I have only golfed a handful of times. I don’t like golfing, but Sunday, when my friend invited me to hit the links, I jumped at the chance to get out in nature.

The Woodlands Course at Whittaker in New Buffalo, Michigan, opened in 1996. The course is great for all levels of golfers, including scrubs like me. It offers five tee placements and measures 7,000 yards from the tips and 5,000 yards from the front tees. It is a 72-par course, and I came close to 72; unfortunately, that was for the first nine holes.

The course and The Poor Captain’s House restaurant pay homage to Wessel Whittaker, the first pioneer to settle the New Buffalo area. In 1834 Whittaker’s ship ran aground during a storm and he fell in love with the area. Whittaker named it after his hometown of Buffalo, New York.

This day wasn’t about golf for me. I was happy to be outside doing something with someone. The golf course is a perfect place to enjoy nature, get exercise and also still maintain social distancing. It was a step back to normalcy. It left me refreshed with a new hope.

On the drive back home, I felt better than I had in a while. I started thinking about the eventual return to other things, like travel, sports and concerts. Even though I still don’t actually like golfing, this was probably the best golf day I ever had.

— John Wroblewski, online writer