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When I was 17, my dad took me out to the country club and taught me the finer points of golf. I remember the day was lovely and the surroundings beautiful. By the time we carried our clubs to the ninth hole, I was ready to call it quits. I craved a faster, more active game.

The first time I played tennis I was 9 years old and in summer camp. I loved the game, but didn't take it very seriously. Actually, I never took anything very seriously. As a master of nothing in particular, my life was filled with learning a little bit of everything.

Never having been driven by a parent's ambition, I ending up being a happy, fairly well-adjusted kid with an optimistic disposition who knew very little. It took 30-odd years for me to "find myself."

But my life as a putterer, no pun intended, has been good. My easy, laid-back upbringing wasn't such a bad thing. Perfecting one particular sport or study might have made my life very different, but not necessarily happier.

Somehow, childhood loves manage to hang on to you no matter what happens in your life. So even after a lifetime of stopping and starting the game of tennis, I still truly love it. I like the speed and the demands it makes on my body and mind. Of course I'll never be a Chris Evert or Monica Seles — certainly not at my age and in my condition. But that doesn't spoil the game for me. I may not be able to play like a teenager or even a 40-year-old, but I'm game to try and keep enjoying what I can do.

Tennis is a wonderful sport. When played correctly, it uses all of a person's motor skills as well as their brains. It's an eye-hand, no-contact sport that's a challenge to the player.

It's also a terrific social sport. No matter where I've lived over the years, the first place I've found my friends has been on the tennis courts. Tennis players are a friendly bunch and always looking for someone to play with.

Tennis is a game of mistakes. The one who makes the most flubs loses and many times it's not because he or she isn't the better player. Mistakes are made on the court just like in life. If the player doesn't focus on the ball, he or she won't be able to return the ball across the court. Players have to keep alert and moving, ready for anything. Whereas golf is an all-day sport, tennis is for those busy folk with limited free time.

Tennis is a polite game. There are always those unfriendly souls to whom winning is all. But for the most part, tennis, as a social game, treats both partners and opponents kindly. Egos and temperament are usually stowed before the play begins. In a game of doubles it's easy to get upset when your partner kills a perfect return and loses the game. But well-mannered social players know how to keep their cool.

The keys to a good game of tennis are two phrases, "nice try" to your partner when he misses and, "great shot" to your opponents when they hit a winning shot. How many marriages would be happier with the use of those two tiny phrases?

Tennis is a game of love. The more mistakes you make, the more love you get. For those who don't know tennis, love is equal to zero in the scoring.

Whether you win or lose, you are left at least feeling loved. Tennis buddies enjoy sitting down after a workout on the court and going over each individual play. There's a lot of patting on the back for those whose game has improved. Tennis players are a gracious and a generous bunch. I wholly recommend this sport for those who like to sweat and yet meet neat people.