Birdie with Family (Just Guy) #2: Part 1

Hidden Valley Golf Course-Hole #18-Birdie #31 of 2012

    I earned my 31st birdie of this year in this “family” round, but I have to be honest that Guy and I played this hole over when I got it.  Mom and Dad left after nine holes to go rest.
    Before we played this hole the first time, we had a twosome behind us that had hit into us three times in a row: once on #14, again on #15, and yet one more time on hole #17.  I bravely and maybe even foolishly turned our cart around to...
go talk to them when they were on the fairway on #17.  I asked if they wanted to play through because they had hit into us three times.  The one holding the beer told us he wasn’t very good and that he didn’t know what he was doing.  The other apologized, but he did not appear truly contrite.  I said it was a great shot, but if they could hit the ball that far, they should wait until we’ve cleared the green.  Hearing myself say it I sounded like a whiner, but I knew deep down I was right.  I asked them to give us some time to get out of their way again, and when we got to the tee box on #18, we saw them drive up their cart, and with a loud, sarcastic voice the one without the beer yelled something like, “Is it clear now?  Can we come up?”
    We answered, “Sure, come on up.”  It was obvious they could, however, because we were on the next tee already.  What a smart-aleck!
    This little scene ruined our play on #18.  We kept hustling to stay out of their way.  We were waiting for one of them to hit into us again.  We were waiting for the next sarcastic shout, and then we saw them waiting again while we were on the green.  It was intimidating.  I don’t even know what we scored that first time, but neither score was low.
    When we were done, I realized that my sand wedge was gone.  I must have left it on hole #17 where I had used it last.  I hated to go back and ask those guys if they had picked it up, but I had to find out.  We drove our cart back towards the fairway where the “yeller” was waiting to play his shot.  He got into his cart with a “fight or flight” syndrome look in his eyes.  When we asked if he had seen my wedge, he breathed easier.  He had not, so we continued on.  As we drove away, I shouted out, “Sorry if we slowed you down.”
    When we got to #17, Guy looked in his bag and found my wedge.  Since we were right there, I decided to have us play #18 again, so we did, and that is how I earned this birdie.