The course I wrote about above was eventually run into the ground by the last owner who sucked out every last cent that he could. And what did he get in return? The state bought the course from him at market value to turn it into some kind of open space preservation. Open space preservation in a township that’s 35 square miles in size but that only has a few thousand people living in it. There’s open space in every direction. Not for long, I guess. Depressing.

Unfortunately, they closed that course down for construction; they want to build a huge development that will ruin the flavor of the area — not to mention the fact that the new prices will be too rich for my tastes. Losing that course sort of ruined golf for me, actually.

I can do without many forms of “progress.”

It really is sad when places start becoming more congested. Although I grew in in NYC, I’m a country boy at heart.

At this point, I’m looking to get out because it’s getting too busy down here for me, the cost of living is too high, and the state government doesn’t exactly inspire me with confidence. I think I would like the Midwest/Upper Midwest, but I need a place with a longer golf season, so I’ve been considering the Southwest.

I’m in NY and both of my siblings now live in NJ. So, I’m curious, where in NJ did you live? If you don’t want to mention the town, a general area designation would be sufficient. The only thing I know is that if you lived in a fairly rural area of the state, you were nowhere near NYC.

I’ve played a bunch of courses in the state, such as the Somerset County public courses, Cranbury and Glenwood Country Club.

When I was a child in Leominster, Massachusetts, there were no golf courses available for the middle class or poor. Just one country club and frankly I do not know if there was a golf course there or not.

Well, my father had built a garage for our automobile. Its floor was made of cement. Over time, with the salt New England municipalities use on the roads, the floor of the garage began to deteriorate.

In the center of the garage, a hole about the size of the cup on a golf green began to develop.

I would use a golf ball and a stick and from various distances putt the ball into that hole.

I didn’t actually hold a real golf club until I was forty. Never saw one in Leominster.

After I moved to California, there were lots of golf courses around, but I was still looking for putting. That was my idea of golf, so I sought out a miniature golf course on a date, feeling comfortable with that level of play.

Then, when I turned 55, someone invited me to a real golf course. It was then that I rented a bag of clubs, and had my first real taste of what it is like on a golf course like one sees on TV. This course was a bit sandy with lots of mud and puddles throughout, but we got through it. At one point it was so muddy I slipped and fell into the mud. Lost my cap in the mud there, but we pressed on.

It was amazing.

And, that was it.

Since then, I haven’t been back. I am now 66 years old, and maybe some day someone else will invite me to a golf course to play.

Looks like fun. And, the one experience I had on a real course was fun, if one discounts my playing full of mud for 8 holes. I did catch a chill and was home for a day or two. However, it was worth it to get the real flavor of what golf is all about.