Birdie on Bev's Birthday

Written on 3-5-17.

     C.J. and I played yesterday, my sister Bev’s 53rd birthday, and the weather was decent.  We both played in shorts, although he wore a sweater the entire time, too.  I got a little sunburned on my face.  Bruce was in Durango, and C.J. wanted to play the medal game again, the same game that he and Bruce had played recently.  It simply meant to subtract our handicaps when we were all done.  Bruce came out ahead the last time by two strokes, according to an e-mail that C.J. had sent.  Would I be able to beat C.J., too?

We played the back nine first.  A group that had driven all the way from Pagosa Springs was getting ready to go off the front, so we chose to avoid a slow start.  

     As I write, B is napping on the couch right next to me, while I watch the professionals playing in Mexico.  Dustin Johnson is tied with Rahm for the lead, but Snedeker is making an incredible run on the back nine.  If he hadn’t shot a 75 on the first day, he would be in a commanding lead.  The weather is not so great today, with a high only in the low 50’s, a slight chance of rain, and some dreary skies, so I am glad we got our golf in yesterday.  The fire is going in our gas fireplace, and it’s the perfectly cozy complement to the bleak looking weather outside our windows.  It’s incredibly cozy in here right now.

     C.J. kicked my tail on the back nine, shooting a consistent...

38 to my 40.  We tied on the first three holes with three bogeys each.  We both got our first pars on #13.  I ran into some trouble on #14, and that really hurt my score.  We were tied again with two bogeys each when we started on the front nine.  History was repeating itself, and I made a comment about that as we walked to the fairway on #3.  Starting with three bogeys each is not a good way to start any round, so I thought we’d have to break that chain and hopefully do it in the right direction.  I ended up being the one to do just that.

Aztec Municipal Golf Course-Hole #3-Birdie #3 of 2017

     We ran into a slow group, and it did not help that they also could not find the teeing grounds.  When we were on #2, they were looking for the Blues on #3.  The markers weren’t there, so they teed off from the Whites instead.  When we saw the tee shot of one of the players, though, we wondered why they wanted to play from the Blues at all.  Yikes!  It included a a lot of flailing/failing arm motion, and his ball shot out low and to the right.

     This same group was still on the green when I teed off, and I felt a surge of confidence to go for the green, so I did.  I knew they were safe, though.  With my best drive ever, I would not be able to get it all the way to the green.  This drive must have been pretty close to my best drive ever, though, because it landed and stopped halfway up the hill just before the green.  I didn’t see anyone turn to look at my ball, so I don’t even think they heard it, although I saw the one lady in the group point at it as they walked back to their carts.  C.J. and I both agreed that this was the best drive I’ve ever had on this hole, and it was without a doubt the best drive I had for this round.  

     My ball had a clump of mud on it, but it wasn't so significant that I changed how I played my second shot.  I used my approach wedge and made a simple pitching motion.  My ball popped up, rolled past the hole that was on the front right side, and stopped six feet away.  C.J. was in a spot left of my ball, and a few feet farther back.  While he putted, I cleaned my ball.  His putt rolled way past the hole, more than he and I expected, and he had a longer putt coming back up the hill than he had when he started.  He missed that one, too, so he ended up with a double bogey, breaking the bogey streak in the wrong direction.  

     After watching his putt, I knew I had to barely tap mine, so I decided to use the toe of my putter to slow things down.  I tapped it so lightly, I don’t think it made a sound.  Gravity took over, and it rolled on a straight line that happened to be the correct line.  

     After we finished on #9, we thought C.J. had shot an 83, but he realized later that he had gotten a double on that hole, so we ended up tied with two 84’s.  So, he had easily won with our handicaps.  After all was said and done, he had scored a 66 with his handicap, and I had shot a 70, so he won this time.  I had plenty of chances to get a lower score, but C.J. deserves all of the credit for his very consistent, better than his handicap play.