Sports Commentary

Anyone who has played this game for any time, realizes that distance is a big factor.

When life throws you a curveball out of the blue it can be more than tough to not only relearn how to survive, but to find a new way to thrive, a new meaning, different kinds of enjoyable challenges around the hardships that have to be dealt with on a daily basis.

I heard the distinct buzz of a rattlesnake as I slowly made my way up Grapevine Creek recently. I instinctively stopped.

Our youth have suffered a lot during these few past years with lockdowns, zoom classrooms, cancelled sports and social activities, etc. The setbacks they have endured can be life-changing but luckily there is golf.

Most of us avid tennis players kind of “lucked” into the game. My parents put my brother and I into a 4 week clinic taught by local tennis volunteers who were good enough to take the time to do such, and 50 plus years later I’m still at it, reaping the benefits of this special life-long sport.

“Hiking” the Maricopa Trail in sections amounts to covering over 450 miles. I began on Nov. 11 and finished April 3.

May I be frank with you? Or Wayne, or Connie or Bob? Seriously, we all have an ego. You would love to hit that little golf ball farther than you do. Admit it – you want more distance, as you think it will help you lower your score.

The question for many in Prescott regarding tennis might be, why does Yavapai College have a tennis facility when it doesn’t even have a tennis team? And that’s a pretty fair question.

There are any number of ways to save money while continuing to hike. With the price of fuel on the rise, my strategy focuses on hiking nearer to home. Therefore, Fain Park, with Fain Lake in Prescott Valley and the trail to the ancient Fitzmaurice Pueblo is on my radar.

This week’s column deals with the Masters Invitational. It is not a PGA Tour event but is a true invitational, hosted by the members of Augusta National. It is unique and Augusta National is a hallowed place that is revered by all – golfers and non-golfers. Here are a few fun facts and quotes to add to your enjoyment as you watch the final round today.

Billie Jean King, one of the most iconic female athlete’s the world has known to date, has recently published her autobiography, called “All In” and to me it’s a “must read.”

The end is in sight. My progress on the Maricopa Trail to date is just over 200 miles or 86% of the innermost loop of this urban trail system.

By now, most of you think I am a little different. Sorry to disappoint you, but I am very different, not a little! For instance, some have asked me where did I grow up? I honestly reply, “I haven’t yet!”

There’s nothing like a road trip to the BNP Masters tournament at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

Hiking north on the Black Canyon Trail from the New River Trailhead with a couple of Friends from Spring Valley Library, we searched for spring wildflowers.

The short answer is “no”. The swing will be different in feel than the way it really is, or actually looks.

So where are we today in Prescott with the game of tennis, what are the pluses and minuses of where we’ve been and where we hope to take the future of the game, the sport, the history of it all and in our own neck of the woods?

Last time I gave some examples where hiking and biking complemented one another to complete a single route that would have been much more time consuming, hence unlikely to complete by only hiking.

We will discuss getting the most out of the days when we cannot go to the golf course or practice facility. In the winter, even if it is cold outside or the course is closed, you can develop better mechanics and improve your golf game.

It’s back to almost normal business for the March 7 to 20, 2022 BNP Paribas Open Masters Tennis Tournament held in Indian Wells, CA and at the IW’s Tennis Garden site for the 22nd year.

What a great idea, hiking the Tonto Trail in the Grand Canyon from the South Bass Trail to the New Hance Trail.

The little things in life become more and more aware to you as you grow into the later years of life, the journey, the people, the carrots that spur you on when it would be so easy to say, “Why go to all that effort, time and expense for something that has a good chance of not going in your favor”?

Happy Valentine’s Day tomorrow! A gift such as a nice dinner, roses, candy, perfume, jewelry, vacuum cleaner (just kidding) – all are to show your love for another.

The news that Sunday’s Super Bowl could be Al Michael’s last with NBC has prompted reflection on the 77-year-old announcer’s career. Few memories, however, go back as far as the early 1960s, when Michaels was an Arizona State student.

We recently discussed what we might hear on a hike. That got me thinking about what I see on the trail these days. Hearing requires listening.