At the club I used to work at there was an aging group of players. In their time, they WERE the club. Now they are group of close friends whose better golf days are behind them. They’ve moved up a tee or 2. They rarely play from a bad lie and the friendship circle around the hole is ever expanding.

One day a gentleman who is part of the group asked me to put a new grip on his putter. We grabbed a few and he selected the one he thought was best. He disappeared up to the bar and I told him I’d run it up to him when I finished.

Now every single time I’ve ever put a new grip on someone’s club and handed that club to them, the first thing they do is grip the club like they’re going to play a shot. It’s only natural.

Not this time though.

I handed the putter to him and without hesitation he tested his “raking” stroke. You know, when you miss a three-footer, reach across the hole and either rake it back to yourself or rake it right in the hole.

A smiled crested his face as he said it was perfect.

We laughed. It still makes me smile.