I bowl twice a week. Two leagues. Two different nights.

I know. It’s a bit of a throwback. But Glen (our assistant pro here at Ewa Beach Golf Club) and I decided to try it a couple years ago, and now we’re hooked.

It does not cost as much as golf in Hawaii. A $200 bowling ball compared to a $1,500 set of clubs. $17 lane fees compared to $55 green fees. But the peripherals add up. Put $20 in the doubles pot. Buy $15 worth of beer. More if you keep getting strike framed by your team.

What I’m trying to say is that it’s an expense. One that when I stop to think about it, could probably be sacrificed to save up for a trip or a new suit. Every so often that thought does cross my mind as I withdraw my weekly $60 before heading off to the alley.

Sometimes I wonder if it’s worth it to invest so much time and money into a hobby that I don’t plan on getting particularly extraordinary at. I certainly don’t plan on going pro. And even though there are some bets to be won, it’s usually just enough to bowl for free for the next couple of weeks.

Then I arrive at the alley.

I high five all my teammates, heckle my friend for her ratty pair of bowling shoes, and pool some money together to buy the first pitcher. During bowling I flip flop between cursing my poor form and talking about how the Rams are going to take the NFC West this year. I play with friends’ babies and get suckered into group shots. By the end of the night, I’m usually congratulating someone else for winning the doubles pot and getting invited to a BBQ that weekend.

And as I drive home, I feel pretty good about the expense for the experience.

Comradery. Stress relief. A plan for improvement “the next time.” All of it makes for a pretty satisfying time despite the frustrations of expenditures and seemingly random spells of skill regression despite throwing at least six games a week.

Sound familiar?

I often get asked by non-golfers how much it is to golf. When I fill them in on how much my set costs, the price for a decent dozen of golf balls, and what green fees are at these days, they’re almost always taken aback.

“Wow,” most say. The crasser go with “people actually pay that?”

Well yes. We do.

Is it because we understand that technology and course maintenance takes a tremendous effort? Sure.

Is it because we’re addicted to the pain of the game? Maybe.

Is it because the experience is worth it? Yes.

Golf, particularly Hawaii golf, is and has long been more than just a game. Getting the little white ball in the infuriatingly tiny hole is only part of a “day of golf.” It’s chatting with the Pro Shop staff about Tiger’s latest round. It’s heckling your friends when they miss 3 foot putt. It’s the beers owed to you after the round, and the pupus that must go with. Business, heart-to-hearts, new jokes. They’re all taken care of in the loose framework that is playing a round of golf, and it’s what keeps many of us coming back.

In the price-conscious stress that is life in Hawaii, many of us still find golf to be a worth-while investment of our time and money. That’s simply because it is. Has golf gotten a little pricy over the last few years? Sure. Even as a golf course employee I cannot deny that fact. But the stories and smiles that walk through our Pro Shop doors on a daily basis reassure me that this wonderful game is still worth the price.

I hope you all feel the same. Otherwise, if you’re focused on the sacrifice, you may be missing out on the experience.

As that old saying goes that I hear many times during my shift: a bad day at golf is better than a good day at work.

P.S. Having to hear that at work while I watch others tee off? I can attest. Yup. It’s absolutely true.