I'm close to giving up golf forever.

There -- I've said it.

One of the best things about writing this column is the relationship that I establish with readers. Today, I'm asking for advice.

The question is whether or not I should give up golf.

Here's the background:

I played my very first round of golf when I was 14 years old. I rode my bike with Bill Hilgendorf out to Brown Deer Golf Course. It was a six-mile ride, one way. That summer, we rode out there three or four times and week and played.

That's 51 years of golf. I'm still playing at Brown Deer, although I don't ride my bike there anymore.

I've been a good golfer and a lousy golfer. Nowadays it's a lot more lousy than it is good.

I love golf. I've played football and baseball. I was a pole vaulter in high school. Nothing matches the allure of golf.

I read all the golf magazines. I watch The Golf Channel, including those paid programs. I am in a fantasy golf league.

I have made very, very good friends playing golf. Guys who will be friends for life.

My garage is filled with golf stuff. I've got four pairs of shoes, three Foot Joy and one Adidas. I've got four drivers -- Taylor Made, Nike, Cobra and Titleist. All fairly new. I've got irons. I've got a half-dozen putters. I've got about 10 dozen golf balls, Titleist ProV1.

I'm a public links golfer and proud of it. I've played almost all the good courses in Wisconsin, because I have some friends who get passes to the most expensive courses.

I love changing my shoes in the parking lot. I love figuring out who's going to be riding with whom. I love getting a soda from a cute cart girl. I love playing with guys who don't drink beer on the course.

I'm a member of the Brown Deer Seniors golf club. Every Tuesday, we play another course in the area. It's a great, great club.

But the zing has gone out of golf for me. I'm not sure why, but there are a number of things that I'm considering.

First of all, I'm not very good anymore. Once in my life, I played to a single-digit handicap. As recently as three years ago, I could pretty much hold my own with many golfers. Now, single digits are a long forgotten dream. I used to play to break 85. Now I'm pretty happy when it's a 95.

Golf is also very expensive, and I have to watch what I spend. My golf revolves around good courses. Good courses cost a lot of money.

Golf is very time consuming. No matter what, when you play golf it just about shoots an entire day. I've got three great grandkids and I want to spend a lot of my time with them. I may even teach them how to play golf.

There are things about golf that I'd really miss. But nothing more than my friends. It's entirely possible that I might never see some guys I really like and care about. Our relationship is occasioned by golf, and without it, there may well be no relationship.

So, I don't know what to do. I guess that by thinking about giving up golf, I should realize that I ought to give it up. Clearly, the fire to play and compete is gone.

I wonder what other people think. It doesn't have to be a firm decision, but I am clearly in the market for input here.

A big part of me hopes that I decide to keep playing. Right now, I wouldn't bet on it.