We're Not in Aztec Anymore

12-20-10

   I am on the bed in room #1672 on the Mariner of the Seas.  Room service is on its way.  We ordered some hot chocolate for Belinda and me, cheese pizza for James, and a chicken dish for Danielle.  Oh, and some chocolate chip cookies for all of us. 

   Cruising is great.  It’s surreal.  I went rock wall climbing today, and I barely made it to be able to ring that bell.  Eric did not make it the first time, so I had to make it on my first try.  His advice was to keep on going, so I did.  The hardest part was the last ten feet.  It angled back above my head, and it was hard to get a foothold.  The guy holding my rope supported my weight (was that cheating?) while I readjusted, and got it figured out, and then I pushed up and rang that bell.

   We played in a volleyball tournament today, also.  In order to play, our team had to have members that were 18 or older, so we quickly gathered together Eric, Amanda, Curt, Bev, Daryl, Belinda and me.  We took 2^nd place and we were given some nice medals, pretty fancy silver medals actually.  They are the insignia of the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, but they look like they are in the shape of the Transformers symbol.  Either way, they are still special looking to me. 

   It’s great to have all the teenagers here.  We have Kyle, Becca, Erica, Emily, James, and Danielle.  This ship is made for teenagers.  They are having a fantastic time.  The activities (swimming, volleyball, ping-pong, the arcade, and many more still to come) along with all of the unlimited food at the Windjammer are making it all worthwhile for them.

   Okay, Belinda and I just had hot chocolate out on our patio while watching the moon through the translucent clouds.  The moon’s silvery reflections reached all the way out to the boat directly below our patio.  I realize this would happen no matter what patio we were on, but it makes it more romantic to say the reflections were directed right at us. 

   Tomorrow, it’s Cabo San Lucas and a sun and snorkeling excursion with the Edgertons.  Tonight, it’s a ventriloquist show.  I am tired.  I worked out this morning, and it was a pretty good one.  Until next time…

Bruce Almighty

12-18-10

     Bruce, C.J., and I got to play one more time this past Sunday.  I talked Bruce into coming out, because he hesitated.  Our weather has been fantastic the past few weeks with above normal temperatures.  The high was going to be 58˚.  I also had that $40.00 I wanted to spend for my second place finish in the first flight of the Club Championship.  I ended up buying a short sleeve, red, button up Hidden Valley shirt and one sleeve of Titleist NXT golf balls. The shirt was on sale for $30.00 and the golf balls cost $9.00, so Tom and I called it good. 

   Bruce only wanted to play nine, and I was okay with that.  This was the Sunday before the last week of school before Christmas break, so I had other things I should have been doing, too.  On the #1 tee, Dean joined us.  Dean owns a pawnshop, and I had played with him once before in a previous Club Championship.  He smokes cigars.  He’s small.  He talks to himself when he plays his shots.  He says things like, “Okay, Dean, let’s not mess up this birdie putt this time.”

   Every time I play, something happens that is worth writing about...

100,000 Miles and the Not so Magical Express

12-18-10

   We are just outside of Flagstaff, AZ.  We will stop for gas in Kingman.  Our van just passed 100,000 miles a few seconds ago.  Wow, 100,000 miles.  We stopped to take a picture of the odomoter.  I remember buying this van from a nice man at Webb Toyota.  His name was John.  He no longer works there.  We were about to take a long trip to Indiana, and it was down to keeping our Windstar and putting more money into that, or buying this Sienna.  The deal breaker was the tinted windows being thrown in for free.  I was walking out of the place, and he threw that in, so I took it.  And here we are 100,000 miles later.

Trouble in the Magic Kingdom, The Point of Infants, and Half of a Goat

11-20-10

   I am on my way back to Denver on United Flight 259.  I am tired.  I am sick.  It was a fine conference, but I got sick the second day after a big expensive meal at a restaurant called The Flying Fish.  What was it?  Was it the drink?  The crab cakes? The desserts that we all passed around?  Writing about it makes the saliva flow in my mouth, and not in the good way, more the “spits” kind of way, and I haven’t eaten much (a cup of chicken noodle soup, some crackers, and half a strawberry banana smoothie last night along with half a blueberry yogurt parfait this morning) since this all started that evening.  I have not been this sick with...

6th Excerpt From My Golf Diary

 In this excerpt, I play with my brother-in-law Curt at the Centennial Golf and Tennis Club in Colorado.  A former basketball high school teammate and friend, Troy, was the head pro there at the time, so we got to play for free.  This excerpt also includes the incredible "townhome shot story."

It also reminds me of how wimpy my swing was at the time.  Troy gave me some blunt feedback that hurt my feelings a bit, but he was right.  I must have taken the advice from the Extraordinary Golf book I had read a little too seriously.  It says that I should be swinging slowly enough to be aware of where my swing is.  Looking back, I completely disagree with this notion now.
I also get a nice compliment from Troy about my chipping, and I notice that my writing still has a few too many exclamations.  

Centennial Golf and Tennis Club-Hole 3

   I took two personal days to go visit my best friend Joe up in Denver.

End of Round and Season Summary

I was now ahead of Bruce 17 to 11.  C.J. was at 10.  On the next tee, they both decided to continue the game because they had a chance to catch me, a slim chance, but a chance nonetheless.  I hung on for the win, though, even with a super final birdie by Bruce on hole #11.  He hit the green on the top of the hill.  The hole was on the backside this time.  He made one of the most unbelievably tough putts I have ever seen him make.  He had to get it going down the hill, but not too fast.  It could have gone off the green if he had overdone it.  I was so impressed I walked right over to him to give him a high five. 

   I went bogey, par on the final two holes, assuring that little damage was done.  The final score for our final round ended up being Pat-21, Bruce-17, and C.J. stayed at 10.  Our stroke play scores were 42, 45, and 46 respectively.

   When we were all done, we shook hands like we always do, and Bruce told me...

Schwoooomziiinngggg!

   On hole #2, I got a bogey, and so did Bruce.  C.J. earned the only par.  I still cannot picture Cody in my mind.  Wait!  I just figured it out.  He works there at Hidden Valley.  He said he did not have a handicap.  He’s a stocky young guy.  Phew!  Thought I was losing it there.

   I’ll skip ahead now to hole #9 where I earned another birdie.  Throughout the round I kept waiting for Bruce to get things going.  I thought for sure he would have another stellar round like the ones he has been having consistently this entire season.  His new set of golf clubs (Wishon) has really taken his game up to a new level, shooting low eighties and high seventies every time he tees it up, and I know a few times he was just a couple of strokes over par for the entire round (like the last time we played).  He never did get things going, though, until the last hole where he earned a birdie.  Before I get to hole #9, I want to also mention that I did earn a par on hole #3, and that is worth mentioning because that was another time I had played the first three holes at even par.  That was a goal C.J. had set and met for himself this season, too.

Hidden Valley-Hole #9-Birdie #26 of 2010 (probably my last one for this season, but maybe not)

   I used my 5-wood off the tee.  Bruce and Cody had honors after earning pars on the previous hole, but I teed off first since they were busy.  The score up to this point was Pat-12, Bruce-8, C.J.-9, and Cody: -3. 

  This tee shot was sweet!  If I could give it a sound, it would be...

Last Round of the Season

Enough of that.  On to golf…

   The last time I played, I was selfish and did not call Terry.  I wanted to play with my “regular” group one last time, just Bruce, C.J., and me.  I wanted to play eighteen holes, but it was getting windy and nasty, so we all stopped after eleven. 

   After having lost badly the last few times playing with Bruce and C.J., I was hoping for a win this time...

Off to Orlando!

11-17-10

   I am on my way to Denver on a Frontier flight.  I will connect from there and go on to Orlando, FL for the first time in my life.  The flights are free (free to me anyway), the food is free, and the hotel is also all taken care of.  Thank you, Bisti Writing Project.  I am staying at Disney’s Caribbean Resort.  I am representing the BWP as the new TL (Tech Liaison).  Yesterday I told my class I would be gone for the next three days.  Their mouths were open.  They were not smiling.  I told them to be nice to the subs, Mrs. (last name) and Mrs. (other last name), and they will be nice to you.    

   This will be my first time in Disney World!  I am going to be a “conventioneer.”  My plan is to play golf at least once while I am there, at least nine holes.  I will have to rent clubs, not something I really like to do, but it will be worth it.

   I also have work to do.  I have several conferences/workshops to attend, and my goal is to get new ideas and bring them back, ideas for the new web site I will help build, ideas for the spring writing and technology class I will be helping teach this coming spring. 

   Enough of that.  On to golf…

*See next post for the golf portion.

Outdrive or Outscore?, Birdie 24, and a Qwest Update

     Since we were done with that game, I did something a little different on the next hole by trying to drive the green.  I smacked a high push/fade that flew over the cottonwoods and ended up in the bunker next to the green.  It was not where I was aiming, but it was beautiful.  I had a long bunker shot to start and my full swing caused a bad contact that skittered my ball over to the right, landing it right back in the bunker again.  Then I made a much better contact giving my ball a ride on the sand.  Little clumps of sand fell on the green in a small shower and my ball was pretty close, about six feet away.  I made that putt for a funky, funny par that tricked my fellow players into thinking I had made a bogey when we discussed honors on the last teeing ground.

Halloween, Terry, and Match Play

Halloween is tomorrow.  It’s nice that it’s on a Sunday this year.  I had my class’s Halloween party on Friday.  Next year, Halloween’s on a Monday, though.  I’m reading a funny book sent to me by my best friend Joe called 32 Third Graders and One Class Bunny by Phillip Done.  In it, he talks about how much he despises Halloween parties.  He claims he would, “… rather take three Christmas parties and four Easters any day for one Halloween.  Who ever thought that stuffing millions of children with candy, then sticking them in costumes and putting spears in their hands all on the same day was a good idea?” 

   No doubt they are pretty chaotic days, but they are also great fun.  Where else do children get to pretend to be someone else?  I was a “stormteacher,” using an authentic replica stormtrooper helmet that I also got from my best buddy Joe, and it was a big hit.  I would send the children out to recess saying, with my deepest loyal imperial soldier voice, “Move along.  Move along.”

   I hesitate to write about this next part, but I will...

P.A.R. Stands for Something Now

10-28-10

   Hole #14 was sad.  I had a big tee shot that went up to hole #7’s fairway, but when Terry and I drove over to go find it, we never did.  And then a group started to play #7, and another group came up behind us, so after an uncomfortably long amount of searching, I decided to give up.

   When we got back to the tee box...

Day Two-Part 3 or No More Adam

10-26-10

   That’s enough about Adam.  It’s colorful stuff, but it was frightening and a little distasteful.  I worry about him reading this blog, throwing his sand wedge and making it land in my head.  He said he was a bail bondsman on hole #4’s teeing ground.  Thankfully, he is not a bounty hunter, but it’s still a little intimidating.

   Was I affected by all of this?

Day Two-Part 2 or Angry Adam

 10-24-10

   I am mad.  The tournament was on October 3^rd, but I have not taken the time to finish writing about it until now.  I know I am working full time as a teacher, but I should have fit it in better.  Ah well, better to write about it now than not at all.  It will all get in here eventually.

   I wanted to mention one more thing about the first day.  It’s not a big deal, but on the first tee after Tom had announced our names on the intercom, we (Mickey, Terry and I) had a conversation about our last names and how people hardly pronounced them correctly, especially Terry’s and mine.  I think Tom said Swoop when he announced my name.  We then talked about the origins of our last names.  I’ve been told Swope comes from Schwabia (sp?), a country in Germany.  I am of Irish and German descent.  So, once again, not a big deal, but interesting to me.  We were all relaxed on the first tee and knew each other well enough to have a casual conversation about that.

   Okay, day two.  Day two was odd...

The Good, the Bad, and the "Ugly Lucky"-Day Two-Part 1

10-18-10

   On the second day, he (Terry) did not play as well, but he ended up in a playoff for the President’s Cup (low net score) with Paul (last name).  Paul won with a birdie to Terry’s par on hole #10.  I wanted Terry to win.  That would have helped me out because he would have been “taken out” of the flight I was in for playing so well.  I stuck around to watch the playoff, and I also stuck around to see where I ended up.  I could have left and found out later, but I was curious to see it all right up to the very end...

Day One-Hidden Valley Championship

10-15-10


     I am looking at the scorecards from that weekend, and I am upset that I didn’t write about the tournament right away. It’s better when it’s fresh in my mind, but I’ll do my best to recount the highlights anyway.
This was the best tournament (stroke play) that I have played to date. I took 2nd place in the First Flight with my gross score. I shot an 84, 86 for a 170 total, and my net score was a 138. Bruce took 2nd place in the Championship Flight with his gross and net score, tying another guy exactly, so they both got $40.00 in the pro shop, too.
On Saturday, I played with Mickey and Terry. Mickey is the course superintendent who retired, and then, after a miserable stint with a highly recommended guy who took his place and ruined things (I heard all the grisly details on hole #12), was asked to come back out of retirement and fix it all. Which he did. He was great on hole #9 when my ball ended up in the ditch.

Hidden Valley Club Championship

10-3-10
The Hidden Valley Club Championship is over. The last drive was taken by Terry (last name). The last putt was a birdie putt made by Paul (last name). He won the play-off for lowest net score. My last putt was on #18. I made a putt for bogey there. I played the best I’ve ever played, and yet, I feel I also played terribly. Does that even make any sense? I was very consistent, but I was also very inconsistent. I shot a 45, 39 for an 84 on Saturday and a 45, 41 for an 86 today.
These are the highlights: Bruce and C.J. played, both for the first time ever, and Bruce won 2nd place with his gross score in the Championship Flight, and that included an 8 on hole #12 on the first day. If he had earned just a bogey on that hole, he could have been the club champ.
Second, I had two birdies, one on hole #6 on the first day and one on hole #13 today.
Third, one of the guys I played with today had a 13 on the first hole, threw his wedge and had it sticking out of the green there, and then ended up leaving in disgust on hole #10.
Fourth, I met a new neighbor who lives here in Kokopelli, a widower who lives in a house we’ve driven by numerous times. His name is Terry. Very nice man.
I will fill in the details later. I kept my own scorecards, and I have $40 to spend in the pro shop! So does Bruce. I am thrilled. It was a good weekend for me for golf.

The Scramble

The only thing I have not written about is the scramble, so here I go.

Last weekend, Bruce, C.J., Don (last name), and I played in the scramble fundraiser for the golf team. Teams were allowed to buy up to ten mulligans for $5.00/each, but I thought that was too many. We only bought six. Each one, except the one on #17, was used wisely and really helped our score.

We got it to -4 when we were all done, -2 on the front and -2 on the back. I thought -6 would get us in the running, but it turns out the winning team was Don (different last name's). They got it to -12! That is an amazing score considering this was the modified type of scramble, the kind where we all tee off and choose the best two tee shots, but after that we split our team and scramble in with two teams of two players each. That makes a lower score more difficult to achieve than a typical scramble. Another team got it to -10 or -9, so we were not low enough, but we all had a fine time.

I played okay. I had some good shots and some bad ones. I did birdie one hole all by myself.


Hidden Valley-Hole #4-Birdie #21 of 2010

Bruce earned an eagle later in this round on hole #9, but I overheard him tell C.J. that it was an “il-eagle” because he got a read from my first putt. This was not an “il-birdie.” I really did do it all on my own. My gap wedge has been perfect for this hole when the flag is up on the top tier. I might be left or right, but the distance has been spot on. It was again for this tournament. My ball stopped two feet from the hole. A hole-in-one would have won a Bose stereo system, but I was two feet left of the hole, so no sweet sounding music system for me this time. Still no ace yet. I went down and tapped it in for one of our birdies.

Some of my other good shots included a smooth 7-iron (for $10,000.00 on hole #6) that landed my ball just off the green on the front side, less than twenty feet from the hole. Sadly, Don and I could not get in with the four shots we had between us to earn our par from there. I had a super long drive on hole #5 and another long drive on hole #7. Both of those drives were used. For this scramble, I tried two different golf balls that I bought at Wal-Mart. For the long drives, I used a Top Flite Freak, and for approaches and chips, I started with a soft Top Flite ball, but quickly switched back to the Titleist golf balls I had been using this entire season, the ones Joe bought me and the ones I got with a winning ticket at the last Robbie Ward Memorial last spring. The Top Flite ones felt weird off my putterhead.

I made a nice above the hole putt from four feet for par on #18, and on the very next hole, I made a longer putt (about thirteen to fifteen feet) for a birdie. Bruce’s chip got us in striking range for that putt.

After using a mulligan, I putted my ball from off the green on #14 and got it within two to three feet for another birdie. My first putt and Don’s first chip rolled past the hole and ended up in the “toilet,” so the mulligan really helped on this hole.

I had another nice putt for par on the final hole, hole #12. It started with my tee shot, and Don made the chip that put his ball within five feet of the hole, but it was above the hole again. That was better than my skulled chip that barely stayed on the green, almost rolling off on the far side. I made up for it, though, picking the right line and the right speed, and then executing the putt with confidence.

After it was over, I was the only one left from our team sitting on the patio with four tickets for prize drawings. One ticket was a winner, but the prize was not that big of a deal. I won an XTO beanie type hat and winter gloves. I don’t know whose ticket it was that won (I know it wasn’t mine), but they had given them all to me, so I am keeping the gloves for B to use when riding her scooter. If it was a bigger prize, I would have figured out who had won and given it to him.

I want to quickly mention that Qwest left a comment on my blog to e-mail a Steph about my frustrations with Qwest. I have not contacted her yet, but I am amazed that it was even noticed. I still only have three followers. What kind of software is Qwest using to search for its name like this and then e-mail the blogger to try and remedy a bad situation? I am impressed and a little bit freaked out by it all. I will contact her to see what she says about it and then relay her reply here.



Until next time…

Homecoming and Tournament Prep

10-1-10
This afternoon, James was in the parade for Homecoming, and tonight he and Kendra were recognized at halftime at the Homecoming football game as this year’s junior attendants.  Belinda and I are both very proud of our son.  Danielle started driving this week with her learner’s permit, too, so this has been a busy and eventful week for our family with teenagers.  She just drove us home from the (last name's).
Now, I am in bed writing.  B is asleep next to me, and I have the most important tournament of the season coming up tomorrow.  I should have prepared better this week, especially working out, but I didn’t.  I did do some other things to get ready, though, things I normally do when I have a big tournament.
First, I visualized every night before falling off to sleep.  When I do this, I see myself shaking hands with the competitors at hole #1, and then I play a stellar round.  I make pars and birdies on every hole, and I picture super full swings, chips with a gentle touch that stop right by the hole or go in, and putts that always fall in no matter how far away I am.
I practiced tonight, too.  I did my short game stuff on the small practice green directly below the patio there at Hidden Valley.  Billie, last year’s champ, sat at one of the tables with his feet up, and watched me every once in a while.  I made five out of six three to four foot putts at every hole location.  I wish they had real holes, but they have five flags with small cream colored plastic cylinders on the bottom that click and stop my golf balls dead when I putt at them.  Then I double-putted ten out of ten times from different locations, a few times from just off the green.  Finally, I lined up six golf balls that steadily were placed farther and farther away from one location, and I did my best to get in with only two shots from each spot.  I started from around ten to twelve feet for the first putt.  On the second to last ball, I had gotten in with only two shots for each ball except the one right before that one.  I putted that one too far past the hole and got a three instead.  But, right after that I chipped one that hit the stick, and so I was done.  I am not sure if it would have fallen in with those silly plastic cylinder things, but it stopped only four to five feet away after it clicked the bottom of the flag, so it might have gone in.
Right when I finished, John, Melanie, and Misty pulled up to hole #9.  It’s really name, name, and other name, but I changed their names for my blog to protect the innocent.  We played together for holes #1, #2, and #3 two times.  I went double, par, par, double par, par, so I hope I play hole #1 better tomorrow and Sunday.
The other thing I did this past week to prepare for tomorrow’s tournament was to do the thing I am doing now, get caught up with my writing.  I know this helps me play better.  When I played in the scramble last weekend, I realized on hole #10 (I don’t know why it was on that hole) that if my mind is overwhelmed with golf thoughts that have not yet been recorded, it affects my play.  I need a fresh start to be fully aware of the round I am playing at the present time.
The only thing I have not written about is the scramble, so check out the next entry.

The Points Game on the Back Nine

9-26-10
On the back nine, it just continued to get better.  C.J. chose the points game for this round, and that’s the game that both Bruce and I enjoy because it forces us to hit fairways and greens in order to score well.  Bruce liked it well before I did.  He is good at it, and he usually wins because he is so consistent.
Well, I was not consistent on the back nine, especially with my full swings.  I would miss fairways, and I would miss greens, but I would save pars.

9-28-10
After the front nine, I was losing...

5th Excerpt From My Golf Diary

10-7-10

In this 5th excerpt, school has just ended for summer (quite ironic since I am at the very beginning of this school year now), I am considering getting lessons at San Juan Country Club, I play the back nine at Pinon Hills for the first time ever, and I record my sixth and seventh birdies.

5-27-00

   Hello again!  School’s out for summer!  We are staying in Bluff, UT right now at the Recapture Lodge.  Time to “recapture” some great golf memories.  First, some big news updates.  Eric and I met with a head pro, Mike (last name), at Country Club where Eric’s dad is a member, about taking lessons.  It’s time.  Dr. Bob Rotella and Jerry (last name), husband of Mrs. (last name) the music teacher at McCoy, both say to get lessons from a pro after you have played for awhile.  That way no bad habits are formed, and improvement is greater, quicker.  So, my goals this summer are to 1. Establish a handicap and 2. Learn from a pro to get that handicap to 25 or less.  Cost is $200 for five lessons.  Not cheap, but reasonable.  If I had a choice, or my way, I would do the unlimited lessons for $550.  I still might.  It depends on time and a Masters in Technology class that may or may not happen. 

5-28-00

   Let’s “recapture” now.  At Pinon Hills, I finally played a total of eighteen holes.  I did not keep score on the front nine, and no shot from the front nine was very memorable to me, except maybe the first drive.  I had to hustle out to play with three others.  For absolutely no warm-up, I hit a beauty down the left side.  Some Guy named Chris and I continued onto the back nine.  Finally, this would be the first time I got a chance to play it.  A young kid (eighth grader) named Josiah from the Piedra Vista golf team caught up and played with us.  I really admired his tee shots.  He hit them fast, far, and long.  It was getting late, so the ranger had taken off all the flags.  I learned a good lesson.  Erase the flag.  It was easier to hit greens because that was all I was aiming for.  My best shot was on a par three.  I hit a nice drive with my pitching wedge.  Josiah said, “Perfect.”  I two-putted or double putted as my nephew Daryl calls it.  A big canyon is on the right side, so it is a beautiful and challenging hole.

 

Civitan-Hole 4

   Without an aggressive tee shot you can end up down the hill, or worse, behind a tree and down the hill.  I ended up down there when playing with Eric against Dan, Eric’s brother-in-law, who has a one or two handicap, and Dan’s son Craig.  My second shot ended up right next to the fence on the backside with only six inches to work with. Dan said no relief without a penalty, so he recommended that I scoop it out with the backside of a putter?  I didn’t know you could do that. (I talked to Mike (last name) about this and he said you can’t.)  I borrowed Eric’s putter (also illegal).  Mine wasn’t built for that kind of thing.  I scooped it out from about thirty-five feet away, and put it about a foot away from the hole.  I tapped in from there for one of the hardest, but absolutely illegal, bogeys I had ever earned.

 

Civitan-Hole 2

   Same day, I got my sixth birdie ever.  Dan drove right next to the pin and tapped in for a birdie.  His score was thirty-two, and he had never played there.  He hit at least seven out of nine greens, and almost always double-putted.  It was fun to watch someone with so much experience and skill.  Anyway, I hit past the green.  From about twenty feet, I chipped in! I think it was at that point Dan decided to compete against Eric and me with his son.  We won, but only because Craig (little Craig) did not play very well.  Actually, he was very good considering his age. 

 

Civitan-Hole 8

   This hole is usually a pretty easy hole.  There’s not a lot of trouble you can get into.  I took my nephew Daryl to play with me when they visited for Easter.  I remember my ball bouncing in front of the green, and rolling up onto it.  I had six feet of work to do and plunked it in for my seventh birdie.  Daryl almost birdied the same hole, but his putt went so fast, it went right over the hole and past.

"Bad" Words, I Pick Three, and Why We Play

The rest of the round stunk.  I sometimes write words on my scorecards to help me remember what went wrong.  I told Bruce those "bad" words I had written when we were walking along the fairway on hole #9, and it was a sad list.  I wrote: ditch, lost!, ball moved, tree, tree again, and lip.  I lost to both Bruce and C.J. again. This time, Bruce shot a 39, C.J. a 47, and me, a 48.  At least the next round we played turned out better for me. 

C.J. Wins, Two Students, and the DMV

9-25-10

   On the back nine, I had earned 17 points by the time I got to hole #16, not the 16 points I thought I had when I wrote earlier about this round.  Bruce had 22 points up to that point, but he blew it wide open by getting 17 more points on hole #16.  Then he got 16 more on the next hole, and it was really over.  The final score was Bruce-74, Pat-41, and C.J.-12.  Bruce and I traded scores on the front and the back for our total stroke play scores.  He went 44, 41 for an 85, and I did a 41, 44 for 85, too.  C.J. recovered and played much better on the back nine; he just couldn’t get any chains going.  He shot a 42.

   On a Thursday after school, we met again for nine holes.  After hole #2, we saw two little girls riding around with someone in a cart...

Found the Scorecard!

9-18-10

   I found that scorecard! So, I am going to go into the details a little bit.  First, though, this is how it worked.  If a player got one of these things on a hole: a fairway, a green in regulation, a par (or a better score), or a win, he had a chance to start a chain of points going.  If that player did the same thing on the next hole, the points doubled, and one point was how each accomplishment started.  So, if a player hit the fairway five times in a row, he would have earned sixteen points, and that did not include any points for any of the other things I mentioned.

   This game was close up until hole #16 when I missed the green.  On the front nine, I was ahead with a score of 22.  Bruce had 19 and C.J. had a rough starting nine shooting a 53 and earning only 2 points.  I was doing a fine job of hitting greens in regulation on the first three holes, and my birdie on #9 gave me four more points to keep ahead of Bruce.  I shot a 41, one of my best nine holes of this season, and Bruce shot a 44.

The Unpublished Article on Hunter's Run

You can read it here first... and last!  This is the article that will never be published (I am pretty sure I can say the word never in this case) in Four Corners Golf Magazine.  D.K. thought it sounded too "bloggy" (my word), and she was disappointed that Bob would not cooperate in order for me to get a more informational article.  She will pay me a "kill fee" (her words) for my time and trouble, and she plans to give me a much better writing assignment for next time, but this one ended up on the "cutting room floor", so I am posting it here.

As I reread it, I agreed.  It's better suited here on my blog...

Qwest Frustrations and Thousand Foot Krutch Fun

I apologize again that this post is dated earlier, but now that school has started, I've been busy.  This post gives another reason for a delay in posts, too.

9-6-10

   I can’t believe it’s Labor Day, and we still do not have the new internet.  I am disappointed with Qwest.  We called beforehand to make sure the transition would be quick and easy, but alas, it was of no use.  I was told that getting a cancellation number from Earthlink would really help speed up the process.  It didn’t.  I don’t even remember what the excuses were this time, but we won’t have internet now until maybe tomorrow, or probably Wednesday. 

   I’ve been okay with it except for the blog.

Zen Again, Earthlink, and a New Article and Golf Are Coming Soon

I know the date for this piece is from last month, but I forgot I had written it, and I think it's an important post.  It talks about Zen (probably for the last time), and it mentions my new scooter. I apologize for the messy chronological order.

8-28-10

   I have three media going right now, and we don’t even have any internet.  I am watching P.O.V. on KNME, writing on the laptop, and listening to my iPod Touch. 

   I hate to keep writing about it, but grief is a strange and unpredictable thing.  I still miss Zen.  The show I’m watching reminded me of him again.  The lady who is narrating and who made the film I’m watching had a strange dream about her horse George.  It happened on a night when the electricity went out.

Two Birdies: One at Hidden Valley and One at Hunter's Run

9-12-10

   I just submitted my article about Hunter’s Run to D.K.  I like it, but I worry about offending anybody, particularly Bob, the owner there.  I know he did not want an article, so I hope he reads it and likes it. 

   I did not play well after hole #4, but I had a great time, and knowing how low-key it is there made for an even more enjoyable experience.  He let me play for free for crying out loud.  Nobody does that.  I did go get some cash to pay him after my round was over.  I think the attitude there is...

Coming Back Soon

We got our newer internet speed today!  Soon I will be posting something from home again.  Can't wait!  I have quite a bit to share.

Internet Upgrade Coming to Our House

We are upgrading our internet speed, so I am currenly unable to add new posts from home.  We should have the newer faster service up and running by the beginning of September, so I will add a new post soon after that. 

Just some quick tidbits:

First, I am playing golf with Bruce (and probably C.J.) tomorrow at Hidden Valley, the first time I will play since school started. 

Second, D.K. contacted me about writing a new article for the fall issue.  I might write about Hunter's Run in Ignacio, or I might write about the tournament that took place at Glacier between all of the clubs in this area, the one Hidden Valley claimed victory for the inaugural event.

Until next time...

4th Excerpt From My Golf Diary

In this excerpt, Eric and I play golf at Painted Mountain in Arizona as part of a time-share presentation deal.  I putt for an eagle for the first time, but the par five I am playing is such a short one, it's more like a long par four.  Each time I read one of these excerpts, I am struck by my enthusiasm.  I sure use a bunch of exclamation marks!  

5-25-00

   Lots to write about so here goes.  Over spring break, Eric and I played at Painted Mountain in Mesa, AZ.  We went for a time-share presentation and deal.  We listened to the speech, but both of our families said no!  The kids sure had a lot of fun playing in the pool while we were there. 

I recorded my best score ever.  After fifteen holes on a par seventy course, I had shot a seventy-five.  What helped my score the most was that I had made par on the first five out of six holes!  Par was fifty-nine on those fifteen holes, so I was sixteen over.  I was very happy!  I was set to break one hundred, something I haven’t done yet.  If we hadn’t stopped on account of darkness, I would have.  FastFeet, our kitten, is trying to eat my pencil right now, so it’s hard to write.

 

Painted Mountain-Hole 11

   It’s a par five.  I think I used my driver.  We were playing with two, much older gentlemen, Fred and some other guy.  Sometimes, the other guy would start a hole and then just sit in the cart and let Fred finish it for him.  That’s how old they were.  I don’t remember the other guy’s name, but just insert some old guy’s name and it will be close enough: Archie, Bert, whatever.  One time before teeing off, he had his pants down and was taking a leak in broad view right there on the course!  It was pretty amusing playing with them.  They must have been in their late sixties or early seventies.  Maybe older!  I’m not a great judge of age.  One time, the guy whose name I can’t remember hit a great drive on a par three onto the green.  He told Fred to go make a birdie for him, and he did! Anyway, on this hole #11, Eric thought he had out-driven me, but he was looking at one of the old guy’s golf balls.  Mine was a good fifteen yards ahead.  The big thing about this hole was that I was on the green in two!  From the white tees, it is four hundred sixty-five yards.  I was putting for an eagle for the first time.  It was a very long putt down hill, and I three-putted to end up with a par.  My second shot, though, was great.  A three iron struck so smoothly it caused Fred and his partner to stop talking and say, “That’s a fine golf shot.”

   Next time, Robby, Bob, Chris, and Josiah at Pinon Hills.  Also, my sixth birdie.  Plus, my hardest earned, illegal, and silly bogey at hole four at Civitan.  And yet one more birdie!

More Thoughts on Anne Frank and Writing

8-13-10

   I am out on our back deck at dusk.  Sprinklers are just finishing up their cycle.  A clear line is drawn on the horizon, accentuated by the dark black below with a few house lights and an orange creamy color above that blends so seamlessly into a light blue that I can’t tell where the orange ends and the blue begins.

   It’s Friday and we’ve begun the new school year.  No children yet, but we’ve had our first staff meeting...

Lifetime Eagle #8!

8-8-10

   Great news!  I scored a new eagle yesterday when I played with C.J.  We played eighteen holes at Hidden Valley.  Here’s how it happened…

Hidden Valley-Hole #11-Eagle #8 of My Lifetime and Birdie/Eagle #18 of 2010

   I teed off with my 5-wood, my usual choice for this hole.  It was a nice drive, but I wasn’t sure if it would end up on the fairway or slightly off of the fairway on the left side.  When I got to my ball, I found out it was just off the fairway, maybe ten feet away.  I saw the 100-yard marker, and I could clearly see (in my mind) the 100-yard circle coming through my ball, so I chose my sand wedge.  Since the flag was on the front, I was thinking it would be approximately 90 yards to the hole.  The day before I had tried to hit down on a ball that was in the taller grass and ended up shanking it out of bounds.  For this shot, I reminded myself to simply let the club do the work.  Another thing that made this swing so beautiful, so relaxed, was that we had played holes #10 and #11 earlier that day, and I had already earned a par on each one.  I had just bogeyed #10, so C.J. and I decided we would keep the par scores I had earned when we started.  So, I counted this as a free score in my head, a score that might or might not count.  It was like a free swing, so I swung freely...

Pole Creek-Time Alone With Dad and Guy

Dad and I on Hole #9-The Ridge at Pole Creek Golf Course

8-4-10

   I was right on both counts.  It was precious time together, a time that I will never forget and always cherish, and shooting a low score on the new course was difficult.

   I shot a 46 on the front, which is average for me now, but not too bad.  Then I did even worse on the back nine, shooting a 49.  Par was 36 for each nine.  It was not my full swing that was the problem, though.  For the first time I can remember since I started playing, it was my putting.  I triple-putted way too often.  The greens, despite practicing on them for a few minutes before the round, were… confusing.  I started by not making a big enough swing, leaving my ball short of the holes.  Then I switched to taking too big of a swing (as the greens were getting faster due to the warmer temperature), putting my ball too far past the holes.  I did make some great putts, though.

August Already?

8-2-10

   Whoa!  We are in August now.  It seemed only yesterday when I wrote that we were halfway through July.  When we get back home after our vacation here in Grand Lake, we will be exactly one week from reporting back to school on the 11^th. 

   We are on our Grand Lake family reunion vacation, staying at a cabin five miles or so outside of Granby this time.  It’s a nice cabin, but it was not cleaned well before Guy and Annmarie arrived.  They called to get someone in here (a lady named Fudgie?) to clean it.  It’s better now.  The Lamberts were here for Friday and Saturday night.  They left yesterday around noon.  Now, it’s Mom, Dad, Guy, Annmarie, Shylah, and our family.  We plan on leaving on Wednesday morning.  Mom and Dad plan on leaving tomorrow afternoon.  They need to get back to be with Emily who is staying with them for a goalie camp.

   We started at Winter Park with a nice lunch at The Cheeky Monk Restaurant and then...

Riverview in Kirtland with C.J. and Norm

Wow, I played well again.  I shot an 84 at Riverview today.  I scored a 41 on the desert side, the front nine, and a 43 on the back, the longer more flat and boring side.  The back nine score included a triple bogey on the final hole, a 384 yard par four, so I had a great chance at an 80 before starting that last hole. 

   Norm chose for us to play the points game again even though he did not feel comfortable choosing.  C.J. wanted to do a best ball thing, and I recommended we do both.  So, we did.  I was happy to play the points game again, and my playing partners commented that it might be because I won the last time.  They were right.  I saw for the first time why Bruce likes this game so much.  It was a small epiphany for me.  Here it is; it’s very simple:

High Praise for Hidden Valley

I played with C.J. and Norm today.  I thought C.J. would want to take a break after playing twice over the weekend in Albuquerque, but he called me and off we went.  I won the game we played, and I earned a new birdie.  It’s getting late, so I am going to sleep now, but I plan on writing about that round tomorrow. 

   We plan on playing again on Wednesday, but at Riverview this time, just for a change of pace.  I am so looking forward to that.  I’ve been itching to play a different course.  I was hoping for Hillcrest, but Riverview will be wonderful.

A Scramble for Par and Don and Bill

7-26-10

   Okay, so it’s not tomorrow, but here it is.  We were confident that we would only give the Bogey Man four strokes on the back, but we didn’t.  The back can be easier sometimes, but not this time.  We shot a 42, which was also my final score on the back.  Since par on the back is 35, we gave him seven strokes, but at least we got him on the front. 

   I would like to go back to the front to write about hole #8.  I really wish C.J. had earned a par on this hole, but he missed his putt for par.  His drive landed his ball up against the fence that borders #13.  From there he made a fantastic save/approach that actually landed on the green, but rolled off just a bit on the left side.  His birdie putt from off the green came up short, and he almost made that putt for par, but it was not meant to be. 

   I, however, made my best par save of the summer.

Three Young Kids and an Old Guy

This post is from earlier this summer when I played in two volleyball tournaments with my two children and my niece and nephew. Our team name was The Frying Pan Wolves (we picked nouns from a hat), but we became known as three young kids and an old guy around the tournaments. I get to the golf about halfway through the post.

7-3-10
In the Settin’ in the Sun tournament, we took 3rd. We took 3rd out of four teams, but hey, we got 3rd. We also, however, took one game off of everybody we played.
In pool play, we beat the eventual winners in one game. Their team was called The Campfire Girls even though they had two guys on their team, George and his son Reed.

3rd Excerpt from My Golf Diary

7-22-10

     In this third excerpt, I noticed that I used the word "hit" most of the time.  Now, I use the word "swing" instead because of what I learned from Mike and Gary, the former head pros at San Juan Country Club and Hidden Valley respectively when I took lessons from them.  It took years and years to figure this out, but I do NOT "hit" the golf ball, I "swing" the golf club, and the ball gets in the way.  I also record my fourth and fifth birdies ever, although I had two "fourth" birdies, one on a life-size computer game at Dave and Busters's and one at Civitan, the par three course in Farmintgton.  I took James and Danielle with me to Civitan, and since it is dated the year 2000, they would have been seven and five years old respectively.  This August, they will be seventeen and fifteen. I end by writing about how I felt golf should be played.  

3-2-00

Whoa!  2000!  A new millennium of golf.  I’ve got a lot of catching up to do including two more birdies.

Frank McCourt, Cabin Musings, and Money

7-16-10

   We are on the downhill slide now.  Yesterday it was only halfway through July, but now we are done for.  Now, it’s past the middle of July; summer might as well end at midnight tonight.  Okay, not really.

   I brought Teacher Man up to the cabin to read again.  I love that book, and I admire that man, Frank McCourt.  I look up to him as a person and a writer.  I want to write just like he does, but make it my own.  Sounds contrary, doesn’t it, but when I read his words, my mind does happy flips.  He had a gift; he wrote from the hip, and my eyes roll right over the words happy and satisfied to be taking them all in, impressed and content with the fact that this man knew how to write, knew how to put words and stories together in the most satisfying and entertaining ways.  No wonder he earned a Pulitzer Prize.  He was a master!

   The greatest compliment I can give him is that his books make me want to do what I am doing right now, write.

Little 3-Club Tourney and C.J.'s Curse

7-10-10

   I won a golf tournament today!  It was a small tournament and an unofficial one, but hey, a win is a win.  I will continue to downplay it here, but I do know that any win is a good win.  I did what I needed to do, and I got it done.

   C.J. called me earlier this week and left a message saying that Hidden Valley was hosting a 3-club tournament on Saturday.  I assumed that Bruce and C.J. were planning on playing in it, too, so I didn’t call him back; I just showed up this morning.  He wasn’t there.  Tom told me I would be playing with three other guys.  One of them was named Rocky, and I met him right there at the register.  He was one of the guys playing in the group ahead of us when I played with Chris.  We passed them that day when we made the turn since they were playing slowly.  I think they are all about having fun, and not so serious about golf.  I overheard Tom say they usually can get pretty “sauced” by about the 16^th hole.  After it was over today, I heard Rocky tell Doug (last name) that he got an 8, and then he got a 9, and then a 10.  Yes, not so serious about golf; I think that’s true. 

Thank You, Yoda and Chewie

7-9-10

   Chris asked me to be a part of his foursome the day after the 4^th of July when I had played alone.  I wrote a tidbit about that earlier (in my journal, but not in this blog), but it was very nice of him to ask me.  C.J. showed up when we were about to head over to the tee box on #1, and I had a slight awkward moment when Bruce also pulled up in his jeep, or maybe Bruce had the awkward moment, I don’t know, but I don’t want to speak for him.  He apologized for not calling me to ask me to play that morning, but I obviously couldn’t play with him since I was riding in a cart about ready to go play with another group.  I felt like I was "cheating," and he felt bad for not calling.  It was a tad awkward.

Planet VickiJoan

7-5-10


The following post tells the story of my first visit to Planet VickiJoan last year.


7-8-09


   I played at Civitan the week before the Classic with Vicki and Joan, two of my friends from the Bisti Writing Project, part of the National Writing Project that encourages teachers to see themselves as writers in order to become better teachers of writing. This was the first official golf outing for what we members affectionately call 'The BWP', and it was delightful and refreshing. We played a different version of golf that day, and it was a jolting reminder of what it was like when I first started playing golf. We went to a planet I’ll call Planet VickiJoan.

Meanwhile, Back on Planet VickiJoan

  Last Friday, I played with Vicki and Joan again, two of my friends from the Bisti Writing Project.  I played with them last year for the first time, and they are members of the Western New Mexico Lunatic Fringe League (great name).  Follow this link to check out their blog/site: wnmlfgolf.blogspot.com/.


  After this post, I will copy and paste the entry from my journal that tells what happened the first time we played for my next post.  If you want to read it in chronological order, read that post first.

7-5-10

   I just put away my clothes.  Cell phone is charging.  It’s the day after the 4^th of July, and I am relaxing and writing.  And, I just finished playing golf with Chris, Tim, and Pat.  I asked Chris to see if he could play with me yesterday on the 4^th of July.  I tried Bruce and C.J., too, but because of the holiday nobody could (or would) play with me.  So, I played by myself.  We did have a big family get-together at the (last name's), so I only played nine holes.  Because of the volleyball tournament, playing nine holes was just right.

   I have the Planet VickiJoan experience to share, so I’ll start with that.

   Playing with Vicki and Joan again was fantastic.

Second Excerpt from My Golf Diary

In this post, I did another cut and paste from my original golf diary. It shows the steep learning curve that was taking place, and it also includes a comment from 2002 when I was reading through my diary a second or third time.  I also begin to record my birdies (bold text), a theme that has continued all the way up to today.  I have recorded every single birdie and eagle I have ever made since I started playing.  I should count how many there are total.  I would always start a new birdie count each season, so I am not sure of the overall count.  This blog would be a good reason to figure it out.  I do know I have had seven eagles, and I have not had a single ace yet, but how many birdies?



10-26-99

I’m going to try and write about some more great golf memories this time.

Zen, the Radio, and Healing (a post just about Zen this time)

6-22-10

  

   Belinda and I just got back from the (last name’s).  Becca was celebrating her birthday with her friends.  Danielle will be spending the night there tonight. 

   I helped out with the Bisti Writing Project today, and I actually did get to help.  I helped with some technology problems, and I gave some writing advice as well. 

   As I was driving home, I had another strange radio “encounter.”

How Zen Died and How C.J. and I Took 2nd in the 2-Person Best Ball

*Please know that I am not heartless or cruel (quite the opposite) to include how my dog died and golf descriptions in the same post. Writing and staying busy help me keep my mind off of the inconceivable tragedy that took place. This tournament took place on the weekend before the Friday Zen died.

6-21-10

I am doing better with what happened with Zen.

Our Dog Zen Dies and I Play Some of My Best Tournament Golf

6-18-10
Zen is dead. He died today. I ran over him with our truck. It was an accident. We buried him near the path that leads to the hills behind our home. I am too upset to write about it right now. I want to write about golf to get my mind off of it.
We are driving to Lakewood. B is driving while the children rest in the back seats. Danielle is up now. She’s crying. We have all cried numerous times today. Enough. I am going to write about golf now to get my mind off of Zen.

On to golf…

C.J. and I played together for the first time in the Microbial Energy Two-Person Best Ball tournament last weekend.

First Entry from my Golf Diary/Journal Back in '99

Hard to believe that the piece that follows is over ten years old now. I have come so far. Today, I scored a birdie and another new eagle! The birdie came on hole #10, and the eagle came on hole #14 at my home course, Hidden Valley. That eagle is my seventh now since I earned five last summer, and the other, my first one, on hole #10 years ago.


Hello, this is my new golf diary!
My Golf Diary
Pat Swope
9-25-99




9-25-99
Tomorrow, I will play golf, not go golfing.

Top Ten Lessons From My Golf Journal

This is the perfect beginning for my blog. What follows is the first article I had published in Four Corners Golf Magazine. It's a great preview of what this blog will be all about, and it also gives more information about who I am.

My Top Ten Lessons From My Golf Journal


    On September 25th, 1999, I started what I called My Golf Diary. I was a beginning golfer without a handicap or a clue. The idea was to keep a record of my successes because golf can be such a difficult, spirit-crushing, confidence-bashing adventure, and I wanted to have a journal to boost my morale when I needed it. Since that time, I’ve written pages and pages about my experiences and lessons (not only lessons from an instructor, but lessons learned while writing about golf). In this article, I’ve condensed those lessons into a Top Ten List. Because I will be celebrating ten years of playing (and writing about) golf this September, this seemed like a fabulous opportunity to share what I have learned.