Golf and beyond

I started playing golf when my father found out about a golf school for kids in one of the public golf courses in the city. His main purpose was to show my brother and me that there is nothing you cannot do. That even if you do not come from a rich family, you can play golf. Well, I was part of a middle-class family and I played golf for 11 years. So I guess he was right.

I had my first class when I was 11 year old. I do not remember if I like it or not. I only remember that I was improving every single class. I played my first tournament when I was 12. It was an event organized for kids without handicap. I won and the best thing was the prize: an incredible Nintendo with transparent screen. It was awesome! Then, I got handicap and started playing a lot. I used to play every single day during Summer time. I got better and better. When I was 13, I won my first gold medal thanks to an eagle I did in the 16th hole during the 3rd day. Of course, it was not only that, but the eagle was a decisive point. I remember my father shouting of excitement. When I was 14, I represented Argentina in a South American tournament for kids under 15. Our team ended in 2nd place. It was a great experience meeting kids from different countries. My handicap at that moment was 13. The best I reached was 7. When I went to college it became very difficult to split time between studies and golf. Then, I stopped playing.

I won a lot of tournaments. But it is not that what I most enjoyed about playing golf. My memories are plenty of players, golf courses and all the things that I learned. I remember playing a match play against the best women player in my club. I was on the tee of the 3rd hole, and I was ahead. I was so nervous that I had a hard time putting the tee on the ground because my hand was trembling. At the end, I lost that match. However, the bumping of my heart at that time is unforgettable.

There are several things that you learn playing golf. An important one is how to follow rules. When I was part of the under-18-age team, we used to meet on Saturday afternoons and go through the rules and discuss them. I really enjoyed those meetings because when you understand the rules the game becomes more interesting. For example, when a ball goes to a water hazard, there are several places where you can play your next shot. So if you do not know the rules, you do not know the variant you have at hand. Then, you are missing part of the game.

Golf not only taught me how to follow rules, but also how to make decisions. Every shot is fundamental to the game. In every shot you have to make a decision of how to play it. For it, you have to investigate your options. And the searching is amusing. You need to investigate your surroundings like the trees, the grass, the wind, the slope of the grounds. And you need to create a strategy looking forward to the next shot or to the next two shots. And when playing a match play, that means playing against another player, the game is just amazing.

Last Summer, I started teaching my husband. On the one hand, it is frustrating because it is so hard to share the knowledge. On the other hand, it is so rewarding because the improvements are unbelievable. And the opportunity to share such a great sport is wonderful. I am so glad that he has started and he loves it. Unfortunately, since we live in New England we have only part of the year to play. So we are looking forward to the next Spring. In particular, I am looking forward to getting new memories, meeting new players and enjoying new golf courses. Do you want to play?

My father and who I am today

This is my story. It is not a sad or happy story. As every life, mine had its ups and downs. And since it is not over yet, there will be more to come. But today let me tell you about my father and how his story enriched mine.

My father came from a modest family. His father died when he was 17 and he supported his mother since then. When he got married his mother went to live with him and his wife. My mother and father worked all day. So my grandmother, who was the only grandparent still alive when I was born, took care of my only older brother and me. When I was 7 years old, my grandmother passed away. Less than a year later my mother died of breast cancer at the age of 36. Our house went from having 5 people (3 women and 2 men) to having only 3 (1 woman and 2 men) in less than year. Those were difficult times for my father who in a very short period of time lost 2 people who he loved so much. On top of that, he got the responsibility of taking care of my brother and me. He worked so hard to teach us and give us all he could. He sent me to classes of fencing, tennis, ballet, painting, Italian, and guitar. When I was 10, he bought the TI99 Texas Instrument computer and I learned how to code in BASIC. Who would have imagined that I would be developing algorithms today? I am very thankful for his ideas and vision of the world. He used to tell me “Hurry up, learn as much as you can because this is the right time. As you grow old, you will have more and more responsibilities and less and less time to do all you want to do”. And he was right. During high school, I only studied and played golf. Then, when I was in college I played golf only a few times a year. Now I am in graduate school with no spare time at all.

When I talk about my childhood and adolescence, I always mention my father. And that is just because it was him who guided me all along during that time. His life influenced mine. He showed me how life can be lived plentifully. Part of who I am today is because of him.