........................ the grasshopper!

.

Hello, my name is "Nellie" and I am a grasshopper. Over the years, I have had the pleasure of hanging out with some really neat golf pros. I did this by traveling with golf pro Larry Nelson. Now please don't ask Larry about me. He doesn't even know that he has a grasshopper hanging out with him, or using his nickname. You see, I travel with him in his golf bag. I manage to stay out of his way, so he doesn't know I am there.

I just happen to love watching the game of golf and seeing him hitting that ball!

I don't know how young I was when I got hooked on the sport, but I sure did get hooked. It was a great day!

There I was, minding my own business chewing on some grass, when I saw this white thing whiz past me. Then another one came along and almost hit me. It was so close that I felt its impact as it hit the ground, only inches from my head. How close? Close enough that I could see the imprint on the ball. Next thing I knew, there were all these people around me and I had to do some fast hopping to get out of their way. I was trying to watch where they were stepping, but there were so many feet that I finally had to hop upon to what I later learned was a golf cart. Maybe it was the TV people talking about Larry Nelson and the ball that nearly slammed me, or perhaps it was that everything got really quiet as he stood over the ball. WHAM, Larry sent the ball flying! Of course, I had to see where the ball went, so I stayed on the cart and went along for the ride. Next thing I knew, I had watched all 18 holes, my first game of golf. What an exciting tournament it was! Larry kept that ball flying and won the U. S. Open! Now here I am, many years later, being asked to tell you all what I have seen. Chelsea the stork, knowing how I travel along with Larry, asked me if I'd like to share some of my stories with you children. Imagine that, they are going to print what I write. Isn't that amazing? Who would have thought that I, a little grasshopper, would grow up to become a reporter, and just because I enjoy a sport.

Do you think you are too young to learn how to play golf?

Do you think that you are too young to learn to swing a club?

Do you think that you are too young to go out on the golf course with your parents, or maybe grandma or grandpa?

Once upon a time, golf was seen as a sport for grown men only. Boy, has that changed!

A kid, not much bigger than a grasshopper himself, came along and showed everybody how wrong that kind of thinking was. I remember seeing him one afternoon on a TV show.  Everyone got to see this little boy – tiny Tiger Woods – swinging a golf club.

He showed everybody, didn't he? Now he is all grown up, and everybody knows who Tiger Woods is, don't they? That boy made a point of showing everyone that golf is a family affair. So don't hesitate to get out on the greens with mom, dad, and especially grandma or grandpa—it makes for great memories. You know, I bet they would love it if you joined them! Why not ask them?

Team sports are lots of fun and good for you, but golf is my favorite sport.

Even when there is no one to play with, you can go into your back yard and practice putting. Just remember the back yard is not a driving range!

You can send in your questions about golf to me and I would be so happy to answer them. I am going to share some memories, too. I saw so much in my travels that I started a journal. Good thing I did too, with Chelsea asking me now to write for Chelsea's Beacon -- wow! I love to write don't you? Someday I will tell you how it was that I learned how to write. Believe it or not, I went to school, but that's another story for another day.

One other thing before I close, I would love to hear about your golfing stories. I will share some of what I have seen during my travels with Mr. Nelson. Tell me how you got interested in golf, what you like about golf, and send pictures. I love pictures! Sometimes if I can get to it, I read the sports section of newspapers. I think it is great to learn how someone has accomplished something, but I love it most when I discover that a young person has set a goal, worked to reach it, and succeeded, don't you?

You want to know what I look like? Well, what do you think? Sadly, there are no pictures of me, so why not send in your drawings. Next issue, I will ask Harry the owl to print the one that looks the most like me. Remember, though, I am a grasshopper and not a cricket. I am the grasshopper who wears a golf hat! Yes, I have one, and that is another story that I will share with you later!

Cheers,

"Nellie" the grasshopper!