Karzmer family’s golf memories abound

We’re almost there! After all of the talk ... the advertisements ... the articles ... the posters at the courses, we are days away from our local “Major Championship” — The Greatest Golfer of the Valley Tournament.

And as we all try to get our games ready for the competition, I thought it might be nice to talk about the opportunity one local course presents us everyday — some quality family time.

This week, I went with my wife, Beth; my brothers Justin and Jordan; and my mother, Marsha, to Mill Creek Park’s Par Three course.

While trying to make some friendly wagers on the first tee, my brothers thought a good bet would be that if they were to beat me, I would have to write about my crushing defeat. Confident that I would win, I agreed.

Fast forward about 90 minutes later and I’m watching Jordan give the “Tiger Fist Pump” on the last green as he holes his par putt for a 1-under round of 26.

And a two-shot victory.

So here we are. And while you may not think I enjoy writing about losing on the course, the truth of the matter is I’ve never enjoyed losing a match as much as I did that night. The old fairways of Mill Creek Par Three reminded me just how special this game really is.

Here were just some of the topics of conversation during our round:

How my mother learned the game as a child when she used to walk to that same course with her grandfather.

When my mother got a hole-in-one on one of her first dates with my father.

How I grew up learning the game at that course with my Granny and Poppa.

The parent-child tournaments that my siblings and I competed in every year with my parents and grandparents.

The old Sandwich Factory Junior League that we all played in.

When, as a 10-year-old playing with my mom in the rain, I had my first hole in one on number two.

How I used to caddy for my Poppa in the senior tournament every year.

How many “first dates” my brothers and I went on at the Creek.

And on.

And on.

And on.

It seemed like every hole brought back a special family memory. For us, Mill Creek Par Three has been a place that’s brought our family together for literally four generations. That’s something special.

And you know what’s great about the Par Three course? It’s not a secret. The course knows no ages or skill levels.

It doesn’t care if you shoot 26 or 56.

It doesn’t care if you’re an everyday golfer or if you’ve never touched a club before.

It’s there waiting for you and your family.

I’ll never forget the memories I have there. I love the opportunity to make new memories like watching Jordan shoot 26 the other night with my wife and family.

And if Beth and I are lucky enough to have our own kids one day, I can’t wait to carry on the family tradition and teach them the game, just like I learned it — with family at Mill Creek Par Three.

Jonah Karzmer is a former player at YSU and a member at The Lake Club. He works in insurance when not writing a golf column every Sunday in The Vindicator. Email him at jkarzmer@farmersagent.com.