Grandpa and Golf

My maternal grandfather turns 84 today.  His name is John Carr, everyone calls him Jake and all my cousins call him pap-pap or pap, but I call him grandpa.  I am sure he wishes he could be on the golf course today.  He had two full time jobs all his life, he was a Pittsburgh City Firefighter for Engine 13 and he worked on the Monongahela Connecting Rail Road.  On the rail road he traveled across the Monongahela River from Hazelwood right over the Hot Metal Bridge to South Side for J&L Steel.  Even with two jobs, he always had time for golf.

Grandpa working with my husband on his swing.

My grandpa loves golf so much; he constantly watches it on TV, (he was watching golf in Australia last night when we talked on the phone).  He wore a hole in my grandma’s carpet from practicing his golf swing so much.  He walked the golf course everyday just to hang out and talk about golf.  His 4 hole-in-one golf balls are still proudly displayed.  His passion for golf runs so deep, that although he cannot golf anymore, he still takes any opportunity he has to give his sons and grandsons, and his only grandson-in-law advice on their swing.  I am sure my grandma would be able to tell you how many lamps, mirrors and other items were hit by a golf ball over the years. My grandpa says, “Golf is the greatest tranquilizer in the world.” 

I am the first grandchild and when I was a kid, grandpa used to give out dollars for making putting shots in the living room.  You would think that in all these years I would have developed a similar passion for golf or at least be a fantastic miniature golfer.  Neither is true.  However, observing my dad, brothers, uncles, cousins and husband play golf I did pick up on some ideas about golf that have a lot in common with leadership.

I believe to be a golfer you need to have passion for the sport.  I mean why else would you walk around in the sun carrying heavy clubs chasing a little white ball?  Every golfer I know, practices his or her golf swing.  With or without a club even.  As I mentioned, grandpa wore a hole in the carpet from practicing his golf swing.  “I loved to practice,” said grandpa, “The more you practice the luckier you get.” (Maybe that is why grandma never had any knick knacks around the house?)  Leaders have a passion to develop themselves and to develop others.

This passion can create frustration.  I do not know the difference between an eagle or a bogey but I do know that you want to be close to par if not under it.  And sometimes, no matter how much a golfer perfects his swing, there is a chance his ball is going to be in the sand or water.  This desire to change, inspire, and impassion can deliver amazing results one day only to bring dismal results the next in leadership.

But when that little dimpled white ball lands in the sand or water, does a golfer give up?  No he doesn’t.  He uses a different club and adjusts his swing.  So when a leader ends up with dismal results, they approach the problem with a different style.  Determination is required for both.  Golfers never seem to give up.  They even play in the rain!  Strong leaders, however, push through the difficulties and drive results, exceeding expectations with flying colors.

Jon and Grandpa

And when a golfer finally gets the ball in the hole, there is a reality check when he pulls out that score card and pencils in the amount of attempts he made getting there.  Does he count that lost ball?  How about that extra swing in the sand?  It might only be one little point but it takes honesty.  Leadership requires a lot of honesty.  When a leader has made a mistake the most important thing a leader can do is to own up to his/her mistake.

Like I said I have never golfed, but I know when all the guys come back from the family golf outing they all have smiles and laugh…even when they played in too much sand.  My grandpa is always smiling. Golfers have to be positive all the time.  No one wants to be around someone who is miserable or belittles them.  Leaders should be the ‘beacon of light’ everyone wants to be around.  Leaders make everyone believe that they matter and that they can tackle anything. 

So I am sure if you asked my grandpa on how to keep your ball out of the trees he would tell you to quit aiming for the trees.  But all in all golfers know even at their worse day on the golf course they got to enjoy camaraderie, hopefully beautiful sunshine, and a soft wind whistling through the trees. “When I golfed I would feel so good.  I would just look at the beautiful grass, trees and lakes and think, Oh My Goodness what magnificence!  Everything was beautiful!” grandpa told me. 

Me with my Grandpa 

So as you can see, I do not know how to golf, but in my family you are bound to pick up the lingo.  And even though I never got the hang of the sport, I am so lucky to have learned so much from grandpa through the sport.

Jon and Grandpa