It was an absolutely perfect day in Moultonboro, New Hampshire. The 70 degree weather and the soothing breeze made for a one of a kind experience on the course. I was 10 years old, and was still into things like cartoons and paper airplanes. During one of those cartoons, my dad told me that we had a tee time at 7 in the morning, tomorrow. Of course, I was not happy. Golf meant nothing to me, and appeared to be no more than hitting a ball and waiting. He promised that I would enjoy it if I just gave it a try, so I believed him. The alarm went off at 6 A.M., and I dragged myself out of the door and into the car. When we arrived, I must admit that the scenery struck me. The fog hovered motionless above the fairway, and the sun could be seen rising above the trees. When it was my turn to tee off, a bout of nervousness came over me. All of these adults were watching, probably wondering if a 10 year old could get the ball in the air. I swung as hard as I could, and looked up hoping to see the ball rising through the air. It was nowhere to be seen. My dad said “pick it up, there are people waiting”. Confused, I looked down to see that my ball did not get out of the tee box. It was embarrassing, but I picked it up, and moved on. Already frustrated, I asked dad, “can we go home, I hate golf”. We continued to the next hole, where it was more of the same. I hit it a little farther, but this time the ball did not go where I was aiming. After many unsuccessful attempts, I decided that I would just watch my dad, and try to learn. He could tell I was not happy, and this aggravated him. He told me “golf is more than just trying to get the best score. You can spend time with your friends and family, and take in the beauty that nature has to offer”. At that moment, I sat back and looked around. What was there possibly to be unhappy with? I tried tuning everything out, and listening to the peaceful sounds of wildlife. The birds were chirping and the frogs were croaking.  That, combined with the fresh air and splendid scenery, took my mind by storm. This was the place where I could truly be at peace. Nothing could possibly distract me when I was at the golf course. The next day, I wanted to go back… and the next day, and the next day. After going back so often to experience nature and genuine peace, I began to develop a pretty decent golf game as well. To this day, the course is the one place I go to get my mind off things. Golf is the best stress reliever and friendship creator that I have ever known. I will never be able to thank the sport enough for what it has allowed me to experience.