Am I Really Clark Griswold?

Written on 11-26-21.

        I said I would write about that nine hole round with Sam and Chelsea (not their real names) later, and it’s later now.  It was miserable and fun, I had said.  It was miserable, because they didn’t have a clue.  It was her first time, and he said he had played before, but his brother knew a lot more about the sport and played better than him.  It showed.

        When we met up by the tees on #1, the starter (Greg?) introduced me as Mr. Griswold.  He knew he had gotten my name wrong as soon as he had said it, but I helped him out and explained my name was really Patrick Swope.  I told them why he called me that, and it was because of our volleyball days when our co-ed team was called the Griswolds.  I told them about the station wagon, the movies, and how I was the character Clark.  We all laughed.  Greg blushed and apologized a couple of times.  

I remember Greg barely from tournaments in Farmington so many years ago, and he mentioned the ladies he played with, and their names sounded familiar, also.

It was also miserable, because I was giving tips to her when he should have been the one helping her.  I asked them both if I should keep offering advice, and they both loved that idea, so I gave tips here and there, mostly about etiquette (like how to mark a golf ball on a green) and simple goals such as getting it on the fairway and teeing it up when they were on the teeing grounds.

By the last hole, the miserable factor amped up due to their drinking, which also added to their already slower pace.  I saw her drinking what looked like whiskey on #8, and she was whiffing and chunking over and over and over again on #9.  It took a loooooong time to play that final hole, and I was ready to go home by then.  I was happy to say goodbye after nine holes.

It was fun, however, too.  It was fun, because they had some successes, and they both got so excited when they did.  It was fun to be a teacher and to just be mellow.  I knew I was only going to play nine holes with them, so I really didn’t mind helping.  They were very appreciative, and they said ‘thank you’ about as often as they had bad swings.  I really enjoyed their company, too.

I had also written above that I had tried something new that round, and I believe it was using only my odd irons.  I saw a YouTube video with the “golf sidekick,” and he recommended taking only clubs that would be my 100, 125, 150, and 175 yard clubs, so I took my Gap, 9-, 7-, and 5-irons.  I left my driver at home, and I used my 3-wood for the majority of my tee shots.  

This was his from his “Breaking 90” video, so I focused on getting my ball on the greens in just one over regulation and two-putting everything, and I nearly did it.  I hit two greens in regulation the way I am supposed to, and I only got two double bogeys.  I double-putted one of those greens in regulation, so I missed an opportunity to save a stroke there.  It does feel like I double-putt greens where I don’t get the GIR, and then I triple-putt when I do sometimes.  Pretty aggravating.

Until next time…

I have a birdie to write about next time, but it’s late.  It’s 10:40 now, so I should go to sleep.  Good night.