One of the reasons I’m playing better this year, or at least scoring significantly better than in years past, is that I’ve taken to managing my game, however, sometimes arrogance gets the best of you. What that means goes something like this: Last Tuesday, on the first tee, I hit a pretty strong drive but left it way out to the right. I was able to find it, it was closer to the 7th fairway and between some trees. Most of the season, I would have simply accepted the fact that I was going to lose a stroke, pitched out to the fairway and “taken my medicine”, and kept a bogey (5) on the table [the first hole is a relatively manageable par 4]. Due, in no small part, to the fact that I’ve been scoring better, I decided to try a shot that had, likely at best, a 20% success rate. I had a clear shot between the trees, but my stance was awkward, the lie equally awkward (side hill, not much grass) and there were some branches to consider. If it was successful I would still not be on the green, as I had to take a lower iron to execute the shot, but with a good “up” and a good putt, I would still have par in play. I made very good contact, but hit it a bit too high, it hit a limb and dropped down. I was still in the same vicinity, but was totally blocked and in worse shape than prior. Long story short, I ended the hole with a triple bogey 7 due to making that mistake which then was compounded.

So let’s move to reopening schools here…YES, everyone wants to be back, teachers, kids, parents, politicians, everyone. Here’s the issue…it’s still not safe for the long haul. The politicians, (even in CT which has done a remarkable job of containing, and reducing and with masks and proper conduct has a small feeling of hope and normality) are pushing the issue much too quickly without, seemingly any real long play thoughts. The latest is that the DOE has said distance learning days will NOT be counted and will have to be made up, talk about a real strong arm gesture. So let’s look at it like my first hole the other day…

Where the politicos are is trying the make the “hero” shot, then are NOT professionals when it comes to school they way I am not a professional golfer. They have NOT spent years hitting intellectual practice shots, they don’t know what it means to be in a classroom day after day after day, against all CDC space guidelines in most cases when it comes to HS and Middle School sizes, let alone what the elementary restrictions are in terms of contact and behaviors. So IF they try the hero shot and IF they are successful, they will be able to pound their chests, and pat themselves on the back with a HUGE “I told you so” Yet, what are the real chances of them being successful with this “hero shot”? Likely less than mine were on the first hole Tuesday.

Why am I saying that you ask? FACTS folks, empirical evidence folks. Teens and early 20’s have gathered for sports and parties and camps and not a day goes by where there are not confirmed reports of multiple positive tests of Covid-19 coming from those groupings. These are OUTDOOR events for the most part, yet this type of gathering is rekindling the spread. What do you think will happen when these same folks gather INSIDE? Think real hard on that?? Do we really want to go back to where we were in March? Do we really want to go back to square one? Do we want to start over??

OR…do we accept the fact that we need to “punch out” take a bit more “medicine”, be a bit more uncomfortable and keep moving forward more slowly rather than racing to a point where we will have to retract all the gains and then some?

I can’t imagine why it’s not self evident? Maybe our politicians need to play real golf, (not the cheating kind that #45 has been known for, again, repeated, verified stories of his behavior on the course) and learn that managing the game over 18 holes produces a much better score than trying to do it all on one shot on one hole.