Myra Uren’s boyfriend convinced her to play golf with him one afternoon about five years ago.
She hated it.
She couldn’t play. She couldn’t hit a driver or a wedge or putt anything longer than five feet.
“Nothing went right,” Uren recalled. “I said I was going to quit. ‘I can’t do this. I quit right now.’”
She didn’t follow through on that threat.
“I kept at it,” Uren said. “I got to thinking that it’s OK to go out there for fun and pleasure. You don’t have to be Tiger Woods to have fun.”
Uren plays nine holes twice a week, usually at the Moccasin Bend course, which is perfect for the high-handicapper.
“It’s a stress-buster,” Uren said. “I just like to play golf for fun.”
Three years after threatening to give up the game, she had to — for a while. Uren underwent a double knee replacement two years ago.
She returned to her routine of 18 holes per week, but ankle surgery about a year ago pulled her from the links again — a third opportunity to find another hobby. She kept playing.
“It’s fun to play again,” Uren said. “I enjoy the leisure time. And I get exercise, too. I need it.”
There’s another reason not to quit.
David Uchiyama is a sports writer at the Chattanooga Times Free Press who began his tenure here in May 2001. His primary beats are UTC athletics — specifically men’s basketball and athletic department administration — and golf, which includes coverage from the PGA Tour to youth events. He also covers other high school sports, outdoor adventures, and contributes to other sections of the newspaper when necessary. David grew up in Salinas, Calif., and began working ...
Or login with:
New Account