“Golf with Aphasia is a problem. I tell everyone that I have a problem with aphasia because I can’t keep my focus. They also say the same thing, “that isn’t aphasia, that is Golf”.

Last weekend, August 9th and 10th, I played in the Senior Championship at Torresdale, my golf club. I played every year. I get very nervous playing in these championships because you have to keep counting each shot, rather than just saying, ‘I will take the max for that hole.’ However, at least they play a gross and net score, so with the 95% handicap, I have 19 strokes to try to secure first or second place for the net.

They play the white tees, which are a little longer for me. I usually played the white/green tees. I have been playing the whites for the last month so that I would be ready to play in this championship.

On Saturday, I played a 92: 47/45: three triple bogies, one double bogie, three pars, and the rest bogies. I practiced the three things I use for each shot: keeping my left arm straight, slowing down my shot, and keeping my head down. 

Sunday, I played an 89: 43/46: no three bogies, three double bogies, two pars, and the rest bogies.

My final net was 73/70, for a total of 143. Two of us were tied for second, but the other one won the championship for the gross, so I received the prize for second place.

To think that five years ago, June 8, 2020, I didn’t know I would play golf again. At the neurologist, I told the doctor that I was worried that I would suck at golf. My wife quickly said, “Wait, you sucked before you had the stroke”. We laughed, and I realized that golf would still be fun to do.

As one of my friends in the PSU-Aphasia group, he constantly says, “Never give up.”