Written on 11-28-12.
Before November ends, I want to get these four birdies in here, so here I go...
Hidden Valley Golf Course-Hole #13-Birdie #38 of 2012
I was playing golf with my son. He never really wanted to play golf with me when he was younger, and I was fine with that. He and Danielle joined me a few times when they were little, but it never stuck with either one. They had other interests, and I wanted them to do what they wanted anyway.
He really enjoyed basketball and he had incredible speed and potential, but...
his knees would not allow him to play that for long. He found his niche in track, though, specifically the hurdles. We were so proud when he made it to state his senior year. What an accomplishment. So proud.
It was dreamlike and surreal to be on the golf course with James. I was at one of my favorite places with one of my favorite people. It was a similar surreal feeling when I played with Guy when Mom and Dad were watching at Hidden Valley in August.
To make three birdies with James in this same round made it even more special. I swear I was showing off. I wanted him to see what I can do with the sport I love so much.
I used my driver. The ball shot off the clubface and headed towards the right side of the green. Just like the approach on #5 earlier in the day, I knew it would be good. It was like teeing off and saying, “Yep.”
When I climbed the hill and saw my ball on the green, I put my hands up in the air and said, “Yeeesss, yess, yes, yes!”
James laughed because he thought I sounded a bit like Gollum. He told me so, and for the rest of the round he and I could not get the sound of Gollum singing the "tasty fish song" from LOTR: The Two Towers, “To catch a fish, so juicy sweeeeeet.”
Smack goes the fish's head on the rock!
I attempted the eagle putt first. It was a ten footer, and it had a downhill right to left slope. I missed, but I made the one foot uphill putt for the birdie. James tried for the eagle, too, but he also missed. It was fun to putt for two eagles in one day, both with decent chances of going in.
Hidden Valley Golf Course-Hole #18-Birdie #39 of 2012
We played the last hole in with Greg. I had written an article that mentioned Greg for Four Corners Golf Magazine that never made it to copy. It was about the Pinon Hills Classic. I had also played with him more than once. He’s been in my journal before. I couldn’t remember his name, though. I guessed Randy before I introduced James, but Greg set me straight. In my defense, he never said my name this time, and he usually says it first. I used my brain surgery as an excuse.
I aimed for the fairway on #3, but I sliced it all the way over to #18. James chose to let me go it alone on this last hole. I think he wanted to leave sooner so Kyle would not be upset with him for being late. My ball was on the right side of the fairway, and I chose my 7-iron for the approach. I remember the ball was slightly higher than my feet so I gripped down on my club a bit to compensate. My ball flew like a rainbow over the tree and it landed above the hole on the right side. Greg had ended up in the same place, but he was a couple feet farther away so I got the benefit of a read. The putt was going to be fast, and it took very little to get it rolling. All three of us putted (James changed his mind once we got on the green), and all three of us used up only two putts. James’s putt was short, so he had a downhill putt to finish, and he made that one. Mine ended up even with the hole on the right side, just a foot away, so it was easy to finish.
I made three birdies with James that day. Awesome! I need to go back and play holes #15 through #17 to finish my scorecard. For those six holes on the back nine, I am one under.
On Saturday, Bruce, Reilly, C.J., and I played the back nine, and I earned two more birdies. It was the day of Belinda’s and my 22nd anniversary. It’s okay! We had made plans to go to dinner and see a movie with our children that night, so Belinda was fine with it. We will also be going out this weekend alone. Mom and Dad sent us a generous gift card to the Outback Steakhouse that we will use.
Someone suggested best ball match play, and we were all good with that. We talked about whether we should give strokes to Reilly again. C.J. and I were of the mind that he should get three or four pops, but Bruce suggested we all play straight up this time, so that’s what we ended up doing.
It’s a good thing we did. Reilly shot his best nine hole score ever! He shot a 44. I am proud to say I was there to see it. He had four pars. They were on holes #13, #14, #17, and #18. Way to go, Reilly!
Bruce started out slowly, but C.J. and I knew he was just figuring things out. He came on strong at the end just like we knew he would, and he and I tied with a 41 each. He got a birdie on #17 to get his team back to just one down with one hole to play.
C.J. and I ended up winning this time, though. I didn’t mess up and give it away this go-around. I earned two birdies to help our team get ahead and then stay ahead.
Hidden Valley Golf Course-Hole #14-Birdie #40 of 2012
I outdrove my own long drive from the fundraiser tournament. I swung freely again, and I remember keeping my head well behind the ball as a last second swing thought. Wow, that can be an incredible source of power. My ball ended up near that peninsula of taller grass and on the fairway again, but it was around five yards past the marker when I had won the long drive at the fundraiser tournament.
My approach wedge got the call for the approach, and my ball hit the green on the right side ten to fifteen feet short of where the flag was, but it didn’t stay there. It rolled down into the bowl. C.J. and I both ended up down there. I went first since I was away. My ball looked like it broke uphill when it got out of the bowl. It broke away from the hole, though, so I still had six feet to get this birdie. I picked a darker green spot that was halfway there. It was also about a foot to the right of the hole. My ball rolled towards the hole and curved to the left, and it looked like it was going to miss on the bottom. It didn’t, though. It caught the bottom and sneaked in on the left side. Phew! This birdie put us two up with four holes left to play.
Hidden Valley Golf Course-Hole #18-Birdie #41 of 2012
I aimed for the fairway on #3 again, and I almost hit it. It was on the taller grass on the hill on the right side of the fairway. Two guys were playing #3 when I got there. I saw what ended up being my ball and another one that was stuck behind a tree. Thankfully, that ball was one of theirs. My approach was hard to judge since I was on a different fairway, but I chose my pitching wedge. It was a bit long, but I did have pure contact. These new irons are incredible when I make great swings.
My ball ended up in the nearly identical position from the day I played with James. I had the same kind of putt, so I tried to make it a little higher this time. It still did not get high enough, but my ball ended up below the hole, so it appeared to be a better attempt in my eyes. I made that birdie putt to close out the match. I had redeemed myself from the last time I had messed up and gave the match away. Not this time!
In one other bit of news, I put in my order for some new golf shoes at the pro shop. That will use up all of my prize money, and I might have to pay a little more, too. I am excited to get some new shoes. I ordered a pair of the Footjoy Contour series shoes with brown and black. I also ordered some more of the inappropriately titled golf balls as an anniversary gift from Belinda. Thank you, Belinda. She ordered something from Land's End as a gift from me.
Before November ends, I want to get these four birdies in here, so here I go...
Hidden Valley Golf Course-Hole #13-Birdie #38 of 2012
I was playing golf with my son. He never really wanted to play golf with me when he was younger, and I was fine with that. He and Danielle joined me a few times when they were little, but it never stuck with either one. They had other interests, and I wanted them to do what they wanted anyway.
He really enjoyed basketball and he had incredible speed and potential, but...
his knees would not allow him to play that for long. He found his niche in track, though, specifically the hurdles. We were so proud when he made it to state his senior year. What an accomplishment. So proud.
It was dreamlike and surreal to be on the golf course with James. I was at one of my favorite places with one of my favorite people. It was a similar surreal feeling when I played with Guy when Mom and Dad were watching at Hidden Valley in August.
To make three birdies with James in this same round made it even more special. I swear I was showing off. I wanted him to see what I can do with the sport I love so much.
I used my driver. The ball shot off the clubface and headed towards the right side of the green. Just like the approach on #5 earlier in the day, I knew it would be good. It was like teeing off and saying, “Yep.”
When I climbed the hill and saw my ball on the green, I put my hands up in the air and said, “Yeeesss, yess, yes, yes!”
James laughed because he thought I sounded a bit like Gollum. He told me so, and for the rest of the round he and I could not get the sound of Gollum singing the "tasty fish song" from LOTR: The Two Towers, “To catch a fish, so juicy sweeeeeet.”
Smack goes the fish's head on the rock!
I attempted the eagle putt first. It was a ten footer, and it had a downhill right to left slope. I missed, but I made the one foot uphill putt for the birdie. James tried for the eagle, too, but he also missed. It was fun to putt for two eagles in one day, both with decent chances of going in.
Hidden Valley Golf Course-Hole #18-Birdie #39 of 2012
We played the last hole in with Greg. I had written an article that mentioned Greg for Four Corners Golf Magazine that never made it to copy. It was about the Pinon Hills Classic. I had also played with him more than once. He’s been in my journal before. I couldn’t remember his name, though. I guessed Randy before I introduced James, but Greg set me straight. In my defense, he never said my name this time, and he usually says it first. I used my brain surgery as an excuse.
I aimed for the fairway on #3, but I sliced it all the way over to #18. James chose to let me go it alone on this last hole. I think he wanted to leave sooner so Kyle would not be upset with him for being late. My ball was on the right side of the fairway, and I chose my 7-iron for the approach. I remember the ball was slightly higher than my feet so I gripped down on my club a bit to compensate. My ball flew like a rainbow over the tree and it landed above the hole on the right side. Greg had ended up in the same place, but he was a couple feet farther away so I got the benefit of a read. The putt was going to be fast, and it took very little to get it rolling. All three of us putted (James changed his mind once we got on the green), and all three of us used up only two putts. James’s putt was short, so he had a downhill putt to finish, and he made that one. Mine ended up even with the hole on the right side, just a foot away, so it was easy to finish.
I made three birdies with James that day. Awesome! I need to go back and play holes #15 through #17 to finish my scorecard. For those six holes on the back nine, I am one under.
On Saturday, Bruce, Reilly, C.J., and I played the back nine, and I earned two more birdies. It was the day of Belinda’s and my 22nd anniversary. It’s okay! We had made plans to go to dinner and see a movie with our children that night, so Belinda was fine with it. We will also be going out this weekend alone. Mom and Dad sent us a generous gift card to the Outback Steakhouse that we will use.
Someone suggested best ball match play, and we were all good with that. We talked about whether we should give strokes to Reilly again. C.J. and I were of the mind that he should get three or four pops, but Bruce suggested we all play straight up this time, so that’s what we ended up doing.
It’s a good thing we did. Reilly shot his best nine hole score ever! He shot a 44. I am proud to say I was there to see it. He had four pars. They were on holes #13, #14, #17, and #18. Way to go, Reilly!
Bruce started out slowly, but C.J. and I knew he was just figuring things out. He came on strong at the end just like we knew he would, and he and I tied with a 41 each. He got a birdie on #17 to get his team back to just one down with one hole to play.
C.J. and I ended up winning this time, though. I didn’t mess up and give it away this go-around. I earned two birdies to help our team get ahead and then stay ahead.
Hidden Valley Golf Course-Hole #14-Birdie #40 of 2012
I outdrove my own long drive from the fundraiser tournament. I swung freely again, and I remember keeping my head well behind the ball as a last second swing thought. Wow, that can be an incredible source of power. My ball ended up near that peninsula of taller grass and on the fairway again, but it was around five yards past the marker when I had won the long drive at the fundraiser tournament.
My approach wedge got the call for the approach, and my ball hit the green on the right side ten to fifteen feet short of where the flag was, but it didn’t stay there. It rolled down into the bowl. C.J. and I both ended up down there. I went first since I was away. My ball looked like it broke uphill when it got out of the bowl. It broke away from the hole, though, so I still had six feet to get this birdie. I picked a darker green spot that was halfway there. It was also about a foot to the right of the hole. My ball rolled towards the hole and curved to the left, and it looked like it was going to miss on the bottom. It didn’t, though. It caught the bottom and sneaked in on the left side. Phew! This birdie put us two up with four holes left to play.
Hidden Valley Golf Course-Hole #18-Birdie #41 of 2012
I aimed for the fairway on #3 again, and I almost hit it. It was on the taller grass on the hill on the right side of the fairway. Two guys were playing #3 when I got there. I saw what ended up being my ball and another one that was stuck behind a tree. Thankfully, that ball was one of theirs. My approach was hard to judge since I was on a different fairway, but I chose my pitching wedge. It was a bit long, but I did have pure contact. These new irons are incredible when I make great swings.
My ball ended up in the nearly identical position from the day I played with James. I had the same kind of putt, so I tried to make it a little higher this time. It still did not get high enough, but my ball ended up below the hole, so it appeared to be a better attempt in my eyes. I made that birdie putt to close out the match. I had redeemed myself from the last time I had messed up and gave the match away. Not this time!
In one other bit of news, I put in my order for some new golf shoes at the pro shop. That will use up all of my prize money, and I might have to pay a little more, too. I am excited to get some new shoes. I ordered a pair of the Footjoy Contour series shoes with brown and black. I also ordered some more of the inappropriately titled golf balls as an anniversary gift from Belinda. Thank you, Belinda. She ordered something from Land's End as a gift from me.
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