The Conclusion of the Victory of the Season

Written on 11-6-24/

    Donald Trump is the President-Elect.  He will be the 47th president.  B is bummed.  He even won the popular vote, the first time for a Republican since George W. Bush 20 years ago.  

On to golf…

Hole 17-I aimed more to the right this time, and it was so successful.  When the driver is working, so are most of the other things.  I used my turf buster for my lay-up shot.  It’s very similar to my 5-iron/utility (according to the Arccos app), but I had other successes with it on the front nine.  That shot turned out well, too, and I was past the 150-yard marker and in the fairway to boot.  My 9-iron approach didn’t have the best contact, so my ball landed short of the green by 20 yards.  I used the same club for my pitch to the pin on the middle tier.  This was another wonderful result, and it rolled to a point three feet from the hole.  

I had just told Herman (not his real name) I would love to get a par (get off the bogey train to gain even more ground on him), and then I got one.  He did, too, but I had maintained my three shot lead.

Hole 18-My drive sailed to the right of the fairway and the bunkers.  I found it in the dirt.  As I lined up my lay-up over the bunkers, I heard Herman say, “You got this, Pat.”

I know he wants me to be successful, but he also wants to beat me.  

On hole #17, he said repeatedly and half-jokingly, “I can’t let Pat beat me.”

I used my gap wedge to get on the green in three shots, and then I had a long putt to a hole in the back left position.  Not an easy two-putt at all.  

Herman got up and in for an amazing par.  His approach came out from under an overhanging bush, and it almost stayed on the green.  If his ball had had brakes, they would have been squealing the whole time they were on the putting surface.

My first putt was on line, but it stopped short four feet.  He felt that I needed to make that putt to beat him, but I could have triple-putted and still won.

Finally!  I got a Dos Equis, and Herman paid for it.  It tasted sooooo good. 

Now, I want to beat him straight up.  I have done it before for nine holes, but I would love to do it after 18.

Holes 15 and 16 and an Interlude

Also written on 11-5-24.

Hole 15-We both got bogeys again.  The pin was on the back, and I nearly had a sweet par.  My tee shot was short, left, and in tall grass.  I pitched my ball, and it rolled from the middle of the green towards the back.  It curved around the back of the green just inside the fringe and stopped even with the hole.  My par putt stopped a centimeter away.  Once again, no loss here.  I had given up two so far, and I had three left to give to get the win.

Hole 16-I got a bogey to his par.  I hit a beautiful drive that faded, matching the curve of the fairway.  My 6-iron approach stopped short of the green, and that’s the reason for my bogey.  He made a smooth approach to get his ball on the green to gain his par.  I had given up three strokes at this point, the same amount I had given up the day before.  Oh, no!

Interlude: I didn’t want to go play the night before and the morning of.  I even talked to Belinda about it.  I was bummed about my game.  Who could blame me?  I had lost two times, and I didn’t know where my game was.  I was getting abused by Herman.  Who likes abuse?  Not me.  

Also, I had learned that I had only played 18 times with this membership.  Luke told me, and that sounded right to me.  Two other guys in the pro shop had told me I had played 54 and 48 rounds.  Both sounded like too many.  They forgot or didn’t know how to check/adjust the date ranges.

Since I had learned that info, I decided I had better go play to earn my membership some more.  Herman asked me the day before when I wanted to play again, and I couldn’t think of a reason not to play the very next day.  I knew the weather was going to be even better/warmer, so I said, "Tomorrow."

I am going to bed.  It’s 10:28, and although I don’t care too much about the election, I am going to check on the results so far.  B and I had a big talk about it tonight, and we usually don’t do that.  It fired her up a little, so I have given her plenty of time to fall asleep.

I will finish writing about my victory tomorrow.  

Until next time…

The Beginning of the Nine Holes That I Won...Finally!

Written on 11-5-24.

     I am so glad Election Day is here.  The sooner we get this over with, the better.  This morning, I attended Garylee’s funeral, and it was beautiful.  My vote for 2024 is for Garylee and his family.

Belinda went up to the cabin with her sisters, because she has today off.  That’s new.  We didn’t get Election Day off all the years before.  I hope she enjoyed the quiet of the mountains.  I heard it snowed.

Back to golf…

The day before I beat Herman (not his real name, but I am sure he wouldn't mind if I used it), I was leading until the final two holes.  He gave me six strokes on that day, too, but they dwindled to only three by the time we got to #17.  Then I had a meltdown triple bogey (honestly, I didn’t even finish the hole) and a double after that.  He had a bogey and a par, so I gave up the lead and bought him a beer…again.  I should have a membership for buying beers for Herman; it would be less expensive.

Richard played really well that day.  He shot a 44, so Herman actually had to buy him a beer. He did give Richard more strokes than he gave me, though.  We normally play the front nine as a warm-up, and then the gloves come off and we have a competition on the back.  After that, we buy a beer for Herman.  That’s been the pattern.

He gave us six strokes each on Friday.  That made sense.  For Richard, it was fewer because of his win the day before.  For me, it made sense because I blew up in a spectacular way.  I am going to do a hole by hole this time, since I defeated Herman.  I want to remember this in detail.

I won’t include Richard’s scores, however.  He blew up in an even more spectacular way.  When we got to hole #14, he jokingly offered to lend us his credit card and head back to the parking lot.  My bad score from the day before would have beaten his round by six strokes.  That’s how bad it was, and it was such a contrast from the day before.  That’s golf.

Hole 10-Herman and I both got bogeys.  I had a super chip for my third shot, but I missed my par attempt.  

Hole 11-He earned a bogey, and I made a bogey, too.  I putted my fourth shot from way off the green and below the hole on the left side.  It was a swell play, and he was incredulous that I had putted it.  He asked, “Did you just putt that?”

“Yes,” I said.  

The grass was cut very low for some reason, so I thought it was super smart.  I got up and down for another bogey, so that’s all that matters.

Hole 12-We both went right of the green.  He pitched on and made a bogey.  My pitch fell short and landed on the fringe.  Sadly, my first putt went too far past the hole, and I missed my bogey putt.  He gained his first stroke on me on this hole.

Hole 13-I teased him on the fairway before his second shot.  I told him to splash his ball into the water and then get up and down for his par, because that’s what he did the day before.  He ignored me, but then he got his par anyway without the watery part.  

Then he teased me to put my third shot in the water and get up and down for a bogey.  I didn’t mean to put my approach in the water, but that’s what I did.  Next, I did what he told me to do, too.  I got up and down for my bogey from about 30 yards.  I had now lost two strokes to him, though.

Hole 14-We both got bogeys.  I hit my approach into the bunker.  Herman hit his into the bunker, and his ball plugged!  I chipped on with my Sandy Andy, and I two-putted.  Herman gouged out his ball, but missed his long par putt.  No loss here.

To be concluded...

A Win and a Great Loss

Written on 11-3-24.

     It’s a Daylight Savings Sunday, so we “fell back” one hour last night.  I remember these Sundays feeling very long, so I am getting some writing in.  The Broncos are getting killed despite their decent record with their impressive rookie quarterback, Bo Nix.  The Ravens are ahead by over 20 points, so I switched off my radio and turned on a YouTube match on Grant Horvat’s channel instead.  He gathered seven junior golfers from the ages 9-15 for a friendly competition.  It’s so much more fun than listening to the Broncos lose.  These kids can play.

I spoke with Camille on Friday about the whole “work situation.”  We are still waiting on the PED for the go-ahead.  I plan on applying for some other jobs tomorrow since it’s getting so late (later than ever), but I am really hoping for another year of work with the CORE.  We shall see.

On to golf…

Well, great news!  I beat Herman (not his real name).  Finally.  He did give me strokes, but I didn’t falter.  Would I have rather beaten him straight up?  Of course, but we agreed on the strokes before we started, and he had destroyed me the day before like the Ravens ruined the Broncos today (final score was 41-10).  Here’s how it all happened…

We played three times with a guy named Richard.  Herman had played with him before.  He rides in a cart every time.  He also said he has a daughter who works at Pinon Hills for extra cash.  She and his granddaughter live with him, and her main job is at the hospital.  He picks up his granddaughter from school at 2:30 often. 

The first time we played, I had not swung a club since King’s Deer, a two-week layoff.  During those two weeks, I went to Lake Powell after my trip to Colorado Springs, and I had recovered from a sinus infection.  It was rough.  Not a memorable round.

The second time, I invited Patrick Smith.  He had called me due to Garylee passing away.  That’s right.  Garylee passed away, and I was so glad I was able to see him one last time for a few hours before he was flown to California for a second transplant due to the first heart failing.  Garylee got a successful heart and liver transplant, but unfortunately he caught pneumonia.  Patrick wanted to know if I knew when his funeral would be for the Knights of Columbus.   They have asked me to be a pall bearer on Tuesday, so I could tell Patrick all about it.  I am sad for my dear friends, the Zunigas.