A Valuable Lesson

This week, I'd like to talk to you about a man named Ron Griggs. More specifically, I'd like to discuss an invaluable lesson he taught me when I was a young golfer.

I grew up at a small country club in northern Florida. I started playing when I was eight years old. I was at the club every day after school, and all day long when the Volusia County School Board wasn't cramping my style. We played countless holes. We hit tens of thousands of range balls. We learned every blade of grass on the putting green.

There were four of us who were competent players. We gambled a bit amongst ourselves until we realized that all we were accomplishing was trading our very limited capital back and forth. Eventually we branched out into gambling with the adult members. We played hard and won more often than we lost. We also benefited from a priceless golf education.

By the time I was fourteen, I carried a 3 handicap and feared no man on the golf course. That is, until I tangled with Ron Griggs.

Mr. Griggs moved into town and joined the club. I knew nothing about him other than that his handicap was 36 and he would bet a little.. I had occasion to play with him one Sunday afternoon when the less hard-core golfers had all retreated to watch football. It was just the two of us.

Since we didn't know each other, we agreed he should get all his shots. To protect myself, or so I thought, I suggested we play a straight two bucks a hole. Nothing fancy, win a hole, win some money. Thirty three shots did seem like a bunch to give away. The par threes would be rugged. I figured I would just have to play well.

Ron Griggs shot 79 that day. I lost money. The math works out like this; I would have had to shoot 46 over the course of eighteen holes in order to tie the man. Assuming I hit all the greens in regulation, I would have had the luxury of ten putts. To put it another way, I'd need to hole out from the fairway eight times while one putting all the other holes.

I have never been so utterly destroyed on a golf course. While I was dazed and confused, one thing was crystal clear. Any opponent, given an adequate number of shots, deserves the utmost respect on a golf course.

I played a good deal of golf with Mr. Griggs after that. He never sniffed the 80's while I

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