The Rest of the Firsts

1-27-12
    I will start right away with another first.  This was my first birdie of the year 2012.


Hidden Valley-Hole #14-Birdie #1 of 2012 

    I don’t know how my drive ended up on the fairway.  With my new Mach Speed driver, I definitely smacked a straight pull that looked like it would end up on the hill past the trees, possibly on #7’s fairway.  When I looked around for it up there, though, I glanced down at the fairway and saw a ball.  It was mine.  I still had a ways to go, so I used my 6-iron to attempt the green in two shots.  That shot pulled slightly, and when I found my ball again it was...

short of the green on the hill above and to the left.  The hole was on the top right side this time.  The chip was the best shot.  I did a little one, two back and forth motion with my wedge.  The ball popped up nicely, landing short like I had wanted and rolled up near the hole.  I made that putt for my first birdie of this year.  Good start!

    I also started another journal/word document titled Golf Diary Part 10.  Since I started golf in 1999, I have kept journals about my rounds and adventures every year, but it was years ago that I decided to do them year by year. So, I am writing in my tenth one even though I have been playing for more years than that.
    Bruce and I took our first beating at the hands of C.J. at the beginning of this month.  It was my fault.  C.J. said he wanted to play with only one club.  I wanted to try my new irons, so I opted out, and Bruce chose not to do the “one club” thing either.  I don’t know what I was thinking.  C.J. has a higher handicap than the both of us.  I thought that and the use of only one club would give him a major disadvantage, so I suggested two strokes per hole.  We were playing the Reverse Handicap Game this time.  C.J. told us he plays close to his handicap even when he plays with only one, but I wouldn’t listen.  I think Bruce was leaning more towards only one stroke a hole, but I wanted to be fair.
    It was completely unfair; it was no contest.  He won the first six holes with these gross/net scores: 6/4, 5/3, 4/2, 4/2, 6/4, and 4/2.  Who said he should get two strokes?  I ended up blaming Bruce.  He laughed.  We stopped keeping score.  C.J. had won, and we had lost.  I will never underestimate C.J. again.