day and night .

The difference in my work environment from the day to the night is astounding. We're talking about the difference between night and day, literally and figuratively! Let me elaborate.


0600 hours.

The club is open. The gates are open. Yet there are still no lights on except for the ones the caddymaster turned on on his way down the hall to his office. The outdoor maintenance crew is hard at work, but the clubhouse doesn't hold any noise except for the hum of the tons of a/c units and internal systems. But this peace doesn't last long. By 6:30, there are golfers beginning to arrive, and as the sun begins its daily climb into the sky, here we are, opening the building, unlocking, cleaning windows, sweeping patios, etc. etc. The peace of the morning is rapidly running out.

By 10am, the dining room is open, the kitchen is bustling, and the clubhouse is crawling with golfers, guests, visitors, prospective members, and the usual 9-5 staff. This part of the day is the toughest. No peace, no relaxation, and you have to listen to all kinds of bitching and complaining all day. It escapes me why people can't just go to work, do their job, and keep their dumb fuckin' mouth shut. I decided at the beginning of this year that I was just going to keep quiet, do my job, and not really complain about everything. I think that you'll never really have the perfect job; there will always be issues and things that you don't like or people you work with that you don't like. If you do have that, congratulations, you've scored incredibly big in the game of life.

But by 6 or 7pm, the day has begun to wind down. All of the serious golfers and clubrats have begun to leave, unless they're eating dinner. The evening golfers show up, but they're never too much trouble. Eventually the midday staff heads home and the night screw begins rolling in bit by bit. By that time, the whole upstairs level is quiet, unless there is a banquet planned for that night. The middle level prepares for dinner, and there are usually some people in the bar having a drink or a post-game meal. The pool is only open for a little bit longer, so their last guests are trickling out. And as the sun begins to set in the west, the day is finally beginning to cool off.

By 9pm, the clubhouse is emptying out and the carts are being finished up and parked away. The only people left are the dining staff, anyone eating dinner, and the receptionist. By this time, the club environment is back to this serene feeling. Walking out to the dumpster with a bag of trash is actually a nice thing to do at the end of the day. The walk down the delivery road allows you to hear the quiet peace outside the clubhouse, with perhaps a hint of the music and clang of dishes from the clubhouse. Leaving the parking lot, the rich blue sky has covered you and your drive is lined by a pleasant path of lights along the entrance road. And when you see the lit gates, you know that finally, you're home free, to go and relax, and not only that, but a good night's sleep.