A Grand Day of Golf

Written on 9-29-16.

     I’m sitting on the right side of our larger couch, my huge feet propped up on the foot rest.  The skies are a depressing, miserable gray color today, and I spy a drip, drip, drip, coming off of our roof near our dining room.  The bleak sky helps add to the cozy feeling in here, though.  Belinda is subbing for Valerie (last name) today, but it’s just for a half-day.  I’m catching up on some writing in this wonderfully cozy atmosphere.

     When I won the raffle for the free round for four at Hillcrest, carts included, it was easy for me to pick the other three.  I wanted our Guzman Tournament team back together once more to celebrate our successful, although unrewarded, second place finish. Playing at Hillcrest would be our reward, I figured.  

     It was a grand day!  C.J. and I talked about it again on Tuesday when he and I were walking up the fairway on #9 at Hidden Valley.  He mentioned how Bruce, normally shy and quiet, continued to go on and on and on about how wonderful that round was.  We agreed.  

     What made it so grand?  The reasons were numerous.  Incredible fall weather.  Sunny skies.  Not too hot, but not too chill either.  Gorgeous golf course.  Recently remodeled, Hillcrest is better than it’s ever been.  Perfect playing partners.  All four of us love golf, and we have a healthy respect for the game.  Amazing competition!  Mike and I took on Bruce and C.J. in best ball match play, and it was so fun and so competitive.  I don’t have the scorecard with all the details (Mike kept score), but I do remember some of it.  Mike and I got as far as two up on the front nine, and we maintained that lead throughout the majority of the back nine.  Mike and I both earned pars on hole #16 to match Bruce’s par and keep us one up.  I made an unlikely putt from off the green for mine.  Then I made an even longer putt for par on #17 with a substantial break from left to right that came in on the back side door of the hole.  This did not rattle Bruce, however, who made a pressure-filled putt for birdie to win the hole, extend the match, and get his team back to even for the first time since the first couple of holes on the front.

     I got into some tree trouble on #18, and Bruce secured his par putt, another long one with a ton of pressure.  Mike had a putt for par to halve the hole and even the match, but it broke just below the hole and Bruce and C.J. had won the match right there at the end.  I remember watching them smile and congratulate each other after Mike missed, and my normally competitive side surprisingly could not have cared less.  I was truly happy for them, and I was thrilled for such a great day together with four of my favorite golf buddies.  Despite the loss, it was still a grand day! 

     Mike reported that Bruce had shot a one under on the back when we were done, but Bruce set the record straight with a text later saying that he had gotten a couple of bogeys that Mike must have thought were pars, so he was actually one over, but it was still an amazing performance, and I was impressed that Mike and I were able to lose only one down after such an incredible nine hole performance from Bruce.