THE CREEK AND THE GOLF COURSE

THE CREEK AND THE GOLF COURSE

By Wylie Dougherty

For the past 40+ years I have been a jogger/runner/walker for my health and to enjoy the wonders of nature.  Some folks wear headphones, others listen to music, but I prefer to enjoy the wonders of solitude and communing with Nature.  Nature communes well if you listen.

When we moved to Dewey, AZ, just east of Prescott, I found a hobby that I wasn’t really looking for.  The 16^th hole on the Quailwood Golf course crosses a creek, sometimes golfers try to help their clubs hit the ball over this 140 yard expanse and fail to reach the other side. Brings to mind a wisdom I heard many years ago—“don’t attempt to cross a chasm in 2 jumps”. 

Well the first day of walking along the creek, I found a half-dozen golf balls that just followed gravity down to the creek-bank.  The 17^th hole also had tee shots that needed to cross the creek, upstream from the 16^th, creating another trove of errant golf balls which began collecting in my garage.

Along the 17^th fairway, which paralleled the creek, there was a gnarly old dead tree with lots of interesting branches. During the first summer, a strong storm wind blew the old tree down.  As I walked past the tree many times, I marveled at the crooked branches and thought they would make fine walking sticks.  See what I mean about communing with nature.

 So I began the process of removing the many branches and began to enjoy the other accidental hobby which nature provided.  The tree turns out to be an Ash stuff they make bats out of.

Now here we are 2+ years, I have taken the branches and made some nice walking sticks for friends and family, and sold a few.  My Niece Kathy Montoya, in ABQ, who makes a living as a Graphic Designer, created an identity for me, along with some great graphics.  I am now “The Stickman”.

The golf-balls became a storage problem, so I contacted a guy in Prescott, who bought 400 balls from me.  Since then I have sold a total of 2100 balls, and created a little cash-flow for my other hobby, stick-making.  So my walks with nature has provided me with two new and unique hobbies.  Amazing what nature provides if you pay attention.

Couple of other things from nature.  Early this summer before the monsoons brought us needed rain I was walking along the creek along the 17^th fairway and noticed a different shadow across the creek.  This young coyote out for his morning hunt was tracking me in hopes of me scaring up some breakfast for him.

A few days later as I was stealing a drink of water at the 14^th tee, I saw a buck deer with two does crossing the creek looking for forage.  Two days later I saw a little herd , 8 deer, 2 bucks and 6 does, along the 12^th fairway  Because of our drought, the wildlife, deer, antelope as well as coyotes were hard pressed to find food and water.  The monsoon rains have greened the hills and the critters have gone back to their natural habitats.

Nature indeed pays us well.

Wylie Dougherty, CHS ‘53

Guest Writer