Byline: JOE TESORI GOLF COLUMNIST
Editor's note: Joe Tesori, the longtime director of golf at Drumlins who was let go in a financial restructuring last month, has accepted a new job as head professional at LaFayette Hills Golf & Country Club.
The world just seemed simpler some 50 years ago. People listened to the radio at night, television had two colors (yes, black and white), families went for a ride in the car on Sunday afternoons, stores were only open on Thursday nights, and parents/children actually sat down to eat together in the evening.
Choices were also simpler and people had values, traditions, and heritage. The elderly were revered for their time spent on Earth and the knowledge that they had acquired. People said 'Yes, sir. ... No, Ma'am. ...' They took their hat off when they walked into a restaurant, house or business, and they went to college to secure a career after graduation.
Not bad stuff, huh? And you know what, people always said 'Thank you' when appropriate. Well, my friends, as we embark on a new season, let me be the first to tell the Syracuse community 'Thank you' for all the support you have given this'ol pro the past 30-plus years.
I have been so blessed to have worked as a golf professional in this closely knit community since my first job at Onondaga Golf and Country Club in 1973 and now will be continuing my career at Lafayette Hills as their head golf professional. You all have been such loyal readers of my column for years here in The Post-Standard, and so many have taken instruction that I feel so blessed to have reached so many.
The golf professional for years has followed a very simple creed: 'Honesty, integrity and fair dealing.' The game itself demands a lot from we who participate, but it gives back so much more. As a club professional, we have the opportunity to touch many people's lives, young and old alike. We really help make a difference in the size of their smile each and every day.
You know, my dad Charlie told me as his days here on our planet were nearing an end to judge my life as to how many people I helped have a better day. Good advice from a wise man. Furthermore, he said that life, like golf, was not made to be fair. How we dealt with adversity, or a bad bounce, would be our legacy.
For the past several weeks, I have had much time to reflect and redirect. There is no benefit in self-pity, nor should we ever dwell on past occurrences.
I liken it to the sage golfer who was having a great round, with only a little over two holes left to play. Everything had worked out during the round pretty much according to his game plan, and as he was about to hit his approach shot to the 16th green, there was no reason not to believe that another successful result was in the script. But alas, a finely struck shot took a totally unplanned, unforeseen and horrific bounce into the depths of the hazard surrounding the green.
The golfer wondered 'Why me? What did I do? Where did I go wrong? What will the spectators think?' His caddy told him to take a deep breath, figure out where to drop his ball so as to provide him with the best chance to finish out the hole and then move on to the final holes left to play.
It was tough, much tougher than he thought any bad break could ever be, but his dad's words and all his fans in the crowd helped him to realize that he was a good player, and that while it was a bad bounce, it should not and would not disrupt his mission to finish strong and with dignity.
A well-thought-out next shot turned out successful, and he left the hole with a bogey, not in the large scheme of things anything negative enough to dwell on. And, interestingly enough, while I forget how the golfer finished the round, it occurred to me that it was not important, but rather what I realized was that he dealt with the bad bounce with the dignity that he lived his life with.
To my friends, thank you for your support of my efforts these past 30-plus years to help you understand why I love this great game. For in the end, it is the people who make up the game, not the bad bounces. And, like life, golf can be simple and very rewarding if we adhere to the honor, dignity and fair dealing that stand firmly as the principles with which we should treat one another. Let us move forward together this next season on our journey toward that next shot, that next hole, and that next smile.
Joe Tesori, whose golf column has appeared in The Post-Standard for 20 years, is the pro at Lafayette Hills Golf Course.
