A Perfect Course for a Beginner

I sat in my Door County kitchen last week, writing thank-you notes to friends and family as a playoff hockey game filled the background. Mom was curled up in the nearest La-Z-Boy, peppering me with questions about the rink, the players, the rules, the coaches, etc.

They were the type of questions that usually induce eye rolls from a 22-year-old sports fanatic, but they were innocent, because my mom was genuinely interested in learning the prospects of the puck.

It got me thinking about how confusing hockey can seem without someone to explain the weird nuances of the sport, and the same goes for golf. There isn’t another sport whose rules are consistently misunderstood by professionals. That’s why I felt last week’s bit about how to start playing the game was important. It was only a start, however.

In the final sentence, I mentioned Stonehedge Golf Course, located just yards south of The Orchards Golf Course in Egg Harbor. At only nine holes, it’s easy to drive right by Stonehedge. I’m sure that’s what many prospective golfers have done on their way to the more recognizable Orchards. That could be a mistake, though, for the less seasoned golfer.

Stonehedge might be the perfect course for the beginner, because it offers something that no course in the county can really match. It maxes out at a little more than 2,000 yards, so it is very short, a beginner’s eye candy.

However, the nine holes still aggregate a par-34 course, with no beastly par-5s, another plus for a beginner. Simply put, no one bad shot is going to ruin any single hole at Stonehedge.

All in all, it’s a pretty fun course that won’t hurt your feelings. That’s the Stonehedge I grew up playing twice a summer, and I’m sad I won’t be revisiting soon, because 2014 has some exciting additions planned.

For starters, Jeff Olson is doing what he does best in carving a life-sized golfer out of a tree between holes seven and eight. If by then the round isn’t worth cheering for, applaud Jeff’s work of an old oak.

But that’s not even the most enticing addition to Stonehedge in 2014. GolfBoards, a new skateboard-like vehicle, will hit the Stonehedge fairways likely sometime in late June. For what the sport may lack in pace and excitement, Stonehedge is hoping to make up for with these rentable rides. It surely won’t seem traditional, but for a course that might traditionally get overlooked in Egg Harbor, why not?

The game of golf originated centuries ago, so new liveliness is never something to frown upon. Stonehedge might not be the best place for a quality player to post weekly scores for their handicap, but it might just be the perfect place — especially this summer — to pique the interest and fascination of a beginner.

So Mom, please stay interested. We breezed past hockey, so I think golf might be next.