Golf courses are tranquil. The serene backdrop, the calming colors, the vast settings, the stillness, they all paint a picture of perfection, of peacefulness.

Marriage can be chaotic. There can be trials and tribulations. There can be peace and quiet. There are ebbs and flows. It is an ongoing process.

When the two are mixed, as is the case with Tim and Lucinda Thelen, true bliss can be attained.

Tim, who left his position as an assistant professional at The Falls in New Ulm, qualified for the European Senior Tour last November when he won the tour's qualifying school tournament. He became eligible to play on his 50th birthday in June.

It has been a whirlwind summer for Thelen, who was an assistant pro at Traditions Golf Club from 2007 to 2009, traveling from tournament to tournament, competing in the sport he loves most.

For the woman he loves most, Lucinda, it has been an opportunity to become more involved. After watching her husband succeed from as a spectator, she felt a disconnect, a want to participate.

"In 2000, Tim won the National Club Professional Championship and I had to watch outside the ropes," Lucinda said. "I felt so distanced from the action. It was then that I asked if I could ever caddy for him. His response was that I could if I learned how to do it correctly since it is much more than just carrying the bag."

So she studied. She learned the intricacies of the game, the nuances of the job and the etiquette required on the course from a longtime friend. Because of it, she has had the opportunity to serve as her husband's caddie during the summer months when she is on vacation from her job as a teacher for autistic students at A&M Consolidated High School. But make no mistake, on the course she is his caddie, not his wife.

"Before the first tournament I caddied for him, we spent time talking about that this had to be separate from our marriage," Lucinda said. "This means I am his caddie, not his wife, on the course and have a job to do. We also agreed from the beginning that if this didn't work, Tim could fire me. Since I've caddied for him whenever possible since 2001, it seems to be working well."

So well, in fact, she's had the opportunity to experience another world -- the life of a caddie on a professional golf tour. It's been surreal, she said. And it didn't manifest itself until the moment Thelen walked out on the first tee in his first tournament.

"My favorite moment so far was when Tim was introduced on the first tee in [Cologne] Germany at the Berenberg [Bank] Masters," Lucinda said. "I was so nervous and excited and it just didn't seem real. We dreamed about this moment for so long and finally that dream was becoming reality."

Thelen finished third there and after three tournaments has moved into 19th place in the European Senior Tour Order of Merit. But it's been the experience of playing alongside the best golfers in the world -- all the while having his wife on his side -- that has been memorable.

"Being able to compete against players that have won majors at tournaments around the world with my wife on the bag walking beside me really stands out," Tim said.

That's not to say things have been as flawless as the greens they consistently peruse as the competitive side comes out in both player and caddie.

"I get very competitive and sometimes it is hard to keep quiet and not say what is on my mind," Lucinda said. "It becomes more difficult if Tim is having a rough day. There have been a few tense moments, but then we move to the next hole and start again."

The summer excursion has taken the couple from Germany to Switzerland, to the Netherlands to England. For them, it's been an experience that validated their joint decision to allow for Thelen to follow his dream.

"Golf is part of Tim and that he is truly not happy if he is not playing or working as a professional," Lucinda said. "Since then we've made family decisions to make sure that he has been able to pursue his passion."

It's been a testimony to the sacrifices they had to make.

"Working as a golf professional or as a player may sound glamorous, but it is not necessarily that way," Lucinda said. "It means working holidays and weekends. This means that we've never had the type of marriage where we have evenings and weekends to do things together."

It's been proof that, in the end, everything worked out, that after years of marriage and after raising a child, the impeccable nature of a golf course can provide the scene for marital bliss.

"At times we appear very opposite, but we each have our strengths and we use them to work together," Lucinda said. "We joke that that is why we have bliss in our marriage. We think that together we've achieved more than we ever could have separately."