Our friend Judy Penz Sheluk joins us today to share the passion that inspired A Hole in One, the latest addition to her terrific Glass Dolphin Mystery series. This may be the sportiest post we Chicks have ever shared!
Golf is the closest game to the game we call life. You get bad breaks from good shots; you get good breaks from bad shots, but you have to play the ball where it lies. Bobby Jones, founder/designer of the Augusta National Golf Club, and co-founder of The Masters.
I love that quote by Bobby Jones, because not only is it true, you can learn a lot about a person from the way they play the game. I’m not talking about whether they’re highly skilled or complete duffers, I’m talking about how they handle the trouble they get into—because as any golfer will tell you, even the best golfers can and will make a bad shot. Do they cheat when they find their ball under the tree and surreptitiously kick it out thinking no one will notice? Do they take an extra stroke without complaint for an “unplayable lie,” or do they, as I have been known to do, hunker down under that tree, pitching wedge firmly in hand, branches digging into my back, anything to avoid that extra stroke, but never cheating.
I took up golf around the same time as I took up creative writing, and while I like to think that I’ve considerably honed my writing skills over the years, my golf game has improved only modestly. That said, I’m the sort of golfer anyone will golf with: I’m good enough to play with a low handicap golfer without annoying them, but bad enough that I won’t intimidate someone who has a long way to go before achieving “mediocre.”
Since I live north of Toronto, Canada, where I jokingly say we have two seasons (Winter and July), our season is all too short, starting in early May and usually ending by mid October. This is just as well, at least as far as my writing career is concerned.
I’m passionate about the game, live in a golf course community, belong to two ladies leagues, and participate in the occasional “Best Ball” tournament (for those unfamiliar with the term, each foursome plays as a team, taking the best hit ball to move forward). If there’s a charitable component to the tournament, I can almost feel sanctimonious.
Since all of my stories are culled from some aspect of my life and then wildly embellished, it stood to reason that one of my books would eventually involve golf. Enter A HOLE IN ONE, the second book in my Glass Dolphin Mystery series. Here’s a bit about it:
Hoping to promote the Glass Dolphin antiques shop, co-owners Arabella Carpenter and Emily Garland agree to sponsor a hole in one contest at a charity golf tournament. The publicity turns out to be anything but positive, however, when Arabella’s errant tee shot lands in the woods next to a corpse.
They soon learn that the victim is closely related to Arabella’s ex-husband, who had been acting as the Course Marshal. With means, opportunity, and more than enough motive, he soon becomes the police department’s prime suspect, leaving Arabella and Emily determined to clear his name—even if they’re not entirely convinced of his innocence.
Dogged by incriminating online posts from an anonymous blogger, they track down leads from Emily’s ex-fiancé (and the woman he left Emily for), an Elvis impersonator, and a retired antiques mall vendor with a secret of her own.
All trails lead to a mysterious cult that may have something to do with the murder. Can Arabella and Emily identify the killer before the murderer comes after them?
A HOLE IN ONE is available in trade paperback and all eBook formats. Find it at all the usual suspects or directly from Barking Rain Press. https://barkingrainpress.org/a-hole-in-one/#1473022241950-de2dbbf6-9e98
About the author: Judy Penz Sheluk is the author of two mystery series: The Glass Dolphin Mysteries and the Marketville Mysteries. Her short crime fiction appears in several collections. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, the Short Mystery Fiction Society, and Crime Writers of Canada, where she currently serves on the Board of Directors as the Regional Representative for Toronto/Southern Ontario. Find Judy on her website/blog at www.judypenzsheluk.com, where she interviews and showcases the works of other authors and blogs about the writing life.
Readers, is there a sport that inspires you? Tell us about it!
Chicks on the Case 
Judy, I didn’t think it was possible but you interested me in playing golf! Well done. And also, loved the book.
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I have a set of golf clubs in my garage that I haven’t touched in over 15 years. I played a little in high school and enjoyed it, although I was happy if I got 72…on 9 holes. Still, I wouldn’t mind getting out there again some day.
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Mark, dust off those clubs and get to the practice range!
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Dude! You got the equipment. Use it! No more stalling!
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Thanks for having me on Chicks, Ellen and for your kind review of the book — and you live in LA. You could golf year round!!
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Thanks for stopping by, Judy! I haven’t given much thought t golfing myself but you’re making me want to take it up!
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It’s fun, but expensive and time consuming!
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My wife loves watching golf, she says, because of the feeling of schadenfreude she gets watching golfers she dislikes blow their shots.
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Yes, that can be quite rewarding. Even if you like a golfer, it’s good to know that they can have a bad shot/game/day too!
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Thanks for visiting the Chicks today, Judy, and congrats on the release of A Hole in One! Never tried golf, but was captain of my volleyball team in junior high. (We won just one match all season. The other team didn’t show up!)
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I always ducked when the ball came at me in volleyball!
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And I actually broke a finger playing volleyball in grade school. (They told us we should loosen up our hands when the ball approached, but…)
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My son loved the idea of playing golf. Then he tried it. It was a lot harder than he thought it would be.
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Yes it’s a humbling game. Then again, so is writing!
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I may possibly be the world’s worst MINI-golfer. But I’ve always wanted to play real golf. My skating coach tried to teach me the proper grip way back when, but I was so much more comfortable with the totally-wrong one I made up. Guess I’ll have to stick to skating, but I do like to write with golf murmurs, claps, and whoops on the TV as background. I also have been known to frequent the deck at the golf club bar. Congrats on the new book, Judy!!!! Can’t wait to read it.
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I may be able to beat you for title of worst mini-golfer! I just cannot mini golf. Thanks for the good wishes.
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I got you beat as the #1 worst player at miniature golf. I got everyone beat. How the heck do you get bloody knees playing? Just ask yours truly, Miss Klutz!
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How fun! I am 100% sure I would be terrible at golf. (I’m tempted to make a “different strokes for different folks” joke here — ha ha.)
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I’ve heard worse Marla
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Thanks so much for visiting us, Judy! Great post. Congrats on your golfing and writing successes!
I’m a terrible golfer, but I love going to the driving range with my kids in the summer. They’re much better than I am. It’s a blast.
(However, I’m not as terrible at mini-golf, so that’s something.)
ps: “we have two seasons (Winter and July)” = ha!
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Cynthia, learning young is the key! Your kids are lucky!
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Thank you for this. I will have to remember this quote. I don’t golf because of allergies. Last time I went golfing, ended up in the hospital getting steroids to live, with a bee sting in my neck.
But the quote reminds me of Caddyshack. Anyone old enough to remember that movie? Rodney was the best! And Chevy saying “Be the ball. Nana nana nana nana nana.”
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You know, I’ve never seen Caddyshack. Tin Cup, many times (love that movie) but never Caddyshack.
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