For many golfers, scheduling a round of golf on Valentine’s Day would be a sure way to put a marriage in peril. But not so when both spouses golf and enjoy playing together.
It was intriguing that the participant list for Tuesday's SCGA Member Outing at Pelican Hill GC in Newport Beach included 10 married couples. When contacted by the SCGA, several of them said they saw this opportunity as an ideal way to celebrate Valentine’s Day.
“We get the reaction of, ‘What?! Golfing on Valentine’s Day?!’ ” said Mark Nelson of Annandale GC in Pasadena, a Member Outing enthusiast with wife Michele. “But Michele and I thought it would be great to play golf on Valentine’s Day. It’s a wonderful event that the SCGA puts together.”
The Nelsons, who frequently invite friends along for Member Outings, persuaded fellow Annandale members Jim and Jane Fox to join them for this one (the foursome is pictured at right.)
Said Jane Fox: “A round of golf with friends on a grand and glorious day on a five-star course is preferable to a dinner in a five-star restaurant.”
Also taking on Pelican Hill with his sweetheart on Tuesday was Jim McGrath of Talega GC in San Clemente. He said that he and wife Lori began playing golf together 13 years ago, and married two years after that. When they saw a Valentine’s Day event on the Member Outing calendar, they couldn’t resist.
“We were looking for something a little different than roses, wine and dinner for Valentine’s Day,” McGrath said, “and what’s better than a golf day at Pelican Hill with my valentine?”
They stuck around afterward for a sunset glass of wine and then dinner at the resort.
“Our shared passion for golf brought us together,” McGrath said, “and now we play together at least once a week. We are truly golf buddies.”
The demanding game of golf has been known to put a strain on marital relations when couples play together, but the Pelican Hill Member Outing participants said that their rounds together are generally amicable.
With tongue firmly in cheek, Jim Fox said, “I was OK. I was in therapy for three weeks preparing for this.”
Wife Jane countered: “He plays his game and I play mine, and advice is given only when asked – at least that is the premise. I have a good day of golf if the sky is blue and the grass is green, no matter what my score is.”
Deborah Lunderville of Redlands CC, who played Pelican Hill with husband Mike, said, “We play our own games and compete against the course, not each other. We’re relaxed on vacation and generally play our best rounds of golf.”
To learn more about Member Outings and to see the upcoming schedule, click here.
