Golf in Okanogan County is in full swing.      Although it’s Washington’s largest county in area, there are only six golf courses - but things are happening.
     Lake Woods Golf Course near Bridgeport has two upcoming tournaments - the Nightlight Tournament and the “Save the Pool” tournament.
     Participants competing in the Nightlight Tournament July 12 will play the first nine holes in late afternoon, have lunch, and play nine more holes after the sun sets with glow-in-the-dark balls and glow sticks.
     Proceeds from the “Save the Pool” Tournament July 26 will go toward keeping the Bridgeport swimming pool open to the public.
     Okanogan Valley Golf Club will hold the McGladrey Team Championship qualifying event July 12. Winners will advance to a tournament at the Oakbrook Country Club, Seattle, with a chance to continue on to the National McGladrey Team Championships at the Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst, N.C., in October.
     I love golf, but I can also see why many people find it boring. It made me re-evaluate exactly why I find the sport to be so much fun.
     For me it’s not striving to shoot the lowest score possible. I gave up on that a long time ago.
     The best things about golf have nothing to do with the scorecard. They’re the intangibles: Being outside on a sunny day, hanging out with friends and enjoying the sounds and sights of a beautiful golf course.
     First things first. I’m a horrific golfer - just terrible.
     On average, I’ll lose about 10 golf balls per outing. Some go into the water, some are hit so far out of play that I give up trying to find them and some are smashed into a nearby forest or field out of frustration.
     Golf has changed from years past. What used to be a gentleman’s game with strict guidelines is now an 18-hole fiasco. Back then, I wouldn’t have been allowed on the course.
     The best golfers in the world display confidence, patience and thorough concentration. Me? I display foolishness, anger and belligerency.
     Ever since I came to the conclusion that I’m not good at golf, I’ve focused less on trying to improve and more on just trying to have a good time. And that usually involves alcohol.
     There’s nothing quite like sipping a cold beer as you chase after another pathetic shot. It seems to make things OK.
     I sometimes let the anger get the best of me. After continually shooting embarrassing shot after embarrassing shot, it takes its toll.
     The moment I realize I’ve hit a terrible shot is the moment my club goes whirling through the air. It’s a natural instinct, like Tiger’s fist pump.
     Except Tiger’s reaction doesn’t present a safety hazard.
     I don’t always play with a sense of aggression, though. Lately I’ve been playing relaxed, although still poorly.
     The feeling of being out with my friends on a golf course with all of its magnificent colors is comforting: From the three shades of green separating the fairway, rough and green to the ponds and streams perfectly reflecting the sparse clouds in the blue sky.
     The trees and sand-bunkers complete the masterpiece.
     The thoughts, worries and stress of life are put on hold while out on the course. Nothing matters from the tee shot on the first hole until the end of the round.
     No matter how terrible of golfer I am, that feeling is incomparable.
     That’s why I like golf.