Written on 2-20-17.
Well, this is heavenly. Belinda and I are in a casita, Casita #17 to be exact, at the Abiquiu Inn, and this is the second trip in a row where B has joined me for a work-related school visit. B is in love, and I don’t just mean with me; she loves this little place, and what’s not to love? Authentic southwestern design. Gas fireplace. King-sized bed. Sun room with hammock. Rich, dark reds, greens, and browns. Ceramic tile floors. Vigas and latillas. Peace and quiet. Ahhhh. Breathe in. Breathe out. Life is great!
On to golf…
Guy and I played 18 holes on Super Bowl Sunday at Papago, a Phoenix public golf course, and it was wonderful. On its website, they say it’s a hidden gem surrounded with incredible views, and it is also considered the finest public golf course in the state. Not sure if that’s true, but...
we sure had a blast playing there. Some of the views were amazing, especially as the sun dropped in the sky as we played.
We teed off late (just enough time to play 18 before dark), but the employees were all super kind to us. The guy who sent us off was extremely friendly, and that put me at ease, because I know most people would rather be watching the Super Bowl than working at a golf course. If he wasn’t being genuine, I couldn't tell. We did not realize that the big game was halfway over when we finished our round either, but the guy who was picking up the flags behind us told us the score when he caught up to us on #18.
I chose the Reverse Handicap Game this time, and I also gave him one stroke a hole to even things up again. Boy, was that a mistake on the front nine. He was killing me, and his one stroke per hole really helped. I started terribly with a double to his bogey, so he won that one outright. On the next hole, he kicked my tail again by hitting the fairway, and then the green, securing his first par. I attempted to drive the green and ended up out in the rocks to the right instead. My bogey was pointless.
I earned my first par on #3, but it was only worth five points. We both got bogeys on the easiest hole, so Guy got the bragging rights for the one point on the par three #4. We tied with two pars on #5, too, and Guy really earned his with a high, uphill approach that landed just over a huge bunker that was guarding the front. He earned 15 points for that one, and this consistent play for Guy continued for the remainder of the front nine except for hole #7 when he had a bit of a blow-up. At the conclusion of the front nine, it was a massacre. We had tied with our stroke play scores, 48 strokes each, but he was ahead 62 to 16 with our game.
His lead seemed insurmountable, but I was going to do my best to come back and win, of course, and he was going to do his best to close it out right away. He had a great start on the back nine, too, giving it his all to finish it up on the first few holes. He won 16 points on hole #10 when we both got doubles. I won #11 with a par to another blow-up, but he charged back winning #12 when we tied with bogeys again. And, that’s when the pushing started.
We were both surprised that we hadn’t pushed any of the points on the front nine. Part of that was due to Guy’s consistent play. I’d get a bogey, and then he’d get a bogey, so he would win the hole. Or, the same thing would happen with both of us earning pars.
From the beginning, though, we thought he might get a bogey, and then I’d get a par to force a push. Or, I’d get a bogey, and he’d get a double. But, no.
We didn’t push until hole #13. Then we did it again on #14. Then once more on #15. The bubble burst on hole #16, but he really had a chance to push once more. From a pitch’s distance (about 20 yards) off the green, he only needed to put it on and use up two putts to get his bogey. I was a little closer, but I had to get up and down for a par. He helped me out here, though, by getting a double instead, and I managed to get my par. I had just won a majority of the points on the back, but I didn’t think it was over at all, especially with the big lead he had earned from the front nine.
Whoa! Hold everything. I just realized that we used the wrong handicap numbers for our game, or maybe we mixed them together, but our scores were definitely wrong. In other words, everything I’ve written above is mostly wrong. I just fixed them. We had accidentally used the handicaps for the Green or Gold Tees, and not the Whites. So, here is the updated score. After the front nine, Guy was still in the lead, 56 to 34. Because I won all of the holes starting on hole #13, though, when we started pushing, the final score ended up being 111 to 60. Guy had only won four points on the back nine for holes #10 and #12. Originally, I thought our chip-off for the points on the last hole mattered, but it didn’t.
I also thought that I had made a major comeback, and to some extent it was, but it was not as incredible as I had first thought. It’s not that I like the New England Patriots, but I thought my comeback was going to be similar to theirs in the Super Bowl, but it really wasn’t. Guy definitely pulled some of my best golf out of me, though, with his great play, especially on the front nine. I kept asking myself, “How am I going to beat this ‘guy’?”
I managed to shoot a 41 on the back, just five over. I’ve written this before, too, but playing golf with Guy goes way too fast each and every time, and this round was no different. Even if the golf is terrible, it goes by way in what seems like a few minutes. I love playing golf and hanging out with my brother. We tee off on #1, and then we are inexplicably holing out on #18. I was sad to see it end again. When we were done, we met B back at the hotel in the restaurant and watched the miraculous comeback by the Patriots. Wow! It was record-setting, and it was amazing to watch. They definitely earned their victory, but I was secretly hoping Atlanta would win.
After the game, Guy called the front desk to find out about a shuttle, and we were relieved when he learned that the shuttle left for the airport on every hour and half-hour, 24 hours a day, so he caught the 4:30 AM shuttle the next morning to catch his flight to Huntsville for work. Sigh. Birthday weekend over. Thank you, siblings, for a wonderful birthday bash.
Oh, and in a way, I also came back in Sequence against Bev. On the night before the Super Bowl, we played a few more games at the VRBO just before bedtime. Guy was the big winner, winning games with Bev, Emily, and me. Thankfully, after getting skunked every game before, I finally won the last match with Guy. Bev uncharacteristically missed where she should have played the seven of diamonds, and that ended up being the difference. This, ironically, was after I had just told her that this game is all about paying attention, which is true. I think she was up past her usual bedtime, too. I counted that as my last birthday gift from Bev. As my roommate, John Antcliffe, always used to say, “You’re only as good as your last game.”
In other words, thank you Guy and Bev, for letting me be the last one to win on my birthday weekend!
Until next time…
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