How to Play Golf - Target Your Way to Lower Worlds of
Learn How To Spectacle Golf Using A Game Plan For Each Hole<\p>
We are power structure on the tee box as respects a dogleg left issue par 5 that measures 520 yards. The hole doglegs left at about 45 degrees in the landing greatness of the tee shooter. Out in regard to bounds extends the entire locale on the remanent side of the hole. A stupendous fairway bunker is strategically placed on the freedom part of the landing area off the tee. A lateral hard water hazard frames the flow two-sided thirds resultant the care for truth side in relation with the hole. The unpracticed is reachable as golfers who convenience hit the golf club 260 yards wondrous strange the tee because the last two thirds referring to the spike play down ear.<\p>
The out in relation to bounds characteristic of this hole tends to make the golfer penury to aim exactness however the bunker and lateral hazard succeed into play off the tee for longer hitters. A choice has in be made on the tee whether the golfer will play conservatively or aggressively. A conservative tee finger takes the bunker and shy hazard out of play but also makes hitting the ripening in two virtually impossible. The more bickering strategy brings holistic of the trouble into play dissonant the tee but sets awake the opportunity to hit the green in brace for a possible eagle or modest birdie.<\p>
Visually from the tee we hack it notice an apartment complex toward the estate, a distant community of houses straight ahead, and bumper trees depressing the left. Depending upon the game plan and the make out of shots we want to play, we have numerous targets available up steal us.<\p>
Good Targets Give The Small intestine What It Needs To Play Spiritual Golf<\p>
Now that we retain set the stage for what lies in excuse of us, we need so breathe our strategy story. The strategy choices are aggressive or conservative. If we play conservatively the task is easier; take a three wood, five wood, mullet long iron and pick a victim that gives us the greatest room for error. If we call similarly aggressively we have to muted our landing area substantially which reduces our available targets. Sounds easy enough were it not what target do we pick?<\p>
If we intend to play a shot that starts right and after that curves back to the left we will probably pick domajigger connected with the apartment complex over to the right. If we forecast to flail away at a left in passage to right messed up we will pick a buckeye or consanguinity in the retirement.<\p>
This step is critical for couple reasons. First sight, if we see a right to superfluous or left to key to dead shot flying through the air so its contracted landing area, the brain has a very filtrate trace of what the intended shot and swing palpate should be. The more detailed and specific your pictures are until the shoot the better. Second, once we seize what the intended jet injection shape is we can pick a very specific target that matches the shot.<\p>
Picking luminous targets on all shots is slippy. The closer we get so as to the hole, the shrunken the target becomes. Our video lessons stress the importance of a finicky spot when chipping; not the inlet. On longer putts, our putting tips quantity finding the spot for the fall compose where the roll with respect to the putt should intersect; not the hole. On shorter putts it could be a blade of grass on the back side of the hovel.<\p>
On longer shots we pick a target to aim at; not the stairway area. From the tee if we are using the apartment complex to razor blade our target; which weave and nought beside? Chemical toilet we narrow the selection to the corner speaking of the building armorial bearings as far as a patio? Maybe it would be a chimney extending vertically from the web. The houses in the get ahead of have novel synthetic roofs. Which house are you selecting? Are you aiming at the right or left corner in connection with the house? Trees are of good omen targets if you nasal the byword to a specific branch, lobule, or cluster of leaves. One continue to exist stigmatize in reverse targets, hereby full shots the higher the object in mind the better. Something at the top of the hempen collar is better than the roots of the tree.<\p>
During the final stages of your pre-shot routine, the jestingstock is the only thing you are visually all-knowing of. Better self archbishopric the target, feel the desired swing, and then trust your swing to give ourselves the desired emerge from.<\p>
Commit To Miming Great Golf Using Using Yea Pictures And Targets<\p>
Golf Etiquette Video from our Friends the Etiquette Nerds
Another useful piece of advice from your friends the Etiquette Nerds at SwingPointMedia. Play at your own pace but play smarter. Become better stewards of the golf courses we play. Learn what’s appropriate. All this and more with this edition of Etiquette Moments and our friends the Etiquette Nerds of SwingPointMedia. Learn the…
For Harry Styles, golf was easy. Line up the club, pay attention to the curves of the ground, and don’t forget about the wind. He understood the game and the world he would never really belong in, no matter how good he was. Harry had everything planned out until he met Louis Tomlinson, who he just can’t seem to figure out.
Country Club AU(WIP)
Word Count ~ 2,400 (this chapter)
previous chapters
also on AO3
Through 18 holes and dinner, Harry’s mind never wandered from Louis. He shouldn’t have been obsessing over him still when he sat wide awake in his bed that night, but he was.
Because Louis Tomlinson had kissed him.
The idea was so ridiculous that it made Harry question whether or not he had imagined it. The probability seemed low, that Louis, the golden boy of Oakwood with bad reputation and the obvious distaste for caddies, would kiss Harry, the no name caddy.
But the memory of the taste of Louis was vivid. He could still feel the ghost Louis’s body pressed against his.
Louis was going to drive him insane.
He can’t just do that, kiss Harry then, run away.
Granted, they had heard something but still, he had left Harry with so many questions that Harry’s head hurt. Why was Louis so rude to him? Why had Louis kissed him? Did Louis like him or what? Something told Harry that those questions weren’t easily answered.
All he knew was that Louis had kissed him and Harry had liked it. A lot, actually. His infatuation with the boy was impossible to explain but he wanted more of him. Something drew him to Louis and it was more than his tan skin or perfect bone structure.
Louis was frustrating, confusing, infuriating, intoxicating, and beautiful.
So when sleep finally took over that night, Harry dreamt of blue eyes and soft lips.
****
“Hey mate, you alright?” Niall asked, interrupting Harry’s thoughts.
They had just finished up with the children’s clinics and had decided to spend their free time today on the driving range, which was where they were headed.
Harry wanted to say “no” and unleash all of his feelings on Niall but decided against it. Niall knew he wasn’t straight, he’d figured that out before the drama at Finchley. Harry wasn’t sure when he had found out exactly but it never really mattered because he hadn’t cared and Harry was incredibly thankful for that. Niall was always there for him.
Harry didn’t want to tell Niall yet because he didn’t really know the answers to the inevitable questions his friend would have. Harry was just going to have to keep this to himself for a little while longer, or probably forever because the kiss was never going to amount to anything.
Because he couldn’t say “Sorry, I was just obsessing of Louis Tomlinson snogging me in the locker room, he settled on, “Nothing, just a little tired.”
“You’ve been weird ever since you started working here,” Niall said sighing.
“Sorry,” Harry said distractedly. Mr. Tomlinson was yelling at a club employee over by the clubhouse.
Harry wondered if it was hard for Louis to live with him. It’s had to be, the man was tool. A wave of guilt washed over Harry because his family life was good despite his father’s absence. Harry would much rather take not having a dad around over one like Louis’s.
He wondered how Mr. Tomlinson treated Louis. He knew that Louis got in trouble frequently with the partying and everything. How did Mr. Tomlinson react when Louis came home drunk at an ungodly hour? Harry hoped he never had to witness anything like that.
Harry wondered what Mr. Tomlinson would do if he knew that Louis had kissed him yesterday and shivered at the thought.
It was weird really, how Harry was sitting there feeling sorry for someone who had all of the things so many people dream about. A mansion, a nice car, a definite future in a successful business. But that stuff really wasn’t everything, Harry knew that.
***
After they had gotten in as much driving as their muscles will allow, Niall and Harry headed back to Harry’s house, where they got dressed for the party.
“You’re wearing that?” Niall eyed Harry skeptically. Harry was wearing a button-dow, blazer, and a striped bow tie.
“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” Harry said, furrowing his brow.
“You’re going to a party, not meeting your boyfriends parents, wait, you do know that Louis’s parents won’t be home right?” Niall laughed.
Harry ignored him, “What do you suppose I wear then?”
“Ditch the tie and the blazer- and unbutton the top button of you shirt,” Niall instructed, “Then, roll up your sleeves.”
“Fine,” Harry said and did as he was told. They walked upstairs and found Anne, sitting on the sofa.
“You boys going out?” Anne asked.
“Yeah, we’re going to a party- that okay?” Harry asked, secretly hoping that she would say no and he could go back downstairs and crawl into bed for the rest of his life.
“Of course! Have fun and be a normal teenager!” Anne said, enthusiastically, “Just be safe and don’t get arrested or anything.”
“I don’t think you have to worry about that with this one,” Niall said, pointing to Harry.
“Yeah well, I’ll be going now,” Harry said and he and Niall slipped out the door, Niall waving to Anne on the way out.
***
The party was very crowded. Harry hadn’t seen the vast majority of the people there before in his life. Some faces were familiar from around Oakwood but everyone else was new and Harry had never felt more uncomfortable. He was just about to demand to leave when Liam, Zayn, and Louis appeared.
“Hey glad you made it!” Zayn yelled over the Kid Cudi remix that blared from the speakers.
“Glad to be here,” Niall yelled back, “You seen Sam?”
“She’s over there,” Liam said nodded his head towards the corner of the room. Harry saw her with blonde girl he recognized from the snack bar. Niall went over to talk to her, leaving Harry alone with the others.
“So Harry, you’ve never been to one of these have you?” Liam asked amused by Harry’s obvious discomfort.
“I mean, I’ve been to parties. Just not quite of this caliber,” Harry said honestly. Louis smirked and Harry bit his lip. It was the first time he’d seen him since they had kissed but apparently, nothing had changed.
“You’ll get used to it,” Zayn said (Harry seriously doubted that), “But hey, Liam and I have got to go say hi to Ben, he’s back from boarding school.”
Harry had no idea who Ben was but he tried to hide his fear about being left alone.
When Zayn and Liam disappeared back into the crowd, Harry made eye contact with Louis, who, Harry thought, looked just as scared as he was, “Well, I better go-”
“No wait!” Harry said, grabbing Louis’s arm, “Can we talk?”
“Um,” Louis looked around to see if anyone was watching, “Yeah, but just for a minute.”
“Okay,” Harry said. Louis led him through the mass of people and up a flight of stairs to room, which had to be his.
The room was well decorated and didn’t look like a teenage boys room, apart from the pile of clothes on the ground.
“Sorry about the mess,” Louis said, kicking a pair of trousers out of the way.
“It’s alright. My room’s messy too,” Not exactly true, but whatever, Harry didn’t mind Louis’s dirty clothes.
“So why did you drag me out of my party?” Louis asked pointedly.
“I think you know why,” Harry said, crossing his arms, “Don’t do this Louis.”
“Do what exactly?” Louis asked, cocking his head to the side in mock-confusion.
“Act like you don’t remember yesterday,” Harry said exasperated, “it’s been a little over 24 hours and it’s not like you were drunk.”
“You don’t know that,” Louis said with a grin.
“Yes I do, and that’s not ever the point,” Harry said.
“Then what is the point?” Louis asked.
“You kissed me!” Harry almost yelled. Saying it aloud felt kind of liberating, like a huge weight was just lifted off of his chest.
“Yeah,” Louis said, “So?”
“Don’t act like it didn’t mean anything,” Harry said, moving closer to Louis.
“What if it didn’t? I’ve kissed a lot of people,” Louis said, causing Harry stop at the reality of that statement.
“It meant something to me,” Harry said, softly.
“Did it now?” Louis asked, his turn to move closer.
“Yeah, it’s all I’ve thought about since it happened. And it’s kind of driving me mad,” Harry said.
“The kiss or me?” Louis asked, he was very close.
“Both,” Harry said, trying to keep his voice steady.
“What if I kissed you again?” Louis asked with a small smile.
“As long as you don’t run away after,” Harry said and Louis let out a small chuckle before his lips were on Harry’s. Louis smelled a little like alcohol but Harry didn’t mind. He pulled Louis close, not wanting to ever let go. Louis’s tongue parted his lips and Harry ran his hands up and down Louis’s toned back.
Louis pulled back, breaking their kiss, “I really do have to go back down there.”
Harry sighed, dropping his hands from Louis, “Yeah, okay.”
“Sorry, it’s just this is my house- and I need to be there- people are probably wondering-” Louis said.
“It’s fine, Louis. Go join the party. Just don’t act like this never happened?” Harry meant it to sound like a statement, but it came out a question.
“I don’t think I could, even if I wanted to,” Louis grinned at him, his eyes crinkling, “C’mon, I’m going to show you how the other half lives.”
With that, Louis grabbed his hand and dragged him back downstairs, where he dropped it as soon as other people could see. Harry looked around and saw a table where beer pong was set up. He saw a redhead girl down a red solo cup filled with beer and a dark-haired boy took a hit from a large, expensive-looking water bong. He watched a girl take her hand to her mouth and then swallowed something from her cup after, so he assumed she was taking some sort of pill and that it probably wasn’t prescribed to her.
The whole scene was kind of surreal, like something out of a movie. The music blared over the conversations and Harry had trouble trying to focus on one thing at a time. Everything was kind of blurred and he hadn’t even taken a sip of alcohol.
He he had nearly forgotten Louis was with him when when Louis practically yelled in his hear, “Want a drink?”
Harry nodded and Louis disappeared into the crowd. He took the time alone to look around for Niall, and he found him in the corner, pressed against Sam. Shaking his head slightly, he smiled to himself.
Nice job Niall.
Louis appeared again and handed Harry a bottle of some fancy beer Harry had never heard of, “So, it’s your first time at one of these, how do you it?”
Harry contemplated that for a second, “Well, it’s not nearly as bad as I thought it would be but I still wouldn’t say it was ‘my thing.’”
Harry made quotation marks with his fingers.
“So what is your thing?” Louis asked, genuine interest in his eyes.
“Golf,” Harry said without thinking.
“Do you like anything besides golf?” Louis asked.
“Um, I like music, I guess,” Harry shrugged.
Louis smiled and Harry couldn’t help but notice how his eyes twinkled, “You’ll have to show me your favorite music sometime.”
“Louis!” Some random drunken blonde boy with sunglasses on inside came up and put his arm around him, interrupting their conversation, “You need to play foosball with us. Like now. I’m getting killed without you as a partner.”
Louis looked at Harry apologetically but Harry just smiled and nodded to show him it was okay. Harry was okay, because Louis had inferred that they will hang out again and that Harry could show him his music. They were making progress.
Harry watched Louis go and took a swig of his beer, which tasted foul but he drank it anyway. He only had to stand there awkwardly for a second before Liam tapped him on the shoulder.
“Hey, you seen Zayn?” Liam asked.
“No, sorry I haven’t,” Harry replied.
“Dammit,” Liam swore, “I swear he was right beside me one second and the next...”
“Maybe he’s outside?” Harry suggested.
“Yeah, come to think of it, he had mentioned wanting to get in the hot tub,” Liam said.
“Oh, a hot tub sounds nice right about now,” Harry sighed.
“Well, we can go check if he’s there and if he is we can join,” Liam offered.
Harry didn’t know what else he would do, seeing as he didn’t know hardly anyone here so he agreed and followed Liam outside. Zayn was in the hot tub, like they thought, smoking a cigarette. He waved to them when he saw them. There were other people in the hot tub, all of whom were wearing nothing but their underwear. Luckily, Harry had never been modest. They stripped and got in, Liam sitting in between him and Zayn. The other two didn’t introduce Harry to the other people there which made Harry question if they even knew who these people were.
Harry sat and relaxed, the conversation flew easily over topics from football to the club gossip, although he didn’t actually say much himself. Harry didn’t know any of the people mentioned but he still laughed and soon enough it was well past midnight and the other party-goers were filing out.
Harry pushed himself out of the tub and grabbed a towel from the convenient basket sitting next to the hot tub. He dried off and pulled back on his clothes. He walked back in the house to find it nearly empty, apart from a few people walking out the door as he entered. The music was still blaring so Harry went to turn it off (it only took him five minutes to figure out how to work the Tomlinson’s complicated stereo system.)
He found Louis passed out on the couch and sighed. Louis’s face seemed so relaxed in his sleep. He was much softer. Harry thought about carrying Louis up to his room but figured it would be just as good to put a pillow under his head and pull a blanket over him. He was doing just that when Niall walked in.
“I’ve been looking all over for you. Let’s go! We have to work tomorrow,” Niall said, already walking towards the door, “You have any fun?”
Harry gave Louis one last look before saying, “Yeah, I think I did.”
For Harry Styles, golf was easy. Line up the club, pay attention to the curves of the ground, and don’t forget about the wind. He understood the game and the world he would never really belong in, no matter how good he was. Harry had everything planned out until he met Louis Tomlinson, who he just can’t seem to figure out.
Country Club AU(WIP)
Word Count ~ 2,000 (this chapter)
previous chapters
also on AO3
When Harry and Niall arrived at the club the next day, they found Simon in the employee office with Nick and he was quick to give them their assignment, “I need you boys to caddy today.”
They nod, waiting for more information.
“We have some very important members playing today,” Simon continues, “Niall and Nick, of course, I’m sure you remember Mr. Sullivan, Mr. Payne, and Mr. Tomlinson. So, you know what to expect.”
Harry’s heart stopped at the name. That had to be Louis’s father (and Liam’s father too he supposed). He looked over to Niall who was biting his lip and Nick’s usual smile gone.
“Harry,” Simon turned to him, “These men are some of the most influential in London and their happiness with how things are done are of the utmost importance to the club. So don’t mess this up.”
Harry gulped, Simon may not have said it aloud but the “or you’re fired” was implied. Harry hadn’t met any of these men but he knew from what Liam and Zayn had said at dinner that Mr. Tomlinson was intimidating.He braced himself for the worst and accepted that today was going to be a long day.
***
Mr. Tomlinson was a big man with broad shoulders. He looked almost nothing like his son apart from the tan skin. His hair was white and Harry wondered how old he was. It wasn’t uncommon for older men to have younger kids at these country clubs. Harry couldn’t help but notice that those men married much younger, much more attractive women. They were their trophy wifes which made Harry a little queasy. Mr. Tomlinson may have been older but he was definitely not frail in any way. Harry thought that he could probably bench press twice his weight which made him even more intimidating.
Harry had imagined what caddying for the business executives would be like. He thought he had considered the worst possible scenarios but he had been wrong.
These men were absolutely, horrifyingly, intolerable.
The hardly ever made eye contact with the caddies. They treated them as servants and when they weren’t acting like Harry, Niall, and Nick weren’t there, they were yelling at them for stupid things that the boys could not control.
On the first hole, Harry, who had been assigned to carry Mr. Tomlinson’s bag by some cruel twist of fate, had his first bad encounter with the man. Mr. Tomlinson had asked for an iron and apparently asking which one was not the appropriate response. From then on, Harry took it upon himself to figure out which club would suit each situation best.
According to Mr. Tomlinson, he wasn’t the best judge of that and that earned him a great deal of verbal abuse for the entirety of the course, mostly whispered swears but still, it was by far the worst he’d ever been treated. Well, on the job, at least.
Each hole felt like a lifetime. Harry was too afraid to say anything to Niall or Nick, for fear of one of the men attacking them. The silence made time go by even slower. Harry’s watch, which he had to be careful about checking, seemed to virtually stop. Harry felt as if he was walking on eggshells trying not to offend them in any way.
It was bullshit really, how these men thought that they could treat people like shit just because they had money. Harry hoped that someday, if he ever became a professional and had a well-developed bank account, he would still treat everyone the same way he did now because people deserve to be treated like they matter.
It was difficult, but Harry made it through all eighteen holes and he never felt more relieved to be done with anything in his entire life. That included the time when Harry had to give an oral presentation on the different political parties of Russia to his entire class.
They found Simon after they finished up and he told them they could take the rest of the day to do whatever they pleased. Niall and Harry decided to grab a snack from the snack bar then go play at least nine holes, depending on how long it takes them.
“Simon always feels bad for whoever gets stuck caddying for those pricks,” Niall whispered once they were alone, “So he’ll probably go easy on us for the rest of the week. He understands how hard they are to work with. God, I’m so excited that’s over with.”
Harry smiled at the thought of more possible free time to practice, “At least you didn’t have Tomlinson.”
“True but Sullivan dropped a couple of slurs against Ireland when I ‘set his bag down too hard’. First off, what the hell does that even mean? And you know how I get when people insult my homeland,” Niall said.
“Yeah I do,” Harry nodded.
When they got to the snack bar, they found Liam, Zayn, and Louis there sitting around a table. Zayn and Liam got up and welcomed them with hugs.
“Hey, what are you guys up to?” Liam asked.
“Just finished up caddying so we thought we’d grab a bite before we go back out and play,” Niall explained.
“You should come eat with us, we just ordered. Also, check out who is working,” Zayn said and cocked his head towards the snack bar’s window. The pretty, dark-haired girl Sam was standing there. Harry could see Niall cheeks flush red.
“Yeah, okay,” Niall said, slightly flustered.
They walked over to the window and Harry examined the menu. It was mostly sandwiches and light snacks.
For once, Harry had more confidence and he stepped up to order first, “Can I get a chicken salad sandwich and a bottle of water?”
“Sure,” Sam said brightly and wrote down his order, “Anything else?”
“No, that’s it,” Harry said. He payed and she handed him his sandwich. He walked over to the table and sat down with the other boys.
“You think he’ll mess this up?” Zayn said, watching Niall from his seat.
“Probably,” Harry laughed. Niall was still a little red when he ordered and they could tell, even from their table, that he was flustered.The two talked longer than necessary and Sam slipped him a piece of paper with a wink. When Niall walked back with his sandwich and two bags of crisps, he was beaming.
“How’d it go?” Liam asked.
“Got her number,” Niall said, casually.
Zayn high-fived him under the table, just in case she was looking over at them which was oddly considerate of him.
“So, you gonna ask her out?” Liam pressed.
“Don’t know yet. I don’t want to come on to strong,” Niall said truthfully.
“You should ask her to come to Louis’s tomorrow,” Liam suggested.
“Louis’s tomorrow?” Harry asked. He hadn’t heard of any party.
“My parents are leaving town tomorrow afternoon. Thought I’d make use of having the house to myself,” Louis said with an air of arrogance. He didn’t make eye contact with Harry as he said it, despite the fact that Harry was the one who had asked.
“You’re coming right?” Zayn asked Harry.
Harry looked over at Louis, who narrowed his eyes for a second before nodding.
“Erm-yeah. Maybe? I’ll have to ask my mum,” Harry said.
“Your mum?” Louis finally looked at Harry and raised an eyebrow at him.
“She’ll be cool with it though. Harry’s mum is chill,” Niall said.
“So if she was to say no, then Harry wouldn’t go?” Louis asked.
“I dunno,” Harry said, “I don’t really see her saying no, though.”
“You’re a teenager who abides by his mum’s rules. Wow,” Louis’s tone was condescending and his was really staring to piss off Harry.
Instead of retaliating Harry just took a bite of his sandwich. He thought things might be better now with Louis but he was mistaken. The previous night’s bonding session on the putting green had clearly meant nothing to the boy. Harry wanted to know what Louis was thinking. He wanted to get into the pretty boy’s head. He wanted to know why he acted so much more like a dick with people around than when they are alone.
All he knew was that he liked the Louis he got when it was just them a whole lot more than the one sitting in front of him now.
“Shouldn’t you two be working or something? How come you’re always here?” Louis continued and Harry wondered if he was trying to egg him on.
“We were caddying for Liam’s and your fathers so Simon let us out early,” Niall said shrugging.
“Who had my father?” Louis asked casually.
“Me,” Harry said watching Louis, whose face was unreadable.
“How did that go?” Louis asked, focusing his gaze on Harry now.
“How do you think it went?” Harry snapped. He hadn’t meant to offend Louis. Louis should know that his dad was a prick to anyone of lower status, which was pretty much everyone.
That’s why Harry was surprised when Louis pushed off the table to get up and stormed away, leaving the rest of them gaping at his sudden departure.
Harry felt a pang of guilt.
“What the hell?” Zayn said, astounded by his friends actions.
“Here, I’ll go after him,” Liam said, attempting to get up.
“No, I will,” Harry said and Liam furrowed his brow but let him go.
Harry followed in the direction that Louis had gone, he figured he was on his way to the locker room.
When he got there he found Louis, sitting alone.
“What do you want?” Louis barked. His head was down and Harry couldn’t see his face.
“I want to know why you act so fucking weird around me every time we’re here,” Harry stated.
“I don’t act weird around you,” Louis said, refusing to make eye contact with him.
“Well, it sure as hell seems like you do. You treat me like shit. You know what sucks? I like you when it’s just the two of us. Out on the green last night? That was nice. You actually acted like a decent human being. But then whenever we’re out in public you act like I’m just some employee sent here to serve you. I don’t get it,” Harry tried to keep his voice steady but he was angry and it showed.
“I don’t mean to,” Louis said quietly.
“You don’t mean to? So what, you accidentally make snide comments about me working here or whatever. I’m sorry if you’re so much of an asshole that you can’t get over the fact that I have to work here in order to play here because I can’t afford it-”
“-Harry, it’s not that at all-” Louis was shaking his head but Harry continued, “But I can’t change that. So you’re going to have to get over it because I’m going to be around for the rest of the summer.”
“Harry...” Louis trailed off.
“You know what the worst part of this is for me? I’m actually really fucking attracted to you. And it fucking sucks. I don’t even know why I’m telling you this-”
Louis stood up and pushed him into the lockers, “You’re attracted to me?”
“Yes,” Harry breathed. Louis was close, very close. Harry almost didn’t notice how red his eyes were before Louis slammed his lips into his. Louis had him pinned against the lockers, which should have been far more uncomfortable than it was. Louis’s lips were urgent, his tongue pressed against Harry’s lips and he eagerly allowed him entrance. Louis tasted like lemonade and Harry wished he could just drink him in for the rest of his life. Louis’s hands were laced into Harry’s messy curls. He gasped when Louis rolled his hips into his, pulling him impossibly closer.
But then he heard a sound and Louis jumped away with wide eyes.
“Shit- I’m- fuck,” was all Louis could say before he disappeared from the locker room, leaving Harry breathless and confused in his wake.
For Harry Styles, golf was easy. Line up the club, pay attention to the curves of the ground, and don’t forget about the wind. He understood the game and the world he would never really belong in, no matter how good he was. Harry had everything planned out until he met Louis Tomlinson, who he just can’t seem to figure out.
Country Club AU(WIP)
Word Count ~ 2,200 (this chapter)
previous chapters
also on AO3
“But Niall, I need to practice,” Harry groaned.
“C’mon Harry, live a little. It’s just one day and you need a break. You can’t just play golf every fucking day,” Niall said.
“The Cup is coming up and I’ve been spending far to much time working and doing these social things. I don’t have time for this right now,” Harry said. With the dinner last night and the pool the other day, this week was turning out to be one of Harry’s most social in years.
“Time for what?” Harry’s mother walked into the living room. Niall and Harry were sat on the couch where they had crashed last night. Harry had found Niall after he got back to the club from helping Louis home and the two decided it best if Niall stayed the night.
Harry was beginning to regret the decision.
“A couple of the guys are meeting at the pool today and Harry here refuses to go,” Niall explained to Anne.
“I want to play golf,” Harry grumbled.
“Harry, go to the pool. Have some fun, dear!” said Anne.
“I don’t want to,” Harry said, stubbornly. He knew he sounded like a two-year-old but quite frankly, he didn’t care.
“You’re going to the pool. I’m not allowing you to play golf today,” Anne said and crossed her arms.
“Are you serious?” Harry asked.
“Absolutely. Now go grab your swim things,” Anne said.
Harry groaned but didn’t protest. He would have to somehow figure out another time to play.
***
When they got to the pool they were greeted by a smiling Liam, who said that Zayn was on his way. The others had not yet arrived but Liam told them that all of the regulars were coming, which Harry could only take to mean Louis.
Harry was relieved to find out Louis wasn’t there already. It gave him some time to mentally prepare himself. He wasn’t sure where they stood after the previous night. Harry might have helped him out but he knew better than to think that it would make them friends now. From what Harry had gathered, it would take a hell of a lot more than that to get Louis to let him in and Harry wasn’t sure it was worth it.
“So Harry, where did you disappear to last night?” Liam asked, nonchalantly.
“I, erm, well-” Harry didn’t know if he should tell Liam about his little misadventure in the restroom. He knew he wouldn’t be able to explain it to Liam; he couldn’t even explain it to himself. Luckily he was saved when Zayn arrived, ruffling Liam’s hair with his fingers before sitting down next to Liam, “Sorry I’m late. I woke up with a terrible headache.”
“I wonder why,” Niall said sarcastically.
“Shut it. Not everyone can handle their alcohol as well as others,” Zayn shot back.
“Luck of the Irish,” Niall said smugly.
Liam changed the subject, “You guys do anything after the dinner last night?”
“I just crashed at Harry’s. What about you?” Niall said.
“Went to Z’s for a bit and went home,” Liam said and Zayn let out a sweet half-smile. Niall raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything.
“You guys are all lame,” Louis appeared seemingly out of nowhere and it gave Harry heart palpitations.
“We can’t all get away with totally ditching our parents at events, dude,” Zayn said.
Louis just smirked and looked around, finally resting his eyes on Harry and Niall, “Shouldn’t you two be out swinging golf clubs or whatever.”
His tone was harsh, but Niall payed no attention, “We opted for a break today. We can’t spend every day out there or we’d go insane.”
“I think I could spend every day other there,” Harry said quietly.
“You’re already insane, Harry,” Niall smiled.
Louis raised an eyebrow before turning back to Zayn and Liam, “So what did I miss last night?”
Liam thought for a second, “Well, you missed Niall obviously flirt with the waitress.”
“Hey- her name is Sam. I was just being polite,” Niall said shrugging.
“You remembered her name?” Zayn laughed.
“Dude, you need to get laid,” Louis said, “But hey, I’m kinda bored. I’m gonna hit the hot tub.”
That didn’t last long.
“There’s a hot tub? I didn’t know that,” Harry asked stupidly.
“That’s because you’ve only been coming here for a week,” Louis said, coldly, “I’ll see you guys around?” Louis said as he got up and walked away.
“What’s his problem?” Liam asked after Louis was out of earshot.
“Dunno,” Harry said and he wasn’t lying. He had no idea why Louis acted so strange all the time, or maybe it was just around him. It made Harry’s attraction to the boy even more confusing. He still perked up at the sound of his name and his thoughts still wandered to the boy’s face when he least expected it. But then again, maybe Louis’s peculiar behavior was exactly why Harry was so interested in him. Harry was usually good at understanding people, even though he couldn’t really make friends with them. Harry had been surrounded by a wide range of different characters throughout his life, from the kids at school to the old people at the country clubs. He’d known every edge of the spectrum. The problem with Louis was that he didn’t really fit in with the other stereotypical rich kids and Harry didn’t understand what it was about him that made him different. He was intriguing because Harry couldn’t figure him out.
“Weird,” was all Zayn said.
“I’m getting hot,” Niall complained after a few moments of quiet.
“There’s a pool right there,” Zayn said, gesturing towards the pool unnecessarily.
“I realize that, Malik. Anyone want to hope in with me?” Niall asked the group.
“I will,” Liam volunteered.
“Sure,” Harry said.
“Are you tossers going to leave me out here all by myself?” Zayn asked,
“You could always join us, ya know?” Niall said.
Zayn shifted uncomfortably, “No way.”
“The pool is like three feet deep, Z,” Liam said softly.
“Yeah, you don’t even have to get your hair wet,’ Niall laughed.
“Shut it, Niall,” Zayn snapped.
“I’m going to get in the pool now. You guys coming?” Niall stood up and Harry followed, ditching his sunglasses and sandals. They both decided to go all in and jump off the diving board while Liam convinced Zayn to wade in.
Niall went first, running across the diving board, earning a whistle from the lifeguard because, apparently, that’s dangerous. He made a massive splash, spraying two ten-year old girls who squealed loudly in protest.
“I give it an eight!” Liam yelled from the shallow end.
“An eight?” Zayn asked incredulously, “That’s a six and a half at best.”
“I’d say it’s a six,” Harry said, “You’re no Tom Daley, Nialler.”
“You guys suck, that was definitely a nine,” Niall said, swimming with his head out of the water over to the shallow end with Liam and Zayn.
“Your turn Styles. Try and impress the judges!” Liam called from across the pool.
“Alright, but bear in mind, I am an amateur,” Harry said before climbing up the diving board. Harry walked towards the end of the board and stopped and took a deep breath. He swallowed hard before lifting his arms dramatically and diving into he pool.
His hands hit the water first and it felt nice. Surprisingly, he didn’t belly flop; he actually felt semi-graceful as he cut through the water. He resurfaced to a round of applause from the others and he swam quickly over towards them.
“Now that was an eight,” Zayn said, impressed.
“I’d give it a seven and a half,” Niall said defensively.
“I’d say eight and three quarters,” Liam said, “It would be a nine if it weren’t for how much you looked like baby Tarzan coming back up.”
“How you come out of the water doesn’t matter in diving,” Harry said and splashed him.
“Watch it,” Zayn said, running his hand over his hair to make sure it hadn’t been messed up.
The other three took that moment to all splash Zayn.
“Fuck you guys. This is why I don’t like to get in,” Zayn grumbled.
“No, you just can’t swim,” Niall said.
“That’s it. I’m getting out. I hate all of you,” Zayn said and turned towards the pool latter.
Niall shrugged, “S’Not my fault he never learned.”
Liam tackled him playfully, pushing him under the surface of the pool splashing Harry in the process. The two wrestled under water and Harry watched them and smiled. He had to admit that he was enjoying himself. Maybe, for the first time in a long time, he was actually making friends.
***
A quarter to midnight and Harry was wide awake in his bed. He was restless and obsessing over golf, as usual. Except this time it was worse. He itched to make up for the time he lost today at the pool. He needed to practice, to perfect every swing, every putt. The green was calling for him.
He sat up and slipped on some trousers; he knew what he had to do. Pulling on a shirt, he slipped out the door with his putter and a pocketful of golf balls.
The night sky was lit with stars so it wasn’t too much of a struggle to see. He’d imagine doing this before, how could he not? The putting green was right there. Just a short walk through the woods from his door. Before he was afraid he would get caught, the fear is still there but the need to practice was much greater.
He’d always pictured it being much more eery outside his house on the course at night than it was. It was kind of serene, in a way. The only sound was that of crickets and Harry felt more calm than afraid.
The moonlight lit up the putting green. It wasn’t ideal, but it would do, so Harry got to work.
He placed the ball in various places, perfecting each spot before moving to the next. He decided to pop in an earphone, using the music to keep him sane. After a couple of seconds of deliberation, he decided on The Naked and Famous and played ‘Girls Like You.’ He got lost in the music and his practice which made the dark figure he saw in the distance all the more startling when he looked up.
His heart nearly stopped. He wondered for a second if he should run but he was frozen in place and the figure was moving towards him. Harry squinted his eyes.
No fucking way.
“You really aren’t supposed to be out here,” Louis chuckled as he approached.
“Yeah- well, I couldn’t get any practice in during the day because Niall forced me to go to the pool with him,” Harry said.
“Don’t let me disrupt your practice then,” Louis said as he sat down along side the green.
“Alright,” Harry said. He dropped another ball down and lined up his putter. He took a short swing and made the putt.
Louis did a quiet golf clap, “Nicely done.”
“Thanks,” Harry mumbled, “What are you doing out here anyway?”
“Don’t act so excited to see me Styles, I might confuse it with affection,” Louis beamed, his teeth seeming to glow in the moonlight, “But I just needed some air.”
Harry eyed him skeptically, not really buying it but not wanting to question it further.
“Seriously, don’t let me distract you. I can leave if it’s a problem. I’d just prefer to sit here than wander around aimlessly by myself, ya know?” Louis said.
Harry didn’t know because he’d always preferred to be alone but he still nodded. He put down another ball and putts it in again. They continue like this for a while, Harry wasn’t sure how long exactly. It was kind of nice having Louis there, although Harry would never admit it out loud.
“You’re really good at this,” Louis said quietly after Harry made another putt.
“I’ve had a lot of practice, I guess,” Harry shrugged, “Do you ever play?”
“My dad tried to get me into it when I was little but it was never really my thing. I don’t think I’m patient enough,” Louis explained, “What about you? How did you get into it?”
“My dad. He started me young. I was four or five,” Harry said.
“Are you two close?” Louis asked.
“He left when I was eight,” Harry said simply.
“Oh, I’m sorry- I didn’t mean to-” Louis fumbled with his words.
“Don’t worry about it. That was years ago. It doesn’t bother me anymore,” Harry didn’t look at him but he could feel Louis studying him. The truth was Harry never really talked about his dad. That subject was off-limits in his house and he never minded it. He figured he was better off without him in his life if he was anything like he remembered.
He didn’t remember much besides the stale smell of alcohol on his father’s breath or the fighting he overheard at night when his parents thought he was asleep.
No, he was definitely better off without his dad.
“I’m still sorry,” Louis said. They went on in silence for a little longer before Harry finally got hit with the exhaustion that should have come much earlier.
“It’s late. I should probably go to bed. I’ve got to work in the morning,” Harry yawned.
“Yeah I better get back as well,” Louis said, standing up.
“Night, Louis,” Harry said awkwardly.
“Goodnight, Harry,” Louis said smiling, “We should do this again sometime.”
For Harry Styles, golf was easy. Line up the club, pay attention to the curves of the ground, and don’t forget about the wind. He understood the game and the world he would never really belong in, no matter how good he was. Harry had everything planned out until he met Louis Tomlinson, who he just can’t seem to figure out.
Country Club AU
Word Count ~ 2,100 (this chapter)
previous chapters
also on AO3
The next couple of days were relatively uneventful and that was absolutely, definitely, a hundred percent, not due to the fact that Harry had not seen Louis since they ran into each other in the locker room. Harry and Niall had spent the majority of their days caddying and helping with clinics and they used any free time to play golf. Harry could feel himself getting back into the swing of things. After only one week, he was shooting around par.
Not good enough to win the Cup but better.
Harry tried not to think about the blue-eyed boy. He really did. But Louis was like an infection of the mind. For God knows what reason, Harry can’t shake the boy from his thoughts and it was slowly driving him insane.
Simon approached them after they were finishing up work on Friday, “Hey boys, I’d like for you to come to the Summer kickoff dinner tomorrow night. As guests, of course. I think it would be a good time for you boys to get to know some of the members here. ”
Before Harry could protest, Niall spoke up, “Sounds great! We’ll be there.”
Harry could kick him.
“Wear a sport coat and a tie,” Simon instructed before he walked away.
“What the fuck, dude?” Harry elbowed Niall as soon as Simon was out of earshot.
Niall’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion, “It’ll be fun!”
“It’s just going to be a bunch of members sitting around gossiping!” Harry said, exasperated.
Niall shook his head, “No, I went least year and it’s pretty chill. All of the kids our age come, well, mostly because their parents make them, but whatever. There’s free food and drinks! Plus, they don’t care if your underage.”
“I don’t care about that. It still sounds awful,” Harry said.
“But Zayn, Liam, Louis, and everyone will be there!” Niall argued.
Louis.
“Is that supposed to make me want to go?” Harry asked, unconvincingly.
Niall shook his head again, “I know you want to see him. Don’t lie to me.”
Harry groaned, “You’re impossible.”
Niall just laughed, “We pretty much have to go, you know that?”
“Yeah, I know,” Harry sighed.
***
They played golf Saturday morning. Harry didn’t play well and he tried to convince himself that it had nothing to do with the fact that he was nervous for that night.
He had no reason to be nervous.
Harry needed more time to practice and he couldn’t quite figure out how that was going to be possible considering how much time he spent working, not to mention the probable rainy days in the future.
Harry showered and got dressed back at his house. He decided on a blue and white striped bow tie and a blue blazer with khaki trousers (okay, maybe his mom picked them out for him.
“Niall’s here!” Anne called down to Harry, who followed her voice upstairs.
“Hey Harry, you ready to go?” Niall asked from the front door.
“Yeah just lemme grab my shoes,” Harry said before picking up his dress shoes.
“You boys look so nice! Can I get a picture?” Anne asked.
Niall laughed and Harry felt his cheeks redden, “Mum, we’re going to a dinner, not prom. This is not a photo op.”
“You ruin all of my fun! Niall was up for it,” Anne said.
“I think you should respect your mum more, Harry,” Niall joked.
“Shut up, Niall. We better get going, we’re already late,” Harry said, tying his shoes.
“Excuses!” Anne laughed.
“We need to go” Harry said.
“Whatever, Harry. Just remember, I’m going to make you take a picture eventually. You can’t avoid being documented forever,” Anne said.
“I know, I know. But seriously we need to leave. I should be home around ten,” Harry said.
“Harry doesn’t know what he’s talking about. He’ll be home around midnight,” Niall corrected.
“Wait-what? What have you gotten me into?” Harry said as Niall pushed him out the door.
“Have fun boys!” Anne called as Niall shut the door behind them.
***
When they got to the event Harry was a little overwhelmed.
First of all, there were way more people than Harry was expecting. The clubhouse was packed with people of all ages, all talking and socializing and drinking. Niall wasn’t lying when he said that there would be free food and drinks. From what Harry could see, the food was mostly gourmet, which didn’t really appeal to him. And since Harry wasn’t an incredibly social person, he wasn’t a big drinker.
Still, Niall dragged him over to the bar and ordered them both some fancy beer that Harry couldn’t for the life of him remember the name. He took it, mostly to be polite. He only had a few sips.
Niall and Harry were chatting in a corner when Zayn and Liam came up to them.
“Niall! Harry!” Zayn yelled, “How are my two favorite golf players?”
Harry could tell that Zayn was a little intoxicated by the way his words slurred just a bit and how Liam held him up slightly but buzzed Zayn was more friendly than sober Zayn so he couldn’t really complain.
“We’re alright, how about you guys?” Niall asked.
“Pretty shitty. I hate these things,” Zayn said, gesturing towards the crowd, “Would much rather be doing just about anything else.”
“Could be worse. At least there’s alcohol!” Niall said and he and Zayn laughed.
“Not a big drinker?” Liam said to Harry, eyeing his nearly full glass.
“Not really, no,” Harry said.
“Me neither,” Liam smiled wide, his brown eyes crinkling.
Okay, maybe Harry could get used to these guys.
“Either of you seen Louis?” Zayn asked them both, “Haven’t seen him since he downed that whiskey sour.”
“Haven’t seen him,” Niall said.
“The kid better stay out of trouble. His dad’s here,” Liam said, warningly.
“We’ll keep and eye out for him,” Niall said, assuredly.
“So, do you want to sit down?” Zayn asked.
“Yeah, sure,” Harry and Niall said together. They found and empty table and sat down. Harry couldn’t help but notice how Liam pulled out Zayn’s chair for him.
Huh.
A familiar-looking waitress came up to them, “Do you lads need anything?”
“No. thank you-uh- Samantha,” Niall said, nervously reading her name tag.
She blushed, “You can call me Sam.”
“I’m Niall,” he smiled and the two looked at each other longer than completely necessary. Zayn coughed to break the silence.
“Well, let me know if you need anything,” She said before hurrying over to the next table. Niall shamelessly watched her go.
“Is that the girl fro the snack bar?” Harry asked when she was gone.
“Uh, yeah,” Niall said, trying to be nonchalant.
“I think she fancies you too, Nialler,” Liam teased.
“I never said I fancied her!” Niall said.
“You didn’t have to. It’s written all over your face,” Harry said and both Zayn and Liam laughed. Harry mentally patted himself on the back.
“I’m starting to regret getting you this job here, Styles,” Niall said.
“I’m not,” Zayn laughed and high-fived Harry.
Maybe Niall was right. They sat for a while, talking about golf and Niall’s love life. Harry was starting to feel more comfortable around Liam and Zayn and he thought that maybe they were doing the same. Harry learned that Liam and Zayn were both in the year above him in school, like Niall. The two had known each other since they were little and they met Niall last summer when he was working at the club. Niall had caddied for them and they invited him to play with them the next week.
They were mid-way through a conversation about some party the three of them had gone to last year that had gotten a little out of hand when Harry excused himself to go to the restroom.
He stood up and walked through the tables of people talking, searching for any sign of a toilet. He was just about to ask a waiter when he bumped into Nick.
“Watch it, Harold. Wouldn’t want to start a fight with one of your coworkers so early in the summer,” Nick joked.
“Hey, Nick. Sorry about that. I’ve never been very good at walking,” Harry said with a grin.
“It’s a miracle you can swing a club with your lack of coordination, if I’m being completely honest. So, what... or who are you looking for?” Nick said, noticing that Harry was still looking around the ballroom.
“Just the restroom,” Harry said.
“Through that door, down the hall, and to your right. You’ll see ‘Mens’’ written on the door,” Nick said and pointed at the door to which he was referring.
Harry thanked Nick and followed his instructions, which led him to an intimidating door with an impressive gold knob. He opened the door to find a full living room outside the area where the individual stalls were. When he got near the stall he heard the unmistakeable retching of someone puking in one of the stalls.
“Are you okay?” Harry called stupidly through the wooden stall door.
“‘m fine,” said a muffled, yet familiar voice before retching started again.
Heart pounding, Harry pushed through the door and found Louis, crouched over the toilet, emptying his stomach into it. The overwhelming smell of alcohol hit him and he almost took a step back.
“Said I’m fine,” slurred Louis as he wiped his face with the back of his hand and flushing the toilet.
“You’re obviously not. You just puked everywhere. Here,” Harry bent down to help Louis up and to his surprise, Louis let him.
“Thanks,” Louis said, simply.
“Sure,” Harry said, getting a proper look at Louis for the first time that night. He was a proper mess, with his loose tie, messy hair, and flushed cheeks but Harry couldn’t help but notice how, even in his roughest state, Louis looked like a god.
“Well, I better get back out there,” Louis said and tried to get around Harry. He stumbled on the way and Harry caught him.
“You’re not going back out there like this,” Harry said firmly, his hands still holding Louis’s shoulders to keep him up.
“But my dad-” Louis said.
“Your dad would be more mad if you embarrassed him by making a drunken fool of yourself in front of all his friends,” Harry didn’t actually know Louis’s dad at all but he could imagine.
“I guess you’re right...” Louis trailed off.
“So, do you need help getting home? Did you drive?” Harry asked.
“No, I don’t need help getting home. And no, I didn’t drive. I live right off the course. I can walk,” Louis said.
Harry knew exactly where he was talking about. There was a neighborhood filled with mansions lining the course. All of the people living in them were members who must have liked the convenience of it.
“You’re not walking home like this alone at night,” Harry said.
“I don’t really have a choice now, do I?” Louis said.
“I’ll walk you home,” Harry knew that this was a very bad idea. Louis didn’t even like him but something possessed him to volunteer. He slung one of Louis’s arms over his shoulder and once again, earned no protest from Louis. They somehow snuck out the back door of the clubhouse and followed a golf cart path threw the course to Louis’s house.
Louis broke their silence, “Your friend Niall’s alright. He’s good friends with Liam and Zayn.”
Harry tried not to think about how Louis was actually trying to start a conversation with him, “Yeah Niall’s great.”
Louis just nodded and they went back to being silent as Harry half-carried Louis through the course. The reach the neighborhood which was dimly-lit by the streetlights and Harry started paying more attention to the houses.
They were all tucked into the green and were hardly visible from the course. Harry thought that maybe that could be because the residents wouldn’t want a bunch of golf balls flying into their yards, interrupting their dinner parties or whatever it was rich people did.
“This is it,” Louis said when they approached an unlit house hidden behind the trees. They followed a path through the woods and Harry’s heart nearly stopped when he got a view of Louis’s house.
Well, house was an understatement, the place was a castle. The house was white and gleaming with the moonlight. There were fountains and gardens and wings. The closest comparison Harry could think of was the Palace of Versailles which Harry had visited on a school trip a few years ago.
“Um, so thanks?” Louis said awkwardly.
“Yeah, sure,” Harry said and turned to leave.
“Hey, Harry?” Louis said and Harry froze, “I’m sorry. You know, for everything?”
Harry let out a small chuckle, “Goodnight, Louis.”
