A completely new perspective

Not long time ago someone told me to be patient, and that the good things will come to whom who wait. Looking back on my life I can only agree on that. One week ago one of the residents here in Tai Wan village, Bruce, asked me if I would like to inherit a set of golf clubs he had in his house, as he couldn't bring them on the move when his was going to move house.
It was down at the village watering hole, and I was a bit skeptical about it, as I know myself, and knew that could just mean another obsession. I tried to avoid the theme and told him; "maybe, let's see".
But he wanted to know, as those clubs meant something to him and he wouldn't just throw then away. Then Ralf, my German friend around here, caught up with the conversation and as he understood what was going on, he just told Bruce, that of course I would take the clubs, and use them and he personally would teach me how. Then I was caught, and couldn't resist as I understood that those clubs had a history, and a value and that it was important to Bruce to give them to somebody who would have a pleasure of having them and also would use them.
Down at our watering hole, most visitors are in fact golfers, and often they've told me, that golfing is the natural retirement game for soccer players, and that they've all done it that way, and for them, golf is now like playing the decisive pass, or even score the most fantastic goal, and I for sure should go for it, as I'm getting to old for playing soccer.
I've always said nonsense to that, as I don't feel it that way -yet, and, for me, golf has always been like a game for older men, who could afford the tools (clubs) and the membership in a golf club, some where in the world.
This, of course, is my own ignorance, but before I came here to Hong Kong, I'v hardly ever known anybody of my friends or people in my envoirement, playing golf. Except of course my Scottish brother in law -Bryan in Aberdeen- but he is nearly a professional player, and as a Scot, he's kind of brought up playing golf, so I don't really count him in.
Though I have never thought that I was going to have a set of golf clubs, as that was never in my range, nor in my interest, to be honest. Suddenly I've got a set -even if it's an old one- but I were nearly denying accepting taking them, as I knew that this would only give me more headache, trying to do everything I want to do + now also have to find the time to play golf. How can I just fit all that in.
But last Sunday afternoon, I looked at the clubs standing there, alone and lonely looking, and I remembered how I felt as we just came here and I was desperately looking for a football team to join. "How long time has these clubs been standing in Bruce's house, without anyone using them for what they were made for, it's not their fault." I thought to myself. (Funny expression, I mean to whom else can one think)
Ralf was tho one who'd said to me: "Take the clubs, and call me when you want to go to the driving range, then I'll try to coach you".
Nice guy he is, Ralf, but I also think he likes to have someone with whom he can speak German. Anyway I called him to ask if it was possible and if he had time.
"I'll pick you up in 20 minutes".
I even forgot to ask about the dress code, for that matter, as I've heard something like that, and remember how Bryan always had a remark towards somebody on a golf course, dressed rather casual, or like me, in fact, when we passed one of the many courses in Scotland this summer.
" You certainly need other shoes." Ralf said, as I met him at the car park in our village, looking down at the flip flops on my feet; "other wise it is OK for the driving range". I felt happy about that.
2 minutes later I put MY set of golf clubs in the back of a car, for the first time in my life, and it was a strange and completely new feeling as I sat down in the passenger seat, and head toward a driving range with MY set of clubs.
"How many balls have we got?"
I needed to know, because I had none.
"Don;t you worry about that, there's plenty".
I still quite couldn't figure out what it meant; "going on the driving range".
If you've never seen or been on a driving range, then here a short explanation.
It is like a training field for golfers, where you just shot balls out in the nature, with the only purpose to train to hit them right and shoot them as far as possible, in a straight line. Only that in golf it is not called to "shot", it is called; to "drive". For the fee you pay to do so, you get as many balls you can "drive" in an hour or more, if you pay.
We went to the "Garden Farm driving range" a bit outside Ma On Shan. Here there is maybe 70 or more stands, from where golfers, just drive balls out on to an open field, for maybe 8 or 10 hours a day. At night a little tractor then drives around and hover them all up again, then they get washed, put into baskets and placed by every stand, ready to get "driven" out again the next day.
As we came at 3 PM, it already looked like the field was overgrown with thousands of white mushrooms. So here I were just to add more mushrooms to that field.
And so I did, or tried to, as in the beginning most of them just landed out side my stand, just a few meters away, and I could in fact have picked them up and try to hit them again, but why do that, when you've paid for just driving them as far out as possible, for others to collect. So I just grabbed another one in the basket in front of me, trying to hit them again, and to "drive" them towards the 150 yards mark, way out on the field.
Ralf was patient with me and told and showed me how to hold the club, how to place my feet and to keep the eye on the ball in the swing.
And I did the best I could to follow his advice, and once in a while I succeeded, and saw how the ball just took off in a straight line, far out on the field. And that was surprisingly fulfilling, so I just wanted another of those, and another and so on. I started to see and to understand the idea of a driving range.
After an hour and dozens of balls, we left the driving range, and on the way back I found my self involved in a conversation about golf, golf clubs, puts and such.
"But it will take some time before you should go on the course, we'll go to the driving range a lot more before that." Ralf kindly announced. I was quite happy about that, as I still don't know why i have so many different clubs in MY golf set.