I am a golf addict. I generally play in just about any weather. Last Sunday tested me, though. I think old age is creeping in.
We had to wait for the frost to melt on the greens. Frost–in South Texas. Usually, we’re off before the sun gets above the horizon. And there were only six of us instead of the usual ten to twelve. So, we decided to play as a single group. There were few other idiots, and we only had to let a twosome play through on the seventh hole.
None of us played well–too much clothing. In fact, we had a skin on almost every hole, and only one was a birdie. Many skins were won with bogeys that day play was so bad.
I had a miserable second hole, a par three. My tee shot dribbled off the front of the teebox into some heavy rough. My second didn’t clear the pond that fronts the green. I dropped in somewhat lesser rough and hit the ball well, but it hit the front of the green and rolled back toward the water. Fortunately, some fluffy grass caught it.
I had one of those lies where you can slide the club completely under the ball and not even move it, so I was conscious of getting through the ball. Of course, I hit it thin and the ball shot hot off the club. All I could think was, “Hit the flagstick!” It did, about three feet above the ground–then disappeared. I had never seen such a thing. It was if a vacuum sucked it down into the hole, and it happened just that quickly–for a double bogey.
You’d think something like that would turn around what seemed to be the beginning of a bad round. It didn’t. My fingers are just now thawing out.
You’re scaring me, Bunker. I’m slated to teach classes in Plano for two weeks next month. I was counting on nice weather. But you’re quite a ways farther south than that!
Comment by UML Guy — January 22, 2005 @ 9:04 pm