Today I participated in a ladies member-guest outing at a nearby golf course. A friend from church invited me even though she had never SEEN me play golf. I know she was nervous as we started out. But, for some reason I was not. (I usually am. Maybe it was because I felt her fear and wanted to be the calming one in our group! ha)
60 women played today, and today was the first of two consecutive days of golf for this ladies event. I rarely play two days in a row. So, who knows what tomorrow will be like for me. It may not be good.
But, as for today, I started out okay - for me. I held my own and was happy with how I got the ball into the air. The format was that twosomes took their best score of the two on each hole, then took the net from the gross. We were happily surprised at how our scoring worked well with each other. When I didn't have a great hole, she did, and vice versa.
The course is beautiful, and the weather today was awesome. We were supposed to get the first tropical storm of the season skimming by, but it ended up staying out to sea, and we had Carolina blue skies, and temps in the 70's.
The golf god was very good to me!
To top if off, on a par 3 - one on a causeway out in the marshes, and has an island green - I used my pitching wedge and hit the wooden pylon that surrounds the island. My ball bounced off it, rolled and ended up just a little over 3 feet from the hole! This was the "closest to the pin" hole for the guest players. So.... I had THE closest to the pin!
I should end the story right now. It was a lovely day!
BUT.... we had about 6 more holes to play. For some strange reason(s) my game went to pot at that very moment. From that point on I could not get a fairway wood up in the air. I found just about every sand trap on each hole. I looked like I had never played golf before! I ended up picking up my ball a few times and relied on my partner to score for us. She did well and we ended up okay score-wise.
Now, I know I am not that co-ordinated when it comes to golf, and I know when I "try too hard" I usually do worse. That's how golf is. It's the one sport where having a calm, even swing and laid-back demeanor is an asset. But, 2/3s of the way through a round I still just can't fathom what I do to go so bad. Was the golf god done with me?
I don't put practice time into golf, and that's fine. I know I can never get really really good at it. At my age it's not really worth it. I have other things I want to do with some of my time each week. I don't live and die golf.
But, I swear I will never understand how I can play so sporadically at the game! It baffles me!
Do you remember the commercial for the PGA Tour where they say "those guys are good"? It's true. They are amazing - and I don't think they rely on any golf god.
What will happen when I play tomorrow? Ha! I have NO idea!
That's awesome about the closest to the hole shot! Golf is a frustrating game, but I think that might be why it's my favorite. It's all about the challenge. As for the ups and downs, it's all mental. Last week I was playing 9 with Rick Carlisle(coach of the Dallas Mavericks) at kiawah. Before we started he said I was going to have my best round ever. I preceded to go -2 on the first 3 holes, fell back to even through 6, chipped in for birdie on 7 so I was -1 with 2 to play. My best 9 hole score before this was 37 at Rivertowne. So I step up to the tee box on 8, drill it down the middle. I'm 100yrds out, so now I'm thinking I can shoot a 34. Then it went bad. Hit over the green, chipped back too far, chip on, missed the 7ft putt, tapped in for double :P So instead of going to #9 at least -1, I'm now +1. Obviously, I want to make the coach's prediction come true so I need to birdie the last hole. Over think the drive and pull it left, can't reach the green. I lay up, chip up and nervously make a 5 footer to tie my best 9 score. Crazy game
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