Breaking 80

Day 47 without playing golf

Have you ever broken 80? Do you remember the first time? It's a huge and very satisfying milestone for many golfers.

I was reminded of this milestone when I stumbled upon a Web site promising to help golfers break 80. The headline reads, "Discover the simple and easy secrets to drop 7 to 10 strokes from your next round of golf instantly ... legally ... and without even trying!"

Yeah, right.

Anyway, if you have broken 80, you probably remember the first time and some of the details of your round.

I first broke 80 when I was 12 at a nine-hole course named Desert Aire in Palmdale, California. After several near misses, I had a big breakthrough -- a round of 75.

Those were the carefree days of youth when I played golf all summer long. Now I'd be happy to tee it up more than a couple times a year.

The Armchair Golfer