Very cool Jordan.
Final Rounds is a TREMENDOUS book. I read it right before my dad and I took our first trip to Scotland I think.
My dad has always had very, very bad eyesight. He plays golf almost every single day. About 5 years ago he woke up one morning and couldn't see out of his right eye - his good eye. The blood vessel to his optic nerve lost too much blood pressure during the night and his eye was permanently damaged. Nothing could be done and nothing could stop it from happening to the other eye. He had a house in Pinehurst and had always dreamed of retiring there. But now that was all in question. Because he was now blind in his right eye he had no depth perception. He tried to play but it was a struggle since, despite his really bad vision, he had reached his lowest handicap ever - 4 - just before he lost his vision in his right eye. It really sucked seeing him down about golf, almost wanting to quit, but he perservered. We have taken several trips to Scotland since, played in several member-guests at Pinehurst, etc. He caddies for me in every tournament I play - Eagle Eye he calls himself. After every shot he hits when I play with him I tell him the ball flight and where it ended up because he can't see the ball for more than 50-75 yards. So when he caddies for me I describe the shot to him as well. It's kind of funny in a way.
When I left for college my freshman year it was obviously my first time away from my dad. During the previous five years we literally played golf together 6 days a week. Every day after school - we got out at 2:20 - my dad would leave work early to come play with me. On the weekends we would play 36 together on both Saturday and Sunday. So when I got to school I didn't realize how much I would miss playing golf with him. When I returned home the first time at Thanksgiving break the very first thing my dad and I did was play golf together. We didn't say a word to each other the first 4 holes. On the fifth hole we just looked at each other. The look on his face, and I know the one on mine, said that all was now right with the world again. It is something I will never forget.
I don't remember the first round with my dad because he had me on the driving range at age three and on the course shortly thereafter.
I work at family's business, started by my great-grandfather in 1928. So, I see my dad every day at work. We still play together about once or twice a week since we are members at the same club five minutes from our office. He still plays every day. And every morning I go straight to his desk to see how he played the day before. A few years ago he said he was retiring and moving to Pinehurst at 60. That's just less than two years away. I've already been thinking about not seeing him in the office every day, not going out at lunch to play a round, not hearing about his round the day before. It's going to seem like a big part of me is missing but I think it will make going to Pinehurst to play with him even more special. We use to go there for my spring break in high school and play 36 holes a day for 6 straight days. So many good memories.
One of the writers here could probably make a really good book about with these stories about dads and golf if it hasn't already been done.