This is one of my favorite holidays of the year. It’s a day to spend with family and friends, to be happy, and most of all, to forget about what we don’t have and to be thankful for what we do.

I know this is a uniquely U.S. holiday, but there’s no harm in everyone who’s reading this being a little thankful today. Give thanks to anyone or anything you feel should have it, or just be thankful for what you have and remember that there are others that don’t have as much.

I’m certainly thankful that I have a good family (I’m single and am referring to my parents and brother), good friends, I have my health, and I have a good job. There’s so much else I could name.

All that on a serious note, but let’s keep it more light hearted and turn back to golf. Here’s what I’m thankful for in the golf universe:

• Tiger Woods. He’s probably going to go down in history as the best player of all time. I feel privileged that he came along at a time in history when I’ve been able to have a front row seat since day one.
• The Masters, The U.S. Open, and The Open Championship. No offense to the PGA Championship, but the other three have a way of transforming me for a week, especially the Masters. I love watching golf on television but these three tournaments are almost like holidays for me. I anticipate their arrival for weeks. When they finally come and I tune in, it’s like I’m briefly connected with golf history. My imagination is flooded with the stories and the greats from the past, as well as the moments that I’ve seen with my own eyes.
• That golf is regarded as a gentleman’s game (ladies too, of course). In so many sports, pulling a fast one and getting over on the referees or umpires is considered an achievement. Golfers penalize themselves and play with an honor and dignity not found in other sports. Can I name examples to the contrary? Of course, but there are relatively few of those.
• The characters that make golf fun, exciting, and funny. I’d include David Feherty, Gary McCord, John Daly, and Peter Jacobsen, to name a few. I know Daly can be a real train wreck sometimes, but he seems like a good hearted guy and count myself a fan and am always pulling for him.
• The game’s great teachers that mold the swings of the best, but that also give (or sell) that knowledge to us. Dave Pelz, Rick Smith, David Leadbetter, Jim Flick, and Jim McLean, to name a few. I love tuning in to the Golf Channel or picking up a book and being able to pick the brains of these teaching geniuses. They’ve taught me so much over the years and I’ve never spoken a word to any of them.
• The Golf Channel. When I found out in the 1990’s that there was going to be a channel with all golf, all the time, I was ecstatic, but I wondered if it would succeed. Over ten years later, it’s still going strong. It features instructional programs, reality shows, and tournaments from all the major tours, including coverage of the PGA Tour that started this past season. Sometimes, the day time infomercials and tons of Big Break reruns get a little tiresome, but on the whole, I love the channel.

Those are some of the things I’m thankful for and I could go on for a while, especially if I went back to the serious real world stuff. Take a few moments to come up with your own real world and golf lists. Feel free to drop them in a comment if you want to share with the world.

Be healthy, be safe, and have a good day. I’m ready for the challenge of seeing how my diet holds up today!

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