KARZMER Golf spouses deserve thanks

The U.S. Open and The British Open just finished. Local scrambles are taking place non-stop. Junior tournaments are happening all over the state. Member-Guest Championships are being held one weekend after the other. Evening leagues are in full swing. Even the courses are drying out after that horrific June and getting into tip-top shape.

Yes, for golfers in Northeast Ohio, this seems to be our prime season.

Personally, I find myself very lucky to once again get to participate in The Lake Club’s famous Member-Guest Championship. Long story short, it’s one of my favorite weeks of the year.

But as I sat down to type out a column for this week, I thought it would be nice to recognize the viewpoint not of the golfer, but of the person who has to put up with the golfer — the spouse.

Yes, my wonderful wife, Beth, willingly puts up with my golf craziness every summer. And as excited as I was to watch The British Open last weekend ... after a member-guest last week ... and before a member-guest this week ... I’m thinking Beth may not have reached the same excitement level as I.

But it may be 2-1 in the Karzmer house as I (proudly) tell a quick story from this past Monday. As The British Open finished a day late this year, I carried my daughter (almost 2) downstairs Monday morning for breakfast. It was around 7 a.m. which because of the time difference, meant the golf was already on TV. When we got downstairs I asked Stella what she wanted to do for breakfast. Her answer was awesome; “Let’s sit on the couch and watch golf.”

I didn’t know whether to high five her or pick her up like Jack Nicholson did to the dog Verdele in “As Good As It Gets” and start saying: “Don’t you be like me.”

Of course, I went with the high five/hug and ate breakfast with her on the couch.

Which all leads me back to my original point for the week — as golf season hits high gear for us golf crazies, let’s take a minute to thank our spouses for putting up with us each year. I was actually going through old columns and found a similar column from 2013. Coincidentally, it was this exact week from 2013 (Lake Club’s Member-Guest), and at the end of the column, I “created” a card for the first, fictional, Golf Spouse’s Day.

I must have forgotten about it last year, but I’m going to copy it below and re-issue it for what should now be the “third annual golf spouse’s day.”

On behalf of all of us crazies, thanks for putting up with us.

FRONT OF THE CARD

Sunday, July 21, 2013: HAPPY FIRST GOLF SPOUSES’ DAY!

For all those times you put up with me ... Talking about my tee shot on 12 ... Complaining about a lip out ... Practicing my swing in the kitchen ... Using all the space on the DVR to tape the third round of the John Deere Classic ... And just in general being consumed with golf during the summer…

I’d like to offer this card as a thank you. Redeemable for one home-cooked Sunday morning breakfast in bed…

INSIDE OF THE CARD

Redeemable any Sunday in between the first and last snowfalls of the winter.

I love you even more for understanding why that is.

Jonah Karzmer is a former golf professional who writes a Sunday golf column for The Vindicator. In his spare time he sells commercial insurance and loves getting feedback on his weekly columns via email at Jonah@thekarzmerinsurance.com.