OWEN HEMSATH
PRIDE STAFF WRITER

The golf course may not be the first place a college student turns to for hot summer fun, but an afternoon at the green could turn out to be the best decision you make this summer.

Filled with fresh grass, clear water ponds, ducks and funny shoes, golf courses in San Marcos offer a great and relaxing way to enjoy the summer sun without exhausting your wallet or your patience. Golf courses typically offer beverage services with products ranging from a classic Coke to bitter brews, and carry all the excitement and fun associated with an afternoon around friends minus the crowds and the costs.

Golfing also provides its participants with a variety of sporting options, and courses in the North County area typically offer accommodations for beginners. For example, while 18 holes may be a bit much for newbie (as this may take three to four hours of play time), playing the front or “back 9” holes could be an awesome way to spend some time with good friends in good conversation and practice that swing you’ve been meaning to improve. No clubs — no worries. Golf courses offer rental clubs for daily use or individual clubs for purchase in case you’d like to build up your set, and most courses offer drink services along the way. Tee times can range from $20 to $40 depending on your course and cart.

If a round is not your thing, try the putting greens. Like a mini-golf course without the 2-year olds (or the windmillshey, you can’t have it all) the putting greens allow a slower pace for practicing putts while still providing the same sunlight and bar service you have come to expect from a golf course. While the greens only require a putter and don’t cost a thing, it’s wise to respect the tranquil environment known of sport while in this arena. If chatter and laughs are more your game the perhaps the driving range could be your thing.

The driving range is a place where you can release the stress of finals without any concern for property. Golf courses provide hundreds of square yards of grass (and sometimes water) where you can whack those golf balls as hard as you want. There are even times when a man drives through the field in a protected vehicle to collect the various golf balls — pretend he’s a teacher or an unruly student or that seriously tough exam and do your worst. The driving range is a great place to release some energy, practice your swing, and chat with some friends. Plus, it’s not to far from the drink service and a small bucket of balls can cost anywhere from $4 to $6.

So don’t knock it before you try it. Golfing could be the unlikely hero of your next outing with friends. Try something new, and get out to the greens this summer. If you don’t have the balls, you can buy some there.

Photos courtesy of Wikipedia