OB Sports Golf & Leisure

Joe Passov NATIONAL GOLF WRITER M y best buddy on any bud- dies trip was my dad, Eddie. Sadly, he hit his final shot this past November. Apparently he had just found a bunker at Se- dona Golf Resort's ninth hole and before he could play his recovery shot, his heart gave out. Pop was a part-time starter and ranger at Se- dona, and in the aftermath, my family and I were comforted at the outpouring of support and gen- erosity from the Sedona Golf Re- sort staff, led by General Manager Jeremy Hayman, and by all the golfers who had come to call my dad "friend." A plaque honoring Eddie Passov now resides in a tree by the ninth fairway, courtesy of the Sedona folks. I love the sound of a purely struck shot. I love the fist bump that accompanies something that went right for you and your partner. I love the long, late-afternoon shadows that flicker across the turf. But what I love most about golf is the people. Eddie Passov OB SPORTS GOLF & LEISURE ❘ WINTER 2017 ❘ obsports.com ● FROM THE GALLERY John Ashworth CLOTHING DESIGNER W hen I was 8 years old I was given a choice: A) Go to Sunday School, or B) Go caddie for my father in his regular dawn patrol foursome. From then on I was all in. That early introduction embedded the virtues of this amazing game in my soul. Ever since that first spin around the track, I was hooked – even though I'm sure my dad probably carried me more than I was pulling his pull cart. I love pretty much everything about the game, but in particular being outdoors, the walk on earth between shots, judging a two-club wind, the texture and smell of fresh- mowed greens, the solid strike of a persimmon wood, and a holed 30-foot putt. Golf is truthful and forever humbling, you may think you have it and then you don't. The process takes role call of all your senses and then some. It is the great escape from the fast-paced rat race we live in. It's mental, physical and spiritual all at once. I love it.

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