For several years, former longtime Lehighton track coach Jim Blakeslee admittedly has been driving around former Northern Lehigh baseball coach Frank Carazo.

However, it hasn’t been in Blakeslee’s car. Instead, it has been in a golf cart.

Blakeslee and Carazo are among a number of former local coaches who have gathered to golf on Tuesdays and Thursdays for nearly 40 years, primarily at Palmerton’s Blue Shamrock Golf Club and Blue Ridge Country Club.

The group began in 1988 with eight regulars. It eventually grew to 12 and later 16. They met consistently for 22 years before other commitments and Father Time began to take their toll. Today, anywhere from eight to 15 golfers still gather each week.

It has been a chance to improve their golf games while strengthening lifelong friendships, reminiscing with stories and quips about former players and coaching days. Every week brings another opportunity to relive old memories and enjoy each other’s company.

There also is the expected senior citizen chatter.

“Frank tells stories about coaching baseball on occasion, especially when he runs into people he used to coach with over the years,” said Blakeslee. “We discuss most everything about our lives, advice on doctor referrals, our families’ daily lives and our families’ losses.”

Still, there is always room for the occasional jab.

“We make fun of each other on a regular basis,” added Blakeslee. “We talk about our past golfing buddies’ sayings and behaviors.”

Carazo, who has been golfing for 62 years, began his “Tuesday Tour” in the late 1980s with former local Bulldog coaches Dick Snell, Mike Bonner, Bob Kern, Glenn Rissmiller, Dave Oertner, John Gula, Rick Hoyt, Drew Fatzinger, Denny Rehrig, Bill Grammes, Greg Miller, John Mace and Mike Hofmann. Carazo added that some Palmerton coaches also occasionally joined the group.

Carazo naturally took on the role of organizer. Each golfer contributes $3 to the pool before teams are selected.

“They were just starting to golf,” recounted Carazo. “We played every Tuesday after school once baseball and track seasons were over. We played through the summer, and all money that was won went into a pool.”

With the start of school and fall approaching, the Tuesday Tour had an annual tradition.

“At the end of summer, we traveled somewhere to a place where we had never played before and had breakfast, golf and then dinner at a nice restaurant,” said Carazo. “Everybody received an equal share of the pool, which helped pay for just about the entire day.”

Through the help of his brother David — a golf teaching professional for 47 years in the Poconos, New York and Florida — Carazo added another touch.

“I kept a running newsletter for the Tuesday Tour and asked my brother for prizes. Over the course of our 22 years of the Tuesday Tour, David supplied us with approximately 40 dozen golf balls and two dozen golf hats at no charge at all.”

Shortly after the Tuesday Tour ended, Carazo, Bonner, Snell and Rissmiller joined Blakeslee and other local coaches Drew and Gary Fatzinger, John Gula, Neil Stubits, Bill Parsons, Bill Jacobs, Loren Larose, Don Delich, Mike Snyder and Kenny James to form a Tuesday-Thursday tour.

Carazo noted there are 10 or 11 golfers who never coached but were, and still are, part of the weekly contingent.

Snell, who coached football at Northern Lehigh and Northampton, has cherished his longtime friendship with Carazo.

“Frank and I came to Northern Lehigh at the same time, and we have been buds since 1971,” recalled Snell. “Once we got done coaching our sports, we would start playing golf.

“It’s been a real trip and a real ride. I really love the guy. We worked the table together for basketball, wrestling and girls basketball. I’ve done a lot of things with him, like playing cards and spending time with our families. But most of all, it’s been a pleasure golfing with him and his father when he was alive.”

Dave Oertner, former Northern Lehigh boys basketball coach, recalled some of the lighter moments. Brothers Rich and Keith were once part of the circuit.

“I remember rushing out of school to beat the lamp factory traffic across the bridge to Palmerton so we could tee off as early as possible on a Tuesday night,” said Oertner. “There also was Mike Bonner’s hair standing straight up when lightning struck near us on the 14th green.

“There were some nice golf trips with the group, and they were a great bunch of guys to play with. I still play with a few of the guys on a regular basis now that we are retired.”

Bonner, who left the circuit to return to coaching football at Tamaqua with his son, Sam, still remembers those days fondly.

“I haven’t played with them for years now,” reflected Bonner. “We did have many fun, enjoyable years back then!”

Mike Snyder, former boys basketball coach at Palmerton and girls basketball coach at Jim Thorpe, joined the group three years ago.

Snyder has relished every round and, like Oertner, appreciates the good-natured ribbing. He compares it to the bond shared by high school teammates.

“It is a real laid-back group,” said Snyder. “Mostly, we bust on each other.

“And it turns out that we are just a bunch of big kids who like to laugh, enjoy each other, and turn on the competitiveness to keep improving at the game of golf.

“It’s kind of what I imagined retirement would look like.”

Carazo learned the game from his father, Ramon, and his brother. He still embraces the competitive nature of every Tuesday and Thursday, although he takes a modest approach.

“Nevertheless, their games have improved and mine has not improved, but it hasn’t diminished either,” said Carazo. “On a given day, though, and with the proper handicap, any one of us could be the best.

“One of my advantages is that I had many hours of instruction from my brother. David, in turn, was taught by my father, who played with only one arm and still managed to make six holes-in-one.

“I am not always able to put David’s lessons into practice. I definitely have much more experience, though not necessarily much more talent.”

When the golf season winds down, the group still gets together occasionally for breakfast at the Bowmanstown Diner.

Blakeslee realizes the importance of the camaraderie and how time has gradually changed the group.

“I guess my favorite moment is when one of us hits a good shot,” said Blakeslee. “I enjoy the friendship. Everyone is getting older. We can’t see, we can’t pee and we can’t hear, so that makes the golf game interesting.”

It also provides a meaningful weekly outlet in many ways.