A Quiet Morning with Golf and a Deer

The time of day when morning dew still lingers on the fairway.
The swaying of the cart heading to the first hole felt strangely comfortable.

“I hope I get a good score today.”
That murmur was absorbed into the cool, crisp air.

When we arrived at the teeing area, there was already a visitor.
A single deer, slowly chewing on the grass.
It must have noticed us, yet it neither ran away nor acted threatened.
It simply looked at us with eyes that seemed to accept us golfers as its “quiet companions.”

The moment I took out my driver, the deer suddenly lifted its head.
Its dark, clear eyes stared straight at me.
Its expression was so gentle that words spilled out before I could stop them.

“Good morning. Take care of me today, too.”

The deer didn't answer, of course, but
after a beat, it gave a small nod, as if it had understood.

When I took a deep breath before my swing,
my shoulders were more relaxed than usual.
In that moment, sharing the air with just a deer—not with people or equipment—in the heart of nature,
I felt as if all the unnecessary impatience had simply vanished somewhere.

As I took my shot, the white trajectory melted into the quiet morning.
Perhaps it was just my imagination, but that shot felt more honest than usual.

Then, the deer began to walk slowly, moving as if to follow the path of the ball.
It felt as though it were sending me off with a “go on then,”
and an indescribable warmth lit up deep inside my chest.

Golf isn't just a sport for competing for scores.
The scent of the wind blowing through the fairway.
The angle of the morning sun falling on the green.
And these miraculous moments where you can encounter nature and wildlife like this.

A round of golf isn't just about the “good days” being special.
Like this encounter with the deer today,
the moments when your heart suddenly becomes still—
I think it's the accumulation of those moments
that brings us back to the golf course again and again.

As we left the hole, the deer looked back at us just once.
As if it were saying, “Come back again.”

Watching it walk away,
I felt deeply that it's because of mornings like this that I love golf.