Lessons From the Father

Father’s Day is bearing down on me as I prepare this column. I have been mulling over how the fathers in my life will be recognized. Should it be a gift of dinner, a DVD, a book, or the usual tie or dress shirt?   

No matter the gift it is never is enough for the role our fathers play in our lives. Their leadership, their wisdom, their ability to kick you in the tail when you need it while also being there for you when you are at your lowest, and of course, their cheers and support when you are at your best as you are striving to reach your goals.

The importance of fathers and father figures cannot be denied.

Golf is also on my mind a lot these days. Perhaps it’s because Dear Husband and Dear Son are spending so much time together on the links. I’m not complaining. I enjoy the quiet time at home, and they enjoy the time together, but golf abounds on my television, in conversations swirling around me, and then there is that subtle reminder when I get into Dear Husband’s truck and see his bag of clubs filling their assigned position in the back seat. Let’s just say I’m glad our children are grown, and we don’t require the child safety seat anymore because I’m not sure which would win the battle for the coveted spot at this point.

Mix golf and Father’s Day and you might think of the much publicized relationship between Tiger Woods and his father. Depending on your point of view, Earl Woods was either a fantastic mentor for his son or a typical stage parent pushing, pushing, and pushing a bit more to get his child where he thought he needed to be. However, it can’t be denied that Tiger was a prodigy since he exhibited talent at such an early age. Golf was his destiny, and Earl Woods made sure Tiger had every opportunity.

There’s another father-child relationship this Father’s Day I’d like to share with you that is also golf-related, and, of course, it involves Douglas County. 

Ever hear of Lithia Springs Golf Club? It was located on the property at the corner of Bankhead Highway and Thornton Road close to the Lithia Springs Mineral Water Co.–the same property where a shopping center, gas station and fast-food establishment are today.

The first tee was actually behind the water company, and my research indicates the course was laid out in a circle with one of the holes on the other side of Bankhead Highway.

The course was built in 1932 by concessionaire Rell Jackson Spiller, the same man who spent $250,000 to build a concrete-and-steel baseball park to replace the wooden one that had burnt down where the Atlanta Crackers played along Ponce de Leon Avenue.

THANK YOU for visiting “Every Now and Then” and reading the first few paragraphs of “Lessons From the Father“ which is now one of the 140 chapters in my book “Every Now and Then: The Amazing Tales of Douglas County, Volume I”. 

Visit the Amazon link by clicking the book cover below where you can explore the table of contents and read a few pages of the book…plus make a purchase if you choose!