There’s nothing quite like the bond between a father and son, especially when shared over a round of golf. Recently, my son Daegen, my Dad, a buddy of mine, and I spent a beautiful day on the golf course together. Sometimes, this “mean old Dad” insists that Daegen hangs out with me, hoping that when he’s 50 years old, he’ll look back and realize how special these moments are. My hope is that he will cherish these times and pass on the tradition of spending quality time with loved ones to his own kids.

That particular day was picture-perfect. The sun was shining brilliantly, the sky was a stunning blue adorned with puffy white clouds, making it an ideal day for golf. However, like any teenager, Daegen was a bit grumpy. If you’ve raised kids, you know how teenage emotions can be prone to fluctuations.  A funny quote I heard one time, “Teenagers possess a unique ability to transform from sunshine to storm clouds faster than a weather app can update.”  But there’s one surefire way to turn a teenager’s mood around: food, especially the kind filled with sugar. So, I struck a deal with Daegen. I told him, “If you say, ‘I’m excited to be here!’ three times throughout our golf game, I’ll treat you to that amazing chocolate-filled ice cream dessert you’ve been eyeing.” The promise of a delicious reward on a warm summer day was too tempting to resist.

After the first hole, Daegen made a fantastic putt for par. As we got back into the golf cart, I coached him a little, suggesting that would have been the perfect opportunity to say, “Excited to be here.” With a look of astonishment, he agreed, “You are right, that would have been a perfect time.” On the very next hole, Daegen faced a tricky putt. The ball snaked over two ridges with a significant side hill to the right, but he made the putt for par. I was so happy for him. “Fantastic putt, son!” I exclaimed. He looked up at me with a grin and said, “I am just excited to be here.” We both burst out laughing. Our playing partners probably thought we were a bit silly.