Written on 3-17-16.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Since I’m not teaching anymore, I actually forgot to wear green today. That would have never happened as a full-time teacher. No way! I admit it’s nice to not have to deal with stuff like that anymore. No more Halloween parties either. Christmas parties. Gee, I sound like a Scrooge. Although during the second half of my career, I actually looked forward to parties…and parent-teacher conferences. They were a pleasant distraction from the daily grind of test-prep.
The girls arrived at their apartment home a bit ago. I’m thankful they made it all the way to southern Texas and back again. Whoa! I just had a deja vu. I put on a Donna Summer song, and I remembered thinking about their long trip and making it back safely. Weird.
I have two new birdies to report, so here goes.
Aztec Municipal Golf Course-Hole #18-Birdie #8 of 2016
I was playing alone like I had mentioned above, and this was C.J.’s birthday round, but he had left already. I played well, shooting a 38. After C.J. left, I managed the last four holes at even par with a bogey on #15 (my only triple-putt), one par each on #16 and #17, and then this birdie.
I aimed for #3’s fairway and missed gloriously with a towering slice that landed squarely on #18’s fairway instead. I was 15 yards back from the 150 yard marker, so I chose my 7-iron to go for the green. My ball stubbornly went...
for the trees on the right side instead, and I never saw where it landed. After walking over the ditch, though, I saw it on the hill under the cottonwood on the left side of the fairway, the one closest to the cart path.
The next shot was the best one. I used my approach wedge, and with a modified shorter swing, my ball went up and down with the flag, and I knew it would be good, possibly great. Even though I couldn’t see the flag, I knew it would be on the green, and I thought it might have gone in the hole, too.
My ball ended up past the flag, 18 feet away. The hole was on the middle of the left side, but slightly closer to the front of the green. My putt was downhill and mostly straight. I aimed for a white speck just short of the hole and a bit to the left. It was the right read and the right roll. With my 38 on the back and a 44 on the front, I had just shot another 81, the second time for this new year.
My front nine at Hillcrest was fantastic! I played with Tim, my former boss from Durango Parks and Rec. It was great to see him, but he was slightly depressed (in my view) after having gone through a divorce after 32 years of marriage. What a bummer! He said she left him.
We also played with Richard, nearly the same age as Tim and way too serious. I would compliment him on some of his shots, and his reaction was indifferent. He was kind and polite, but somber.
The other guy in our foursome was Nikita, yes Nikita. He said it was spelled just like Nikita Khrushchev. He was born the year I started teaching, and he had the smoothest 4-iron tee shots. He is originally from Alaska, and he said he had earned his sociology degree at Fort Lewis to be able to work at the Ore House downtown. We laughed.
Anyway, I hit six greens in regulation and double-putted each one. I had one bogey on #3 and another on #6. Then I struggled on the last hole with a double, the only one of the round. That was it, though. I was +4, and I shot a 39, my best front nine score at Hillcrest ever. I was also struck by a golf ball for the first time ever.
It happened on hole #2. I pulled my tee shot so badly it went across #3’s fairway to the opposite side. Thankfully, it was long enough for me to clear the trees and still go for the green. As I walked my cart over to my ball, I saw the group ahead of us teeing off on #3, so I waited for the first guy. When he was done, I jogged across the fairway to expedite play; it was very crowded. I crouched down behind my push cart, and I also had two evergreen trees protecting me. I thought I was safe.
I saw the guy tee off. It looked like it was headed my way, but with two wide, bushy trees and my golf cart protecting me, how could anything go wrong? Nobody in their group shouted a warning. The ball whizzed through the air without so much as a needle to slow it down. It sounded like an angry hornet with heavy wings, or the Snitch from a Harry Potter Quidditch match. It was instantly silenced when it struck the top of my left foot, a direct hit just above my toes.
OW! What a shot! I was stunned. I assessed the damage. I could wiggle my toes. I could stand. I could walk. Phew! I proved my toughness by using my 6-iron to swing my ball onto #3’s green and walking away hiding any sign of a limp. As I walked by the first guy who had teed off, I had to tell him what had just happened. He was sympathetic, but I was “teed off,” and I wanted someone to know. As I told my story, though, he seemed more amazed than concerned.
Written on 3-19-16.
Okay, let’s get these birdies in here. I earned one more today, too. I am at home now, sitting on our bed and watching the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Jason Day is leading right now in the third round.
Hillcrest Golf Course-Hole #5-Birdie #9 of 2016
I was feeling worn down after the third hole on my second trip around the front. I knew I had to leave before 2:30 to pick up a prescription for my spacer at the Durango Wal-Mart and be at Belinda’s new school by 3:00. I also knew I would not be able to finish my full 18 holes. One of the Jims I was playing with, the younger one, said he was stopping after hole #5, too. I was thinking about leaving after #3, though. I had a terrible hole with a lost ball and a high score, but I decided to keep going, and the only reason I kept going was because I thought I might be able to record another birdie. I was right.
I went bogey, par, birdie on these last three holes I played. Hole #4 is redesigned with brand new teeing grounds that are higher and more to the left. I like the change. It makes the hole longer and more challenging, and I earned a par there on the first go-around.
For this birdie, I used my driver to go for the green. My ball flew over the top of the hill, heading right for it. My two Jims were impressed, and they both mentioned that I might be on the green, but I was a pitch away.
Pin placement really makes a difference. On my first front nine round, the flag was on the right side, protected by the bunker there. I chose not to go for that pin. This time, though, the flag was in the alternative position over on the left side, giving me a better angle to go for it. I chose my approach wedge for my approach, and my ball bounced a couple of times off the green and then bounced some more on the green before it rolled and stopped to the left of it around eight feet away. The putt was mostly straight and a little uphill, but I aimed for the left edge of the cup. It rolled quickly, but stopped where it’s supposed to stop, in the bottom.
Aztec Municipal Golf Course-Hole #1-Birdie #10 of 2016
This was the first round this season with our regular foursome. C.J. and I were taking on Bruce and Reilly like we usually do. My drive did not feel like it was spectacular. It headed toward the right side of the fairway, and it had a bit of a draw action on it. When we got up to Bruce’s ball, I thought it might be mine; his was just back of the tree with a space to the left for going for the green. I was surprised to see mine past the cottonwood on the line between the fairway and the rough. I didn’t see the flag over on the right, so I aimed for the left side of the green with my 9-iron.
My ball hit the tree that was on the top of the hill, and one small bough broke off. I apologized to the tree when I got a closer view of the damage. Poor tree. I used my putter from there despite being 20 yards off the green, but it was because my lie under the tree there was mostly dirt. My ball rolled past the hole and to the left of it. It was on the left side of the ridge that runs through the middle of the green. My putt was at least 20 feet away, and my read was to aim slightly to the right, but to make sure to get it to the hole, and I did. We were one up immediately, and without my knowing, C.J. and Bruce decided to take away one of the pops we were given at the beginning of the match, so we were only allowed one pop on #7.
I ended up shooting a 43, adjusted to a 42 due to a snowman on #7. The match was close. Here’s a quick summary.
Hole #1-We went one up with my birdie.
Hole #2-We stayed one up with all of us scoring bogeys.
Hole #3-My par and Reilly’s par kept us one up.
Hole #4-C.J. and Bruce tied with pars. Still one up.
Hole #5-Bruce made a birdie after a lovely pitch to four feet. Back to even.
Hole #6-I made a long par putt to go back to one up.
Hole #7-Bruce and Rei both made pars while C.J. earned a bogey. Our one pop kept us one up.
Hole #8-My par putt should have ended the match, but I missed. One up with one to play.
Hole #9-Bruce made an incredibly long putt (30 feet or so) to end the match even. We all stopped playing due to the worsening windy conditions.
Bruce shot a 40. Not sure what C.J. and Rei shot, but they had a few high numbers in there.
There. I am all caught up with my birdies for this year so far. Ten is a decent start for past the middle of March. After writing about them, I am free to start racking them up again. I’m going to take some time to catch up on the lifetime birdie count now.
Until next time…
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