One warm afternoon, Mary stood on the practice green, lining up her putt. She liked how quiet golf could be—just her, the ball, and the course. But today, something felt… lonely.
Nearby, a boy with curly hair was trying to chip his ball onto the green. It kept rolling too far or not far enough. He sighed and kicked at the grass.
Mary watched for a moment, then took a small breath. “You could try aiming a little left,” she called.
The boy looked up, surprised. “Really?”
Mary nodded.
He adjusted his feet, took a gentle swing, and *plop!*—the ball bounced onto the green.
“I’m Bennett,” he said, smiling. “Want to practice together?”
They set up two balls side by side and took turns putting toward the hole. When Mary missed, Bennett gave her a thumbs-up. “Almost there!”
When Bennett’s ball rolled too far, Mary said, “Try again, but a little softer.”
They played like that—giving tips, cheering each other on, and laughing when their balls bumped into each other instead of the hole.
By the time the sun dipped low, they’d both made their best shots of the day.
“Not bad,” said Bennett, wiping his hands on his shorts.
“Not bad at all,” Mary agreed.
Grandpa called from the clubhouse. “Time to head home, Mary.”
Mary picked up her ball but paused. “Do you want to play again tomorrow?”
Bennett grinned. “Only if we’re on the same team.”
Mary smiled wide. Golf, she realized, wasn’t just about playing your best—it was about helping each other get better, one shot at a time.