Written on Valentine's Day...
I did not score a hole-in-one, but I did make some scrambling moves to earn some decent scores. I tried to get Chris to come play with us, but he had promised to watch some wrestlers. I tried Eric, too, knowing he wouldn’t, but turns out that he couldn’t either because he was flying for C.A.P. (Civil Air Patrol). He said he would fly over and call me on my cell, which he did twice. The first time we were on hole #12. I waved my long putter in the air for him to see us. I guess I was doing it when Pat, my partner, was putting. Hope I did not distract him, but he did comment earlier that he wasn’t good enough to be distracted. That's funny---that's a good one. I need to remember that one. Then Eric flew over again when we were on hole #1 (we played the back nine first since it was so crowded). We talked on the phone as I waved at him.
So, we almost won. Bruce came on so strongly at the end; he really had a chance to win it all for his team on holes #8 and #9 almost going...
birdie, birdie to snatch the victory right out of our pockets. I left feeling relieved to get a tie.So, we almost won. Bruce came on so strongly at the end; he really had a chance to win it all for his team on holes #8 and #9 almost going...
Pat (last name) showed up without his usual partner, Mike (other last name), who was away on a business trip. I saw Bill and Jim (not their real names) again as we were getting ready to go out, and they were kind enough to ask me to join them for a second time since they had only three, and they thought I might be playing alone again. They ended up taking off in front of our group.
Pat joined us, though, so we took on Bruce and C.J. in a best ball match play game. No pops this time, just straight up scoring. This was a great, fun match. It started out breezy and cold. By the middle of the round, though, I had taken off my jacket and was wishing I had brought a t-shirt instead of a long sleeve shirt. The weather must have been in the mid-fifties, and the greens and grounds were all softer still. Tees could actually be pushed into the ground again, even on #12’s teeing ground, but only just barely there.
I played well, helping our team by pushing or even winning some holes. It was a scramble on most holes for me, and it started on hole #10. I pushed my tee shot next to the sign on hole #11, but a pitch and putt earned my par. Bruce and C.J. earned pars, too. We started off even. On #11, Bruce earned the only par and best score, so we were down one. On #12, I pulled my tee shot, and it nearly went into the ditch. Another good pitch (and two putts this time), and I had earned a bogey, good enough to tie Bruce and C.J. again and remain only one down.
Hole #13 was crazy. I used my driver, but I made a terrible swing. If it’s possible to hit it off the toe and slice it, that’s what I did. My ball ended up in the junk between the teeing ground and the green on hole #16. Then I pushed my approach, landing my ball near the cart path behind the green. Another great pitch and another putt (about a two-footer this time), though, and I had scrambled for another par. Pat earned a par, too, though, so we really earned this hole; we were back to even.
I made a weird birdie on hole #14. This is how I did it.
Hidden Valley-Hole #14-Birdie #2 of 2012
I am getting used to my new Nike Mach Speed driver. I’ve hit about 50% of my drives to my satisfaction. The rest have been scuffed, pulled, hooked or just not so pure. This one was scuffed. My driver hit the ground first and my ball shot out low. It rolled through the bunker out there and ended up in the middle of the fairway, but much farther from the green than I am used to. After that, I used my Wishon utility club, but that one shot out to the right. I thought it would end up near the trees on the right side past the hill, but it had rolled down to the fairway. Then I made another really decent pitch. This one landed short of the green, bounced a few times and started to roll just before getting on the green. It trickled on and stopped just past the hole. It threatened to go down into the bowl, but it listened to Bruce who kept saying, “Stop. Stop. Stop.”
He pitched on from the right side. His ball ended up about as far away as mine again, but it stayed on the right side. I went first. It was uphill and straight.
I had done some putting in the living room the day before, and I was rolling it well. I would put a quarter on the right side and a dime on the left, about three inches from each other. I would do my best to putt in between them from about fifteen feet or so. If I aimed for the quarter, I would usually end up rolling my ball right between the coins most of the time.
My ball rolled in quickly. Then Bruce made his, too. We were still even.
Pat made the only par to our three bogeys on the next hole. We were one up again. We stayed one up with our two pars to Bruce’s par on hole #16. Pat earned another par on the next hole while I scrambled again, this time for a bogey. I hit the fairway, but I missed the green on the left. I skulled my chip and ended up in the bunker. A great splash, though, and my ball actually lipped the hole! I had only one foot left for my bogey. We were now two up for the first time. Thank you, Pat.
Bruce earned a par to my bogey on #18. I was on in regulation on the left side, but I triple-putted. I left my first putt well short, and I missed my par putt by a smidge on the the top of the hole. After nine holes, Pat and I were back to one up.
After all of that scrambling, I had my best nine hole score of this year. Bruce and I tied with a 39 each. Mine went 3, 5, 4, 4, 4, 5, 3, 5, 6. Bruce went 3, 4, 4, 5, 4, 5, 3, 6, 5.
On the back, Pat and I continued to take turns scoring well on holes.
Okay, enough for tonight. It’s 11:24. The children are back from Albuquerque. They went for student government, and they took state! James has some friends over to celebrate, and Danielle is spending the night at a friend’s house. Belinda and I had a nice double date with the Edgertons at Los Hermanitos last night, an early Valentine’s Day dinner. Then we went to Wal-Mart. I got some new golf balls, tees, and spikes for my shoes, as well as a new tool for removing them and putting them on. B got some new earrings and a watch at Target after that. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Until next time...
I played well, helping our team by pushing or even winning some holes. It was a scramble on most holes for me, and it started on hole #10. I pushed my tee shot next to the sign on hole #11, but a pitch and putt earned my par. Bruce and C.J. earned pars, too. We started off even. On #11, Bruce earned the only par and best score, so we were down one. On #12, I pulled my tee shot, and it nearly went into the ditch. Another good pitch (and two putts this time), and I had earned a bogey, good enough to tie Bruce and C.J. again and remain only one down.
Hole #13 was crazy. I used my driver, but I made a terrible swing. If it’s possible to hit it off the toe and slice it, that’s what I did. My ball ended up in the junk between the teeing ground and the green on hole #16. Then I pushed my approach, landing my ball near the cart path behind the green. Another great pitch and another putt (about a two-footer this time), though, and I had scrambled for another par. Pat earned a par, too, though, so we really earned this hole; we were back to even.
I made a weird birdie on hole #14. This is how I did it.
Hidden Valley-Hole #14-Birdie #2 of 2012
I am getting used to my new Nike Mach Speed driver. I’ve hit about 50% of my drives to my satisfaction. The rest have been scuffed, pulled, hooked or just not so pure. This one was scuffed. My driver hit the ground first and my ball shot out low. It rolled through the bunker out there and ended up in the middle of the fairway, but much farther from the green than I am used to. After that, I used my Wishon utility club, but that one shot out to the right. I thought it would end up near the trees on the right side past the hill, but it had rolled down to the fairway. Then I made another really decent pitch. This one landed short of the green, bounced a few times and started to roll just before getting on the green. It trickled on and stopped just past the hole. It threatened to go down into the bowl, but it listened to Bruce who kept saying, “Stop. Stop. Stop.”
He pitched on from the right side. His ball ended up about as far away as mine again, but it stayed on the right side. I went first. It was uphill and straight.
I had done some putting in the living room the day before, and I was rolling it well. I would put a quarter on the right side and a dime on the left, about three inches from each other. I would do my best to putt in between them from about fifteen feet or so. If I aimed for the quarter, I would usually end up rolling my ball right between the coins most of the time.
My ball rolled in quickly. Then Bruce made his, too. We were still even.
Pat made the only par to our three bogeys on the next hole. We were one up again. We stayed one up with our two pars to Bruce’s par on hole #16. Pat earned another par on the next hole while I scrambled again, this time for a bogey. I hit the fairway, but I missed the green on the left. I skulled my chip and ended up in the bunker. A great splash, though, and my ball actually lipped the hole! I had only one foot left for my bogey. We were now two up for the first time. Thank you, Pat.
Bruce earned a par to my bogey on #18. I was on in regulation on the left side, but I triple-putted. I left my first putt well short, and I missed my par putt by a smidge on the the top of the hole. After nine holes, Pat and I were back to one up.
After all of that scrambling, I had my best nine hole score of this year. Bruce and I tied with a 39 each. Mine went 3, 5, 4, 4, 4, 5, 3, 5, 6. Bruce went 3, 4, 4, 5, 4, 5, 3, 6, 5.
On the back, Pat and I continued to take turns scoring well on holes.
Okay, enough for tonight. It’s 11:24. The children are back from Albuquerque. They went for student government, and they took state! James has some friends over to celebrate, and Danielle is spending the night at a friend’s house. Belinda and I had a nice double date with the Edgertons at Los Hermanitos last night, an early Valentine’s Day dinner. Then we went to Wal-Mart. I got some new golf balls, tees, and spikes for my shoes, as well as a new tool for removing them and putting them on. B got some new earrings and a watch at Target after that. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Until next time...
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