Yet again, I have to scramble to get myself together in time for final exams as they are right around the corner. It seems like it happens every single year. It just creeps up on me. But before you know it, the semester will be over, and for the lucky ones, school will be out for summer. Unfortunately, summer classes do exist, and while they’re not the best way to spend your summer, they can be a good way to earn some extra credits.

However, the rest of us will be using summer to waste our time away on the beach. No, I’m not talking about Grand Haven, I’m talking about the sand trap at the Meadows Golf Course.

There is no better way to spend your free time than on the golf course. Not only is golf a lifetime sport, but it is a great way to enjoy good friends and simply be outside. Somewhat unluckily, I grew up with a lefty baseball swing, essentially meaning that I could borrow nobody’s golf clubs. I’m the only lefty hitter in my family, I know, strange.

Seeing that I was more interested in fast-paced sports at the time, the inability to golf never really bothered me. Moreover, the only time I was exposed to golf was when my old man flipped it on the TV for a few minutes. But even that was boring. The older I got, I realized it was time to turn in the basketball sneakers for the golf spikes. I just can’t keep up with those young guns anymore.

This is where I began to realize why golf is such a big draw to people. All you do is hang out the entire time. For the amount of time you’re on the course you’re actually only ‘playing’ for about 10 percent of it. Most of the time you’re just driving a cart around, looking where you think you might have sliced your drive. Heck you’re hardly even on your feet.

I must say, the main reason I decided to play golf was for the fashion. Loud? Good. Louder? Even better. It’s basically an entire different realm of fashion and it is a thousand times better than your average, everyday wardrobe. Now, I hate dressing up just as much as the next person, but this is entirely different. Matching, color coordination, everything you knew about dressing yourself all goes out the window. Bags, shoes, hats, they are still relevant, but instead of Michael Kors and Yves Saint Laurent, it’s Titleist and Callaway.

While golf may seem intimidating at first, that’s only because it is. There are a lot of unwritten rules, it can be expensive if you let it and there is quite the learning curve when you first step on the course. Now, I’m not going to sit here and teach you how to swing, because not only am I a terrible teacher, I also can’t swing myself. However, I do not get flustered.

As I said previously, I am simply out to have a good time, enjoy my friends and maybe sink a long putt or two. What’s even better is that there is ample opportunity to play out here, as one of the best courses in the area is right next to campus.

So hit long, hit straight, stay out of the water and have fun while you are out there.