We lean back, after a long drive, into the elegantly heavy leather chairs at Nineteen. Linen napkins folded impeccably, a sophisticated lunch crowd engaged in quiet chit-chat and appetizers. Rob is the only child but does not stand out, dressed in golf attire with a Callaway hat pulled down over the Diary of a Wimpy Kid book. Foul tasting Florida water sits on the table, untouched and waiting for the mini-sliders – but not too eagerly, we have lots of time to kill here while Max and Bear play this distinguished course.
Who doesn’t dream of playing TPC Sawgrass with possibly the most famous Par 3 hole in the world and where Tour Players make their annual Players Championship pilgrimage? Rob certainly would have liked to play, but Max was not paying upwards of $200 for his round until he is a little older and his scores a little lower.
The TPC Signature Magazine features an article titled A Tale of 2 Cowboys. I read it with a quiet enthusiasm. This is my idea of a dream existence. I show Rob, hoping to see a glimpse of the same passion. Hmmm he says and returns to his book.
Who knows where the road will lead us……. Certainly Bear has the physical features of a young Jack and plays with the ingenuity of Bubba and confidence of Phil. There has never been a day that he has not entertained the notion that his picture too will complement the tree-lined path of Players Champions that leads to Sawgrass. In truth the odds are of course stacked against him and golf, being a game of individual genius and engineering, it ultimately matters little what us parents want or think or do too.
I ask Rob what he wants to be when he grows up. He answers as he usually does : Professional golfer and basketball player. American kids are so sport obsessed ! Parents even more myopic in our beliefs we are raising the next LeBron, KD, Jordan or Justin.
A former Tour Pro who has coached Bear and sits solidly in his corner in the circus ring that is Junior Golf believes that, for the most part, if the child is not nationally ranked and competing at the top of national tournaments by age 10, he/she will unlikely make it to the big leagues in golf. Of course there will always be exceptions to the rule – but given the depth of talent in junior golf in the US, the exception will have to be truly exceptional.
Rob has a long road ahead of him, regardless of what I think or want or do.
Sampling the delectable Avocado Stack appetizer I remain immersed in the solitude of the Great Plains; cowboys kicking up dust; bridles, bits, boots, ropes and Roans. The Wild West – it ain’t gone, you just can’t see it from the road. Reclining in this leather chair in the quiet, wood-panelled Nineteen lounge and reading these words is about as close as I am going to get to what I imagine is my ideal lifestyle.
Sitting here beside me, Rob is already closer to his.
