My First Puttshack Experience

Written on 6-17-24.

     Ah, a Monday in the summertime.  Glorious.  We leave for Capote on Thursday, and we will play golf on Friday at Pagosa Springs.  I have already set the tee time, and it will be just Grant, Eric, and me this year.  Let me check the weather that day.  It shows a 50% chance of storms, but the high will be 71º.  Better take our rain gear.

Back to more golf…

The Puttshack was fun.  It had a “meat market/bar/younger people” feel to it, but we went there right as it opened, so it wasn’t crowded.  I could see how it could house many people, though.  Many drunk people.  It had three well-stocked bars.  We spoke to our server about its popularity, and she said they were very successful.  Another worker said that the expense was all done up front, but after that, it was just money, money, money.

I won the game, but I also had two holes-in-one.  I got one of them on a ‘bowling’ style hole.  I rolled it right into the front pin.  It keeps track of...

everyone’s scores for that day as they play.  Eric took more risk and got little reward on a few of the holes, and that was the reason for his lower score.

Becca recommended we play more than nine holes, and I could see why.  It went by very quickly.  We chose to play 18, and that was just about right.  The first nine holes were done after 20 minutes, and that was after Eric and I started playing the wrong way.  We thought it was like normal golf, but each player plays each hole until they hole out.  They allowed us to start over for free.  I would go again.  I hear they have one in Denver.

I played with Herman (not his real name) last week, but I only wanted to play nine, so I could look for more earrings for Danielle.  That, and it was hot.  I told Herman what I was planning to do, and he offered to go with me.  It was great, and I am figuring out more and more that Herman just wants a friend.  

It was akin to taking someone to the airport, and it was really generous to go with me.  We found the ones I was looking for (after two stops in downtown Farmington three more in Kirtland) We found the pair I was picturing in my head in Kirtland at Foutz Trading Co.  She looks beautiful in them, and it was worth the effort to see her face light up when she saw them for the first time.

He also gave me a lesson during the round on using the bounce on my clubs when I pitch and chip.  I treated him to lunch for the lesson and the company and help while shopping.  Thanks, Herman.  You are a true friend.

I was invited to play with Greg and Marc last Wednesday at noon, too.  Mike (last name) was invited, but he was gone, because his younger son, Sam, and his wife had another baby.  Congratulations, Mike and family!  We did see him practicing after our round, however.  I told him once more that I would like to have him come over to play on the Swope Putting Green.  I tried to set a date, but we both have plans to be gone the next couple of weeks.  I will ask him again, though.  I also saw Ed (last name), and I said the same to him.  It’s kind of amazing that they haven’t come over to play here yet, but I haven’t really invited them officially either.  Now, I have.

I played better, and I even scored a birdie on hole #12, the par three hole over the water.  It was wonderful.

Hillcrest Golf Course-Hole #12-Birdie #5 of 2024  

I chose my 7-iron, because the 8-iron felt wrong.  Greg used his 8-iron, and his ball ended just outside of mine.  The pin was in the back right position, and I had never seen that before.  Greg and I ended up long and right of the flag near the fringe.  I was about 13 feet out and he was about 15 feet away.  His attempt ended up short and left, so I put more pace on my golf ball, and I aimed a bit more to the right.  Thanks for the read, Greg!  It really helped, and we talked about that after I made my putt.

Greg played really well at the start.  He earned a par on #1, and then he made a birdie on #2 by clanking the ball into the flagstick.  His ball had way too much pace, but the center of the stick got in the way.  He got another birdie on #6.  Unfortunately, he scored a nine on the par five #3.  His ball ended up in the reeds and the water near the green, and he stubbornly attempted to get it out.  On one of those shots, he said, his ball got thumped it into the mud even more.  We all agreed he should have taken a drop.

I thought he beat me by five strokes on the front nine, so I set a goal to make up five or six strokes on the back.  I was wrong, though.  He shot a 40 to my 46.  I did do better on the back, however.  He shot a 47 to my 42, so he beat me by only one stroke, 87 to 88.  I was so happy to break 100, honestly.  I haven’t been playing well at all lately.  

I did get a six on the par three #9, and a bogey there would have made the difference.  I got on the green in two shots, but then my ball rolled off the front of the green with my first putt, so I ended up using three more shots to finish after that.  It happens.

Warming up really helped.  I have a chance to shoot in the 80’s if I do that.  I didn’t use the range, but I did pitch, chip, putt and stretch.  Just those few things really helped me get ready to play.  I also switched drivers just for a change.  I used my Wishon ‘white knight’ to shoot that 88, and I did drive it well.

I am going to get ready to go to Farmington now.  Belinda and I are going to Sam’s Club and then we are meeting with Rhonda, our financial advisor.  This feels great to get caught up on writing, though.  I had a lot to recount.

Until next time…