The Front Row with JASON ELLIOTT May 21, 2011

There's a good chance I'll never be that great at golf.

No matter what the conditions are, sunny or a complete rainstorm - my scores aren't going to compare to those put up this week by some of the high school competitors during the state tournaments in the Treasure Valley.

IN TALKING to some high school golf coaches - scores on Tuesday, the final day of tournaments throughout the state - some were pleased with their results while others were just happy to be finished with the playing conditions.

After playing a round Sunday at Shoshone Golf Course, I can feel your pain.

Last weekend, temperatures approached the mid-80s, making it nearly impossible to think of anything else but golfing on a couple days off.

Without incident, the first three holes were about what they usually wind up being - a couple shots into the woods and find myself looking at a long afternoon on the course.

But at least the sun was out long enough to keep me happy for the first 45 minutes of the round.

As I was lining up to hit a tee shot off the fourth hole, it began to rain. The next two hours didn't help either.

For what seemed like hours, my shots got worse, the ball stopped bouncing, and at one point thought I was just a few inches from being hit by lightning.

AS LUCK had it, I wasn't, though I still believe that flash wasn't a camera going off.

Around the sixth hole, which overlooks the course from the clubhouse and down the valley into Osburn, it made me do some thinking.

To be an athlete during the spring, especially golf, you've really got to love the sport to play in North Idaho.

Between the rainouts, postponements and cold weather early in the season, it takes a ton of patience to play spring sports.

In the three hours that I spent on the course that day, it amazes me just how good players can perform under what have been poor conditions.

Even looking at an 11th place finisher shooting a two-day total of 151, that could have blown my score out of the water, had I actually kept track.

Now that the prep season is winding down, it seems fitting that the weather is finally improving.

And while the scores may not have been exactly what anyone was expecting, neither was the entire spring sports season.

If nothing else, each player should be proud of their accomplishments.

At least they finished it, because that didn't seem likely two weeks ago.

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d'Alene Press. He can be reached via telephone at 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or by email at [email protected].