my son’s but we had so much fun it didn’t matter. It was about the most fun I have had on a golf course, especially when one of them would turn to me and say, “Nice hit, papa!” I couldn’t have been happier.

     Golf with your son and grandsons: Oh, so sweet and a priceless deal. I can’t wait until the next time.