Rich or Poor, you still can play

My alarm goes off at around eight thirty every summer morning. I wake up, reply back to the text messages that I got during the night and then I eat my breakfast. After that, you will find me at the golf course all day practicing and preparing for my upcoming tournaments. Im at the golf course from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with the same people everyday throughout the entire summer. It gets very expensive throughout the summer paying for lunch, golf balls, and new equipment. At the end of the year, I always think back and try to estimate how much money I have spent over the year.

I’ve been playing golf for about 6 years now. From the day I started I realized that this is one of the most difficult games to play, but it is also pricey. In the past 6 years I have improved drastically I am still improving daily. If you were to ask any person about how difficult golf is, everyone would say that its the hardest game to become good at. The only bad thing about it is the price. Golf is one of the most expensive sports to start playing when you are young. From playing in golfs tournaments, to just being a member at your local golf course it all adds up quickly. Not only that, you also have to buy clubs, apparel, tournaments, and food. There are many added costs to play the game and it starts to add up once you start to think about them.

When you hear the name golf, the reputation of the sport is for the rich and wealthy. Even though this is true, anyone can play it. Yes, if you want the most expensive clubs and desire to play the best courses, then you do need to be wealthy. All you really need is the basic equipment and your local course to start playing. If you are just a small time golfer and you go out to play golf once in a while with your friends you are looking at about 25 dollars to play 18 holes walking, but you can also add a cart in for an extra cost. “A full-length 18-hole courses charge anywhere from $25 to $150 or more.” (Chass) If you are a frequent golfer and you want to become a member of a club the cost can very. Im a member at The Orchards Golf Club in South Hadley, MA and for me its around 850 dollars per year. If you are an adult its around 3 thousand dollars a year. This is relatively cheap to become a member at a golf course. “Even though its cheep, 90% of my pay check goes towards golf and the Orchards.” (Bailly)

Apparel is paramount, and expensive. Every club has a dress code, so that means that you will have to go out and spend more money to be approved to play. Here are some men’s dress code guidelines at my club. “Shirts with collars and sleeves are required and to be tucked in at all times. Mock neck shirts are acceptable attire. Shorts are permitted, but must fall no higher than 4 inches above the bend in the back of the knee. Pants and shorts with elastic waist bands are not permitted, denim in any form is not permitted in the clubhouse or on the golf course. The definition of denim extends to pants, skirts, shorts, shirts or any article of clothing made from denim. Hats must be worn forward at all times.” (Orchards) If you are the type of golfer that is big into the game then you will most likely be looking at spending a little more money on a couple of things such as, golf shoes and golf gloves to enhance your golfing ability. Both of these items will improve your play, but cost more money. “Gloves, which stabilize a player's grip on the club, cost $5 to $25. Golf shoes reduce slipping and help maintain proper footwork, and typically cost between $50 and $200 per pair.” (Chass). Theres one other thing a club will always get you spending more money. Once your done playing golf, most people will go up to the club house to get drinks and maybe some food. I know that half my bill is from buying food and drinks. “ I spent $100 on just food last month, thats more money that i have to spend.” (Bailly)

The most important item that you must have is your equipment. If you have no equipment then there is no possible way to play golf. In each set of clubs you will need to buy the following, a set of irons, woods, wedges, and a putter. You will also need to purchase golf balls. Depending on the brand of clubs you buy, the price will vary. Irons can go from anywhere between $500 to $1500, woods will go in the range of $150 to $500, and wedges will go anywhere from $50 to $125. The last thing in the bag is the putter. They go anywhere between $100 to $300. Buying golf balls in a dozen go for $15 to $60 dollars. Basically, you are going to need to spend at least 800 dollars for a full set of clubs. Clubs do not last a life time so you will aways need to buy new ones every couple of years to keep updated with the technology.

Not only does golf cost a lot of money it also takes most of your day. During the day, you are also spending money to eat and drink. “Tiger Woods is the number one player in the world and he practices for 8 and a half hours everyday, waking up at 6am”(Haney). I will be going to play golf at a college next year on a golf scholarship. I’m going to have to mange my school time and practicing. I need to keep practicing everyday to keep the money from the scholarship to keep coming in. I must be at the course 6 days a week and have to be there for at least 3 hours a day, trying to improve my game. This is the way I will be paying for college and golf for the next 4 years. If I wasn't giving this opportunity. I would be spending much more money in the 4 years they I ever will before.

Having spent over $2500 for about 4 year’s now, I’ve realized the cost of golf is outrageous. Just spending money on new golf clubs. This is not a full set, maybe only spending about $500 in clubs. I always have to play $700 to be a member at my local club every year and I also spend about $600 dollars in tournaments. Food is the big killer in your bill. I could honesty say that i spend about $250 in food over the summer at the course. I usually will get new shorts and new polo’s for the season, also a new pair of golf shoes. Thats about 450 dollars in new apparel. The money that spend over the years is a lot of money. This year Im going to try to cut back on spending money on food and unnecessary items. It just takes writing an essay in English class to make me realize how much money I have spent over the past couple of years. This could be one reason why people think of golf as a rich mans sport.

3rd Quarter Outside Book Review

Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, 1818

Frankenstein is about a man who when to a university and study's chemistry and anatomy. He learns so much about this two areas to the point he can create scary humans. When the monster "Frankenstein" comes alive he scars the crap out of Victor, and Frankenstein runs away. Frankenstein starts to go around trying to find victor a little while later. Frankenstein comes in connection with some family members and a family friend. He kills victors friend and his sister. The setting in the book is Geneva in the Eighteenth century. I believe the conflict of the book is that Frankenstein wants to have a partner in life but he needs Victor to build him one. Victor refuses to make one and runs away. Frankenstein kills people because of his frustration.

Mary Shelly's writing style is different then what i usually read. She just writes in a different way then other authors. " A tingling long lost sense of pleasure often came across me during this journey. Some turn in the road, some new object suddenly perceived and recognized , reminded me of the days gone by, and were associated with the light-hearted gaiety of boyhood.

I had a good relationship with the book. I would say the theme is Dangerous. Ever thing in the book is very dangerous and i belie i am dangerous at times. So i really connected with the book in that way.

You never know who could be your friend

What is friendship? I believe friendship is something that you have with someone else. You could have known this person for a long time or a short period of time, but if you can trust the person and you know you can trust them with anything you tell them, then you have a friendship with this person. My friendship is based on a couple of things. Trust, honesty and loyalty are all things I believe you need in a good friendship. You could also help the person out of something and by doing that you start a friendship and you should be there when the person needs your help. I do think Jim and Long John sliver have a friendship.They might not slow it all the time but when they both needed each other, there true friendship came out. There are two many examples in the book that show there true friendship.

In the begging of the story Jim was sent out to find Long John Sliver at a bar to tell him that he has the job to be the cook for the ship. When they meet they started a great conversion and were interacting a lot. Both seemed to like each other and believed that they could start a friendship. Once Jim realized who Long John Sliver really is he look at him another way and Jim didn't believe that he could trust him anymore. Jim was getting very suspicious, so he hide in a apple barrel and lisined to Long John's conversion with his fellow piraites about how they are going to kill everyone and take the treasure for them selves. "from these dozen words I understood that the lives of all the honest men aboard depended upon me along" (65) This made jim not think of him as a friend but a enemy.

After Jim was captured by the pirates they brought him back to the stockade were they tied his hand and legs. All of the pirates were convinced in killing Jim but Long John sliver didn't think that they should. "Ive always liked you, I have, for a lad of spirit and the picter of my own self when i was a young and handsom" (180) When this happens Jim realizes what Long John Sliver has done for him and is very thankful. This made Jim think about the Captain and how he has a nice side inside him. Everyone thinks of a pirate as a bad person who wants treasure and will kill anyone that they need to.

At the end of the book when the good mates found the treasure in the cave they were very happy and just wanted to get it to the Hispaniola to state there voyage back to their home land. After the treasure was abored the ship they didn't know what to do with Long John Sliver. There plain at first was to bring him back to Bristol, England were he could go on trial for being a pirate. Then Jim was thinking about what Long John sliver did for him and that he could maybe be dead right now if it wasn't for him. So, Jim decided to let Long John Sliver sneak away so that he would have to go on trial and be hanged. "He had cut though a bulkhead unobserved and hand removed one of the sacks of coins, worth, perhapss, three or four hunderd guineas, to help him on his further wanderings" (222) Jim was thinking good thoughts about the captian and hoped he is living in good comfort. "perhaps still lives in comfort" (223)

Sometimes you will never think that this person could be your friend. If you can trust this person and you know they are being honest with you then the they could be your friends one day. You would never think that Jim and Captain Long John Sliver could become friends and have each others backs. This just shows you that you could make friends with someone you would never think of being fiends before

Eleven Seconds Reading Review

Eleven Seconds
Warner Books
Published 1998

In the book, Eleven seconds, Travis Roy's dream was to play college hockey at Boston University. Travis ended up going to BU and he started for the first game. Only eleven seconds into the game Travis got paralyzed from the neck down, by falling neck first into the boards

”I still love hockey. I’m not angry at the sport, I’m not angry at anything or anyone.”

Though out the book it shows more about Travis’s life and his family. His family never gave up on Travis. Even though Travis is paralyzed, his girl friend doesn’t leave him. She stays with him and helps him with what ever he needs. Just because Travis had a disability it never stopped him from his goals

“My Family is always, has been a source of strength for me.”

I really enjoyed reading about Travis’s life and what he had to go though. Nothing stopped him from doing what he wanted after his tragedy. I play hockey and this book has opened my eyes about safety and to never give up on your dream. No matter what you’re doing you could get hurt unexpected even if you think your safe.

Siddhartha come to America

It’s a Sunday morning, around 7am, I have to leave around 8 to go pick up Siddhartha at Bradley International Airport. When I arrived at the airport I wasn't really sure what to expect when ill first see him. I have only really talked to him a couple of times, so this could go bad or good. I wasn’t really sure of myself after I saw Siddhartha for the first time. The age difference between us was about 40 years. I was sitting at the gate waiting for him to wake though the doors. Once I saw him, I went up to him and introduced myself. We talked for a little bit before we got on the rode home. During the ride home i told him the plains for the day. I told him that I will be bringing him to two different locations. One will be a peaceful place. Which is a golf course, The Orchards Golf Club in South Hadley, MA. Where I grew up and played golf during my summers. The other place I will be bringing Siddhartha is Boston. We will be going to see a Boston Bruins game, where the crowd is loud and it’s much different then any other place he has been before. They will be playing their rivals, the Montreal Canadians. So this game will be played harder, and louder then just a regular season game. Siddhartha was very excited and interested at the same time.

The first place that I will be bringing Siddhartha to is my home golf course. The Orchards Golf Club in South Hadley, Massachusetts. The time of year is autumn, so the views are better then ever. Right when i get there Siddhartha takes a walk around the club house and tells me how much he loves the views of the course and mountains. Then I brought him out for a round of golf. On the first tee Siddhartha really didn't understand what to do, so I had to show him how to swing and the rules of the game in a matter of 5 minuets. Siddhartha didn't really enjoy it, because he was very good at it and didn't get the point to it. The things that he really did like was the sounds of nature, the birds singing and seeing squeals running around everywhere and how It was very peaceful being out there. Siddhartha liked how the soft close cut grass felt on his bare feet while he was walking down the fairways. During the round Siddhartha and I went into one of the fairways, and had lunch together. We talked for a while about how I grew playing this game and about both of are lives. Then he thought me how to meditate. We meditated for a little bit and then got back into finishing the round up. Once we where done he told me how much he enjoyed this time out her and would love to do it again. He also said that would love to try to get better at the game and improve and he also tell me how he Is looking forward to the next place I will be bring him.

We got picked up by a private helicopter and got brought to Boston. Siddhartha was very scared and worried during the whole ride because he has never been in something like this before. Once we landed IBoston, we had a little time to spare, so I took him around the area and showed Siddhartha the Boston harbor and Fenway Park before the game. When we got to the TD Bank North Garden for the hockey game Siddhartha was very interested in the game. So we sat down and had some drinks and watched the game. It was very loud once the game started. Siddhartha got into by yelling at the opposing team with the fans and was very much enjoying this. Siddhartha couldn't stay still. He was jumping up and down out of his seat In joy every time the action picked up. During the Second intermission, they picked a random seat In the arena to go out on the ice to shoot a put at the goalie. Siddhartha was the chosen one and was taken out on the ice to shoot the puck. when he got down there he stared around and didn't relies how many people were watching him, so he got very nervous. Siddhartha shout the puck and scored the crowd went crazy and he jumped up and down a waved to the crowed. When he got back to his seat he couldn't stop talking about how much fun he is having and loves this game. The game ended in a 4-3 Bruins victory, so everyone went home happy tonight. When we left the building Siddhartha was getting pretty upset that he was leaving and had to go home. So we got garbed a bite to eat. We had hamburgers and french fries and watching a little baseball on TV before the plane got here to pick him up. Once the plane got here. He gave me a huge and said goodbye and told me how much fun he had with me today and that how would love to come back and do the same thing with me.

After Siddhartha left, I was on my way home in a limo and I thought a lot about today and how much fun we had playing golf and going to Boston to watch the hockey game. Going to the Burins game was very much fun. Siddhartha had a Lot of fun today and I could tell he liked both so much. Siddhartha Is a Buddha and I no that he would much rather like to go out in nature and meditate and just be in that type of climate rather then the hockey game. He would like to go see a hockey game once in a while but overall I think going to the golf course, better suits Siddhartha overall.