Writing During the Family Reunion

     I am going to get these last two birdies in here right away.

Pinon Hills Golf Course-Hole #8-Birdie #11 of 2017

      Norm, Bruce, and I played Pinon Hills, and we played the Points Game together.  This birdie, of course, really helped my score.  I got every point possible, and I got the most points a player can get, except for getting an eagle of course.  

My drive was long and straight and just a bit to the right of center on the fairway, so I got one point for that.  

     *Dad just shuffled out with his walker and plopped down right next to me.  I handed him his book, Old School, by Bill O’Reilly.  I brought it out here, too, just in case I wanted to read instead of write.  He let me borrow it when we were up in Lakewood for the 4th of July, but I only started it last night.  I gobbled up the first five chapters, though.  Too bad Bill has gotten in trouble and lost his show for alleged sexual misconduct/harassment recently.  Sigh.

     I chose my...
utility club to get my ball as close as possible for my second shot.  I chose to aim well out to the right, thinking a shot that went left had worse options for a miss.  Instead of going right, though, my ball continued its path straight up the fairway.  It settled just a pitch away from the green, where the flag was up front.  My little pitch put my ball past the hole, but my putt was from only 13 feet or so.  I sunk that putt to get my first points since I had earned a par and the lead on hole #1.

     This game was very exciting.  I played terribly on the front nine.  The par I earned on hole #1 gave me the lead right away, but I dwindled and faded after that.  #5 was a complete disaster!  Ugh!  After the birdie on #8 and the conclusion of the front nine, however, I was ahead 18 to Bruce’s 15 and Norm’s nine.

Bruce played more steadily, and Norm wasn’t much of a factor on the back nine.  I won nine more points after hitting the green and getting a par on the longer par three #12.  I think the difference in the game really came on the long par five #17.  I hit the fairway, went for the green with my driver, pitched my ball onto the middle tier, putted my ball above the hole, and made a slippery downhill putt for a par and the eventual win.

     Bruce and I both had putts for par on #18, but we both missed.  If he had made his, he would have won.  I told him before we teed off on #18 that I did not want to know the score.  It helped.  The final scores ended up being Pat, 35, Bruce, 31, and Norm, 17.

     Norm had two amazing shots, but not the kind that he would consider good shots.  When he teed off with his driver on hole #7, he topped it.  The teeing grounds were soppy, almost too wet, and when we would settle into our shots, squishy sounds would leak out from under our feet.  After he topped his tee shot, his ball disappeared.  I thought it had flown or dived into the canyon ahead, and I had just missed it, but it really disappeared into the teeing ground about six inches ahead of where his tee was placed.  It had also sunken into the wet ground an inch or more.  We all laughed, even Norm, and Bruce took a picture.  

     On hole # 17, Norm had another unusual shot from the teeing ground.  This tee shot took off parallel to the ground and flew like a missile that was trying to evade radar by staying just two feet above the ground for a distance of over 200 yards!  I joked that he could not repeat that shot or his tee shot on #7 no matter how hard he tried.

Aztec Municipal Golf Course-New Hole #11-Birdie #12 of 2017

     After our session with the Special Olympians, C.J. and I played alone, and we decided to play the same Points Game I had played with Norm and Bruce.  This birdie really helped, too.  

     I drove the distance across the wash in order to put my ball as close as possible.  It ended up on the hill on the right side of the green, so I only had to pitch on from there.  The ball was above my feet, so I did more of the body swing instead of the “handsy” swing.  It popped up nicely and got on the green just 12 feet from the hole.  The flag was on the front left side, so that made it even more convenient and close.  My putt was uphill and a little right to left.  The read and the stroke were true, so I earned eight points on this hole.  

     That’s it for now.  We have to get ready to go to the big dinner and show now.  

Until next time…