Tuesday, January 18, 2011

The Mexico Christmas Golf Effect

   It took me three holes before I caught up to the next group, Rick’s group.  They asked me if I wanted to join them or play through.  I did not hesitate this time; I told them I was going straight through.  Rick’s brother was smoking a big ol’ cigar, so that made that decision even easier. 
   I am out on our balcony again.   It’s almost 2:00 "ship time."  Kyle was going to take a short nap, but then A and B decided to nap, too, so we are staying on the boat a little longer while they rest.  It’s giving me plenty of writing time, so I am happy. 
   I am in Puerto Vallarta for crying out loud!  I deserve this.  I deserve this.  I deserve this.  It is beautiful here.  The entire idea that tomorrow is Christmas Eve is ludicrous to me.  It feels like springtime, late springtime, not late December and the beginning of winter.  I look up from my laptop, and I see sailboats, jet skis, thirty story or more (I am not going to count; I am on vacation) hotels and/or townhomes right on the water, parasailers, gray naval boats, palm trees, green grass and lush, jungly areas.  I am definitely not in Aztec anymore.
   I played okay yesterday.  I think my attitude is not quite right about golf at this moment.  I feel like this season/year has ended, so to play golf in December on a gorgeous golf course at this late of a date seems like a bonus round, so that’s how I played, like it didn't count.  It was not tournament golf, but I at least recorded an official score on my scorecard.  I shot a 97.  I had a 49 on the front and a 48 on the back.  I had two pars on the front on holes #5 and #9.  I had two pars on the back on holes #11 and #15.  Normally, I would have around four pars/nine holes, but this was not normal, and it was a new course to me, and it was more difficult to play because of that. 
   My favorite par came on hole #15.  I took some pictures of that hole, too.  I did not know where to play my tee shot.  It curved around to the left around a body of water.  I didn’t want to get too close to the water, but I also did not want to go too far right either because I would have ended up being farther from the hole.  I went straight instead.  I was right at the 140-yard area for my approach, and I put my ball right on the green with my 8-iron (wind from the ocean made me club up one).  I double-putted for a par, and I was very relaxed and happy at that hole specifically.  I had played enough holes alone to help me feel at ease, and I was away from anyone trying to sell me golf balls over a boundary fence, too. 
   We are getting ready to leave, so more later on the rest of that round, mostly about my visit with a retired starter named Toby while I waited for the others to finish and some other guy who was skinny and good, at least he said he was good.

No comments: