Happy Birthday Mom, a 38, and QT With James

3-29-12   

    Yesterday was my Mom’s birthday.  We were able to chat face to face on FaceTime last night for a good thirty or forty minutes.  Bev was there with Erica (they left early on a trip to Washington for volleyball today), so we got to visit with them, too.  Dad made mom breakfast, took her to lunch, and then they watched the movie The Vow.  She got to speak with all three of her children, so she said it was a great day.  Happy birthday, Mom!
    I played golf yesterday with Bruce and C.J. They played a full eighteen, but I met them on #5.  I shot a 38 on the back nine!  I missed a 37, my best score ever on nine holes, by an inch on the right side for a birdie on #18. More on that later.
    Next on my to do list, though, is my trip with James to Long Beach.  He originally wanted to...

Not Two Birdies... Five!

3-23-12
    

    We are on our second leg of our flights out to Long Beach.  The first stop was in Salt Lake City.  It’s nice how things work out.  We are going to Long Beach for James, but we will get to see Garylee and Darrell.  What a bonus!  As soon as we land, we’ll get my golf clubs, our rental car, and then head out to our hotel.  After that, James will register for his event and then we’ll head to the hospital.  Can’t wait to see Garylee.
    Next on my writing to do list were the two recent birdies I had earned, but in my last round before this trip I added three more!  Here they are in chronological order...

For Garylee

Written on 3-18-12
    

    It’s snowing outside.  I called C.J. to see how they had done yesterday in their best ball tournament.  I played the back nine while they played the front.  I only played nine holes in order to see James compete in the finals of the 110 hurdles.  According to C.J., they took third.  Bruce birdied #11 and #12 and then he eagled #18 again.  Gee whiz!  That's amazing!  C.J. said he had 15 good holes and only 3 bad ones.
    In other recent news, Garylee is closer to getting his new heart today according to his site at Caring Bridge.  Here is the link: www.caringbridge.org/visit/garyleezuniga.  The doctors have...

My Writing To Do List

3-17-12
    

    Happy St. Patrick’s Day.  Happy spring break to us.  I have so many things to write about again, and now I have more time to let them tumble out of my brain, my new and improved brain that is.  Hope the words tumble out well.  I will make a list of ideas, and then just get going.  So, here is my writing to do list...

A New Way to Lower My Scores

    Bruce forwarded an e-mail from C.J. to me with my scores.  It was the day C.J. had beaten me in match play.  I am writing about this because it kept on getting better and better.  Right after the match he had told me I had shot a 48.  Then he called me as I was driving home from the course and he said it was a 46.  He apologized for giving me the wrong score the first time.  Later, when Bruce and I were corresponding he sent this forwarded message from C.J.:

Bruce, would you forward Pat's golf scores from the other day...i know he likes to keep a record of all his scores.

front nine: 5,4,4,3,6,3,7,5,7

    Now when I add those up, it comes to a 44. In summary, I had gone from a 48 to a 46 to a final 44.  Nice.  I wish lowering scores could always be this easy.

15th Excerpt from My Original 2000 Golf Diary

    In this excerpt, I expound on what Mike wanted me to do that was so drastic during one of my full swing lessons.  It worked, but looking back now I know it was only a temporary thing.  It was sure fun for that day, though.  I found a secret to some power.  

    I also recall a sand save I made on hole #7 at Pinon Hills, a sand save where I applied everything Mike had taught me about playing from a bunker/trap.  Not much has changed there.  This advice for playing out of a bunker still applies today. 

    He told me to flip my wrists over at impact violently.  He also said longer clubs will help me tremendously, and a lie angle suited more for my type of swing, but he wanted me to flip my wrists hard right now!  I thought I was supposed to use big muscles in my golf swing, but I tried it.  I ripped one off right at the target.  Then I ripped off another one.  Same result.  This one lands twenty yards right behind the one hundred-fifty yard marker, my target for that day, and I am using a teed 7-iron.  I rip off yet another one, and I am smiling the whole time.  This “wrist flip” is pretty cool and accurate. 
    That was my last lesson on the full swing for a while.  I told Mike I wanted to take a break from the full swing, and go back to...