Life is Rough, More Than 50 Birdies in One Year

Written on 10-23-16.

     Boy, life is so rough right now.  Play golf.  Write about golf.  Play golf again because the weather is phenomenal right now.  Write about it again.  Sigh.  

     Today really was another incredible day for golf, too.  Wow!  Bruce chose not to play.  C.J. chose to wait until 1:00 for me, so I could go to church.  It was the 70th anniversary celebration mass today, and Bishop Wall came to help us celebrate.  It was a beautiful celebration with the Knights of Columbus and our church all spiffed up.  I was shocked when I realized I’ve been a part of that church for close to 25 of those 70 years already.  I’m proud to be a part of this church community.  

     C.J. and I chose to play skins today, and it was a close match, but he ended up being the victor.  I beat him in stroke play by one stroke, 41 to 42, but his two birdies on holes #4 and #6 really helped his cause.  He also earned some crucial bonuses.  He got the bonuses on holes #5, #6, and #7.  On #7, even though he teed off from the reds, he outdrove me by less than a yard.  Those bonuses were the difference.  His final money total ended up being $400,000.00 to my $260,000.00.  On the last hole, I had to earn the bonus and win the hole, but C.J. got a pop on this hole, and we both earned pars, so he got the last of the money and won the match.

I earned three birdies in this round, but only one on the front nine.

Aztec Municipal Golf Course-Hole #1-Birdie #50 of 2016

     I had very little time to warm up.  I teed off quickly because two guys in a cart were waiting for us to get going.  Despite the fast start, I had a big drive that ended up...

on the fairway, left of the cottonwood, and just shy of the 150 yard bush.  I chose my 7-iron for the “going for the green in two” shot, but it was too much.  My ball stopped past the green on the back right side.  The flag was on the back right side, too, so that was not a bad thing, except I didn’t have much green to work with.  I used my sand wedge and purposely attempted to chip my ball into the hill to get it to pop up and onto the green, and it worked, but it popped up really high, two to three feet, so it did not roll out to the hole like I had hoped, so I had a long putt for my birdie, twelve to fifteen feet or so.  It was mostly straight, and I read it and rolled it correctly.  I won the bonus and the first hole without a warm-up.  Good start.

     We tied on #2, but I won #3, so I was ahead with $50,000.00, but C.J. got a birdie on #4, so he avoided the skunk.  I won hole #5, but C.J. got another birdie and the bonus on hole #6.  I won hole #7, but when C.J. got the bonus with his drive, it ended up being mostly a wash on that hole.  Then I had my worst hole on #8 with a wayward out of bounds tee shot.  It all came down to hole #9, but I had to do it all.  C.J., however, earned his par, and with his pop on this hole, ended up winning the match with the most money.  Getting the bonus, however, was a clutch money shot for me, and it set me up to have a chance for a decent score.

     C.J. took off after that, but I grabbed some snacks in the pro shop to continue my journey on the back nine alone.  It was such a gorgeous day today, I could not leave.  I had to stay and play, and I’m so glad I did.  I earned two more birdies, and I shot my lowest 18 hole score in a long while.

Aztec Municipal Golf Course-Hole #11-Birdie #51 of 2016

     It’s fun to earn more than fifty birdies in one year.  This could be a record year for birdies if I keep on going and playing the way that I am, and if the weather continues to be so unseasonably warm.  

     I attempted to drive the green, and I smacked a beauty.  It flew over the farthest cottonwoods on the right side.  It took a while to find my ball, but I was looking too far to the right.  It ended up being just to the front right side of the bunker and just a pitch away.  Richard was putting away golf carts, but he paused for a moment to see where my approach ended up.  I used my approach wedge, and when my ball stopped just a few feet away from the hole, he gave me a thumbs-up, and I returned the gesture.  The putt was straight, and I helped to keep it straight by putting plenty of speed on it.  I looked up to see it roll in dead center.  

     I was even through the sisters, and I got a par on #13, too, but a group of two guys and two ladies called me up to play through on #14.  I messed up on this hole, slopping my way to a double bogey.  Ugh!  The easiest hole on the golf course jumped up and bit me on the a** again.  It must want revenge for all of those birdies I’ve earned in the past.  

     I played through a twosome on #15, but I got an “easy” par by hitting the fairway and the green.  After all that running and getting ahead, I should have stopped and regrouped on #16, but I didn’t.  Bad contact on my tee shot on this hole caused my ball to fly into the ditch.  I cuffed it out of there, but it flew all the way across the green, over the cart path, and back into the weeds on the other side of the green.  I had a much better shot on the next chip, but I missed the four foot putt for my double bogey, so my score really ballooned on this hole and #14, two of the easier holes on the back.  

     Thankfully, I got one more birdie to finish this round with style and a very respectable score for nine holes, but it ended up being a round that could have easily been even or possibly under par.

Aztec Municipal Golf Course-Hole #18-Birdie #52 of 2016

     I saw the Quintanas tee off on #3, so I chose to go ahead and play with them on their fairway.  I teed off immediately when they were done, and I got my tee shot to join theirs.  I had to wait for all three of them to make their approaches.  Daddy Quintana put pressure on Adrian to make a good approach with his former coach watching, but he hit it off the toe and ended up pushing it to the tree that’s just past the ditch.  I made my approach with my 5-iron, and the pressure was now on me to make a good approach with him/them watching.  Thankfully, I made decent contact, and my ball sailed toward the green on #18, but it stopped just short and down the hill a bit.  I overheard Adrian say, “You win.” 
     I laughed.  We said our goodbyes, and I headed up to finish my last hole on this beautiful day.  I chose to putt from off the green this time.  I gave it a good whack, since I saw some mud on my ball, and I did not want to leave it short.  I got it even with the hole and four feet away on the left side.  This putt was not easy.  It had left to right break, but how much?  I was determined not to miss below the hole, so I aimed for the top of it, and I put some oomph into it to keep it high enough.  It worked.  I ended up shooting a 41, 40 for a total 81, and I started and ended with birdies.  

Until next time…