For the Love of the Game.

Republican Governor John Row-land has a very simple view of what the game of golf is all about. "For me, it's spending time with friends, having a lot of laughs, and maybe even smoking a cigar," says the 43-year-old Waterbury, CT native, who is serving his second term as CEO of the Nutmeg State. "I often get irritated with people who say the sport takes too long. That's one of the things about it that's so great. You can spend four or five hours with friends joking, talking, and making fun of each other's game."

Although the Governor started playing golf nearly 20 years ago, he has never spent a lot of time on his game, which is the main reason his handicap continues to hover around 24. "I don't practice, and I really don't take it very seriously," he says. "I play in maybe 15 different tournaments during the year and perhaps five or six other rounds on my own. I want to get out more, but I can't. Work is busy, and weekends are mostly dedicated to family. My wife Patty and I have five children between us, so there's a lot going on at home."

"But even though I don't get out to play as much as I would like, that hasn't changed the way I feel about the sport," he adds. "I absolutely love golf."

And the hole Governor Rowland most likes to play is the last one at his home track at the Country Club of Waterbury, which he joined in 1982. "That's my favorite course, and I really like the finishing hole," he says. "It's a long one, measuring about 400 yards, and it doglegs slightly to the left," he explains. "It's almost impossible for me to get home in two because you have to hit a good, long second shot to get on the elevated green. So what I usually do is get myself close enough to chip on with my third shot and try and one-putt for my par."

"The green is right up by the clubhouse, which is gorgeous, and there's a tall flag pole behind it as well," adds Rowland, who says he sometimes tees it up with his wife. "It's a pretty finishing hole, and as far as I'm concerned, there's nothing quite like that. Plus, a good finish makes for a good memory. For a player of my extremely limited abilities, pars are few and far between. And you can't remember a par you had on the third hole the way you can remember a par on the last one you play. So, to leave with something like that on the 18th hole is really special."

But even if he doesn't get his par on 18, the Governor still likes that hole above all others. "There's something about finishing holes that I like most of all," he says. "And the finishing hole at Waterbury is my favorite."

John Steinbreder is a senior writer for Golf Week magazine and is the author of five books, including Golf Courses of the U.S. Open.

JOHN ROWLAND

Governor of Connecticut

COUNTRY CLUB OF WATERBURY

LOCATION: Waterbury, CT

HOLE: 18th par-four, 420 yards from the back tees, 398 yards from the regular markers

HOLE DESCRIPTION: The 18th is a slight dogleg left that requires a golfer to hit a straight drive of approximately 230 yards, if he wants to be left with a mid-iron to the green. The first part of the hole is a bit uphill, but any approach shot of 150 yards or less will be a tad downhill to an elevated green that slopes from back to front. Local players say you can't run a ball up on that green, which is guarded by a bunker on each side, and must fly it instead. But the putting surface, they add, is very receptive to long shots and usually holds the ball well. Out-of-bounds is down the entire right side of the hole, and anything over the green will run down a steep slope that makes for a very difficult recovery shot.

COURSE ARCHITECT: Donald Ross 

CLUB DESCRIPTION: Waterbury is a private club founded in 1899. But it didn't move to its current location until 1927, which is the year that Ross built the par-69 golf course that measures 6,333 yards from the backs and 6,063 yards from the regular tees. As is typical of Ross designs, play around the greens is what will make or break a round there. Most are elevated and have significant contours, and they fall off on all sides. Although it may not appear to be a terribly long course when you look at the yardage, the track has only one par-five.