When I think of golf, I think of my dad. As bizarre as it may sound, one of my earliest memories is of getting thumped in the chest by one of dad’s stray shots and having the wind knocked out of me. I was only four, and I was very lucky it wasn’t my head or my eye that took the hit.

Like most traumatic events, everything happened in slow motion. My dad and my uncle waving frantically for me to get out of the way. Tiny, four-year-old me looking up and trying to see the where the ball was. Getting a sudden, hard whack on my ribcage and crying my eyes out till the pain went away. Being rushed home in the car and hearing my mother give dad the what-for on the wisdom of having your child out on a golf course in the first place.

This may or may not be the reason why I never took up golf. But then again, it was the Seventies – and Chris Evert was every young girl’s sports hero, with her perky white skirts and celebrity line of tennis rackets. And yes, for all you Gen Xers out there, those tennis rackets were made out of wood. So tennis – not golf – became my sport of choice.

When dad retired, he played golf about four days a week at a private club on Miami Beach. One night at dinner, he told us that Dolphins Coach Don Shula had given him a pat on the butt (macho, football-guy style) after he’d made a particularly nice shot. Of course, dad was star-struck and joked about how he might not wash that particular “cheek” ever again.

Dad shared a locker at the golf club with the famous jockey Eddie Arcaro, who was the only jockey to ride two Triple Crown champions (Whirlaway and Citation), and who was, according to my father, “One heck of a nice guy.” Both my dad and Mr. Arcaro were from Ohio, and had a lot to talk about between rounds.

Flash forward to 2008 and Miami is still a golfer’s paradise. Still the reason so many folks schedule “important business trips” in the middle of winter. The allure of playing a few rounds while the rest of the country is knee-deep in snow will keep Miami forever on the golf map. There are more than 50 private and public courses in Greater Miami, including Doral’s famed Blue Monster, Crandon Park with its stunning skyline view, and the elegant Biltmore course. These courses are what golf dreams are made of.

One of the loveliest public courses in the country is Miami Beach Golf Club, which uses an environmentally friendly grass strain – Seashore Paspalum - that can be nourished by seawater or reclaimed water. Jackie Gleason and Arnold Palmer played here, along with present day celebs like Matt Damon, former Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino and President Bill Clinton.

Glitzy golf resorts are one of Miami’s biggest attractions. You wake up in a room with a view and head right out to the greens. At these resorts, non-duffers like myself definitely don’t suffer. We can pamper ourselves with spa treatments, laze on the beach, dine at gourmet restaurants and generally have a fabulous time being a golf widow or widower. If miniature golf is your thing - or you need a place to wear out the kids - check out Glow Golf at Dolphin Mall. This indoor, glow-in-the-dark 18-hole miniature golf course welcomes all ages -- and you don’t have to worry about the weather. Miami also offers several good golf camps during the summer months. Miami Dade Parks Summer Camps runs a Golf Camp for kids ages ages 7 to17, with one-week sessions (full- or half-day) available from June 5 to August 4.

Tip: If you have an unexpected layover in Miami, you can get in a quick round of golf by staying at the Wyndham Miami Airport, which is just a quarter mile from the airport terminal. If you’re planning a trip here, Tee Times USA (1-800-374-8633) offers advanced golf times as well as assistance with golf package vacations.

Whatever your handicap, there are plenty of places where you can get out on the links with friends, enjoy a cool breeze and a cool drink -- and come up with a good excuse why you can’t make it to the office on Monday.

UPCOMING GOLF EVENTS:

17th Annual H.O.T. Challenge Golf Tournament
May 9, 2008
Doral Golf Resort & Spa
4400 NW 87th Ave.
Miami, FL 33178
This annual tournament raises money for the Visitor Industry Council, which provides scholarships to students of African descent committed to working in the local visitor industry upon graduation.

Zo’s Summer Groove
July 9 - 13, 2008
Doral Golf Resort & Spa
4400 NW 87th Ave.
Miami, FL 33178
Join Miami HEAT star Alonzo Mourning and friends for a day of golfing fun. Highlights include a buffet breakfast, food and drinks throughout the course, contests, goodie bags and a post-event awards ceremony. Visit http://www.zsg.com for exact dates of golf event.

Miccosukee Championship
October 2008
This tournament is part of the PGA Tour. For ticket information, call (888) 939-GOLF.

World Golf Championships - CA Championship at Doral
March 18 - 23, 2008
Annual PGA tournament brings the best golfers in the world to Miami for a star-studded competition.

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