My wife approached with an inspiring grin on her face. “Now that I am retired, I am hoping we could share a tee time soon.”

Startled, my only response was an enthusiastic “Sure!” I remembered she does have a pink golf bag stuffed with a complete set of irons and woods adorned with pink headcovers. Still, this was the first time she had even hinted at wanting to join me for a round of golf.

Her face now displayed not only a glowing smile but a pleading look as she added, “I think we could do it daily!”

Now dazed beyond words, I managed to squeak out a brief but energetic reply, “Wow, OK!” All the while thanking the “golf gods” that I had somehow married the woman of my fairway dreams.

Before I could say anything else, she opined, “I just thought a tee time would allow us to talk and spend some quality time together.”

I just smiled; my mind was already racing with the idea of daily golf. I wonder if she defines quality time as drives that stay in the fairway, hitting the green in regulation, and averaging less than two putts a hole? And talking? Sure, no problem, honey, just don’t talk during my backswing. When I grip-it, you need to zip-it.

Before I could verbally articulate those very thoughts, she again spoke up. “I am thinking that the best time for a tee time is around 3:30 pm. Is that ok with you?”

She must have seen the bewildered look on my face. She knows I prefer an early tee time, especially in the summer. Noticing my confused stare, she quickly added, “Do you like yours with milk and honey?”

“Say what?”

“Milk and honey. When I lived in England, our traditional tea time was late afternoon, and always with milk and honey. Doesn’t that sound wonderful?”

Fearing my face looked as if I had just whiffed my drive off the tee, I promptly made a subtle pivot. Finally grasping the true meaning of her words, and realizing I could still play 18 and easily be home for “tea time,” I responded with what I hoped was an appropriate degree of enthusiasm, “Yes dear, 3:30 pm will work for me.”

Was that a muffled chuckle I heard as I watched her put on the tea kettle? Looking back at me with an impish grin, she confessed, “I guess I should have yelled FORE, before starting this conversation!”