As a rule, I like to plan ahead. Perhaps that is my German lineage at work, making sure schedules are organized. It also could be the kid in me who relishes the anticipation of a future trip or outing.
Whatever the rationale, I recently found myself arranging a fall visit to a new getaway south of Birmingham, Alabama, called Pursell Farms. And as I talked to my contact about golf on its Mike Hurdzan-Dana Fry course and rounds of sporting clays at its Orvis Shooting Grounds, to say nothing of the quail hunting, I smiled at the thought of indulging in three of my favorite pursuits in one place – and in only five months’ time.
That conversation also reminded me of how well golf, hunting and shooting go together.
A big part of that link is the camaraderie the sports engender. Conversations have a way of flowing freely as a foursome walks a golf course, and people can get pretty chatty when huddled in a duck blind or riding alongside each other on horseback as pointers quarter through fields of brown-blond grass in search of bobwhites. My mates and I can get pretty deep during those times, and pretty dirty as far as stories and jokes go. The abuse can be severe, too, when easy shots are missed, be they with 20 gauges or 9-irons. But hearty praise is invariably heaped upon those who double on a pair of shifty teal or stiff an approach.
All three activities involve swinging of a sort, and warming up with a round of trap before a bird hunt is similar to going to the driving range before a game of golf. You can also work with a good instructor in each one in an effort to get better.
Much as with golf, I enjoy the deft and different ways most sporting-clay courses are laid out and how they test one’s skills. And all three are outdoor endeavors that provide those who engage in them some exercise as well as a way to connect more completely with nature.
Like golfers, hunters and shooters can go on streaks so hot if feels as if they will never miss again. But they can just as easily become mired in terrific slumps.
Oh, and you can bet a bit in any of those activities if you feel so inclined.
I love my golf. But I am just as passionate about shooting and bird hunting. And I truly am a man in full when I am able to indulge in all three.
I don’t mean to rush summer. But October cannot get here fast enough.
John Steinbreder
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