Just Me

I gave myself a birthday present. Dinner last night with my Honey, golf today with my friends.

It was a beautiful day, bright sunshine all day. We had about a 25mph wind that kicked up before we started plus temps in the 40s and 50-s made it a tad chilly for the first 9 holes. The back nine is more protected and the temps got a little warmer, so it wasn’t as chilly.

I still had too many clothes on to be able to swing comfortably. I played miserably, but it ’s my birthday, I was out playing golf with my buds…the sun was shining and all was right with the world!

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We had a fun day. The bad news is we have 2 inches of rain so it was cart path only with no flags…and I wouldn’t have wanted to be on the course with the course. It was soaking wet. It was so wet the water was sloshing all over the place. My socks and shoes were soaking wet and the bottom of my pant legs.

I’ve listed all the “events” we had to do for each hole…it was fun but after the first few holes, we quit keeping score…I actually played well..better than I’ve played in a long time…on many of the holes.

Anyway…here’s what we did. Oh yeah…it was hot and humid. I was sorry i didn’t have shorts on under my pants. It’s 70 but the humidity made it feel like August instead of almost November.

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I played with my 3 regular partners and another friend who fills in when we need a 4th. Two gals walked and 2 rode (including me). One of the gals who walked was exceptionally chatty today…all morning. She was talking while we teed off, hit in the fairway and when we putted. She knows better but she was really beyond the pale rude today. I know she didn’t realize she was doing it, but not for 18 holes. I even had to stop once while putting and ask her to stop.  She’s not a new golfer, so she really should have known better and waited until folks had hit.  sigh!

It was a tad chilly this morning when we started out but it very quickly turned into a lovely day. Sun was shining for most of the round and although it was in the 60s, it was almost perfect.

Of course, since it’s still October, I played abysmally. I have to admit my back is really hindering my ability to stay down. I’m so afraid of twisting too much so I’m not using any torque and hitting mostly with my arms. I must say I managed to hit the ball mostly straight, right at the place I was aiming for. I hardly ever do that so to do it the majority of the time is quite exciting  for me.

Of course, I couldn’t capitalize on it, so it’s kind of a “whoopie do” kind of thing! There’s always Wednesday

I love golf. I live golf. I dream golf. If only I could play golf!

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And on the course. Of course, I’m still playing like crap.

I didn’t play yesterday because I had a doctor’s appointment. I missed the last day of league golf that counts. Next week they’re having special events because it’s the last day of the league and also Halloween…or the Halloween golf day. Oh well…I’m in a 3 way tie for the ringer board…a possible 68. If I could only put it all together so I could shoot that….

Anyway…no immediate back surgery…I was hoping for some relief, but we’ll see. I have to see another back doc because mine is being deployed We’ll see.

So we were a twosome. We’ve been trying to play golf together all year…we finally got to do it. It was a very slow day with a slow threesome of men in front of us, who teamed up on the 13th hole with a slow twosome in front of them…so they thought a fivesome would play faster. WHAT???

We asked them very nicely if we could play through…since they were now tedious. They didn’t like it, agreed to let us, then continued to play…so F**K them! They pissed me off so I called the pro shop on them. The pro came out and they had to split back up. A fivesome…how rude and then not let a twosome play through…no courtesy, no golf etiquette.

Golf is supposed to be a gentlemen’s game…but there are never any gentlemen on the course….so we had to wait on EVERY hole for their slow play. One guy in the group in front of us almost hit the same guy in their threesome twice…once on the front nine, once on the back. They paid no attention to where anyone was…which is extremely dangerous.

When they were a fivesome, four of them were on the green and one guy was way back where we were. That’s when he almost hit one of the guys. If I wasn’t so angry, it would have almost been comical!

So it was one of those days! I actually thought it was going to be good…I parred the first hole and bogeyed the second…then I got kinda crappy. I also got tired and my back prevents me many times from staying down on the ball. I think subconsciously, I’m afraid of twisting too much and hurting it…so I lift and end up topping the ball or not getting completely under it. Oh well, a bad day on the course is still better than working.

Another plus…the heron was on 17 stalking bugs or fish or something. He totally ignored us as we drove slowly by, looking at him. He’s such a beautiful bird!

Forget about all those “how to” books, videos and articles. The only sure way to save strokes is with an eraser!

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That was the kind of day it was. It was in the 40s when we started out. I was wearing a shirt, golf top, and a winter vest. The sun was (finally) out after 4 straight days of rain. It did warm things up but not much, until of course, we were finished. It didn’t get above 60 while we were playing.

I got hot so took the vest off on the 3rd hole. I started sweating, as I always do, but the wind was so cold, I got cold because I was wet, so I had to put the vest back on. It didn’t come off for good until about the 8th hole when it really started warming up on the course. Needless to say, I didn’t have the freedom in my arms the summer affords.

I had a horrible weekend. The low pressure really got to me so I was not all that loose and ready to play. Add to that the extra clothes and the round was, basically, a disaster.

I rode in the cart myself…the other 3 ladies walked. I wanted to walk badly, but knew I wouldn’t get very far. It did give me the freedom to go where I wanted…that’s how I got the shots of our Blue Heron. We saw him stalking a fish on hole #2 and stalking something else on hole #17. The trees are really starting to turn and the course looks gorgeous!

I played like s**t again.The topper was the putt for par that stopped right on the cup’s edge. It was so close to going in, I could have blown it in! That’s the kind of day I had.

Because of my wonderful October play, I fully expected my handicap to go way up…instead, it went down again like they did last year at this time. It’s reduced because of exceptional tournament play during the year. Dummy here shot a 90 and a 95 in a tournament on courses that are more difficult than my home course, so they reduced my handicap again. At least I’ll hopefully have an opportunity to get some more under 100 scores next year so when the reduction is over, my handicap will stay the same or go down. I really play like crap in October…

With back surgery looming (I’m almost certain) and hopefully I’ll still be able to get my knee done…I’ll be bionic in the spring and more pain-free…hopefully!

Anyway…that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!

If your typical round is 85 and you shot a 95, you’ve had what is called an “off game.” Wouldn’t this be equally true if you shot a 75?

So here are my pictures of the changing leaves on the course and our Blue Heron

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We started on 10. I parred it. Kiss of death. I had the worst round I’ve had in over a year and a half. Of course it was in the 50s, cloudy, damp and quite an ugly day…but a good day for golf. But that’s not my excuse because I like playing in this kind of weather. I offer no excuses.

I played like crap after the first hole, although I did do a tad better on the front nine.

Played a lot at the beach today as well. Did all right, but in far too many bunkers to be happy.

I brought my camera because the heron has been hanging around the pond on hole #4. It’s on the second fairway before the green. Last Monday, he was standing on the hill, stock still watching everyone play. He never moved a muscle. I figured as long as I was playing today, I’d take a shot of him close up. We got to the second fairway and there he was, standing in the pond. I was pulling out my camera to take a picture, but the gal who was driving was pissed off because she’d done horribly up to that point. She drove right by the pond and it scared him off before I could even get the camera out….so I missed another opportunity

I did get some lovely pictures of the turning leaves. Fall has definitely arrived in Virginia. These are trees around the course. The fungus (mushroom) is growing out of a tree stump across the cart path from the ladies tees on hole 14.

There are three ways to improve your golf game: take lessons, practice constantly — or start cheating.

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That’s what it felt like. I must have hit half the bunkers on the course today. It was cold too….great golf weather. Didn’t even get in the 60s today. It was cloudy the entire time. I wore lined pants and a sweater. I took the sweater off briefly on hole 4, but the wind was too cool so I put it back on. I was sweating in it, but got really cold when I took the sweater off. We had a lot of fun and didn’t play well at all. It was just one of those days.

We all got to practice stuff…that’s how bad it was; hitting multiple balls just to try to correct stupid mistakes. We laughed a lot, chatted a lot and generally played lousy but had a great time.

It’s supposed to get into the 70s tomorrow and then plunge back into the 50s. Rain by week’s end. Tournament might be rained out. It’ll probably be my last opportunity to play in one before I have my surgery…that I’m assuming I’m having on my back. I’ll find that out next Wednesday. As for today’s round, I’ve said it all!

This Wednesday is going to be an interesting day. More on that Wednesday.

In primitive society, when native tribes beat the ground with clubs and yelled, it was called witchcraft; today, in civilized society, it is called golf.

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And it couldn’t happen fast enough. It’s not that they affect me, but there’s just something about playing 3 weeks in a row that screws me up.

It was supposed to rain last night. The clouds started getting ugly early in the afternoon yesterday, but it came and went but no rain. This morning, the clouds were those  dark, roiling, heavy clouds that you know are going to open up….but it never did…at least not here. Some places got rain, but not us. It turned out to be a gorgeous day as the rain was pushing past us by 7am.

When we got to the 8th hole, the front came through they promised would come and with it the 25-30mph winds they also promised. Then it got tough to play. Leaves were blowing all over the place and sometimes, the gusts were so strong, you felt like you were going to be blown over. Now, there’s a lot of me to blow over…so they were pretty intense.

The blue heron who lives on the course was wading on the pond on the 4th hole…Monday and today. I wished I had my camera. He was close enough to touch. What a magnificent bird he is…I’ll try to remember to bring it on Monday. Of course, if I do, he won’t be there

I had my typical lousy day. After playing so well Monday, I was hoping for a repeat, or at least something close. 12 strokes higher wasn’t what I had in mind. Oh well…it was a lovely day on the course, good friends and it beat sitting behind this keyboard…so it’s not too bad.

The best exercise for golfers is golfing.

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I was fine when I got up this morning. I sat on the couch to work a little on the computer and watch the Today Show before I went out to play. When I got up from the couch, I experienced a pain like I’ve never had before. In my lower back, the bulging disks decided to play nasty and played with the nerves. It was a quite unpleasant experience. I went to the course not knowing if I could play or not.

I’d already taken two aspirin, but on the first hole added a Tylenol and codeine. The pain dissipated and I was able to play the round. Of course I did some stupid things but I managed to play the best round I’ve had in over a month. The gal who was riding in the cart with me played the best game she ever had. I’d say it turned out to be decent day, golf wise.

Weather-wise, it was gorgeous. Low 70s, the sun was out, we had a cooling breeze…it was another yummy day in Northern Virginia.

I did lose my temper on hole 14. I had a beautiful drive and a decent second shot. I have to be very aware of staying down when I hit because of my back. I tend to rise up on my downswing. My third shot was in the range of my new gap wedge. I haven’t been staying down with that club and when I do, I chunk it badly. Today, I didn’t stay down so I screwed my third shot up.

I’ve also not been hitting well with my lob wedge…which is my go-to club anytime I’m within 40 or so yards from the pin. I hit it fat and pulled it to the left…right into the greenside bunker. My first attempt out of the bunker was shitty…so shitty, I threw the damn lob wedge back onto the fairway. The only other club I had was my putter…I used it and didn’t do any better with it, but I didn’t do worse than I’d been doing with the damn lob wedge. I threw the ball out of the bunker and damn near holed it. I took my max and moved out smartly!

On hole 15, the #2 handicap, I had a decent drive. I nailed the second shot onto the green (GIR) but left myself a 25+ foot putt. I put it about a foot  from the cup. I parred it.

Actually, #14, which is an easily parred hole and one that I really like because of the challenge (it has 3 fairways and an environmental area hazard…and a pretty hole), was the only really screwed up hole I had.

I was quite happy and hope I can do as well Wednesday…the last day of the league tournament….if it doesn’t rain as predicted.

Not a bad day, all in all.

If you watch a game, it’s fun. If you play it, it’s recreation. If you work at it, it’s golf.

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Too bad I didn’t capitalize on it.

It was one of those weird, cold, warm, cold, warm days. The breeze was quite chilly but it wasn’t cold…My sweater came off immediately, but it took until the 15th hole for me to take off the long pants (yes I had shorts on underneath them). The sun kept trying to come out and it peeked through a couple of times, but it was mostly cloudy. Great day for golf, though.

I did have a spectacular shot on #4 (#1 handicap hole). I had a great drive but it was on the right. I had a shot to the next fairway but it was a tricky shot because of where I was.  I started to go for it, but changed my mind and laid up. Had a wonderful shot to the 150 and right in the fairway. I took a deep breath, took out my 3 wood and hit a beautiful shot just past the bunker and on the fringe of the green. I putted to the hole and just missed, the ball sliding past the hole by a few feet. I sunk the putt for a par. Always nice to do on that hole.

I managed to get in bunkers on the first 3 holes, so I thought it was going to be one of those days! It wasn’t a great day, but it could have been, and has been lately, a whole lot worse.

I find my body is tired by this time of the year…and the pain doesn’t help. By all rights, considering my back issues, I’m very happy I’m able to play and not have excruciating pain afterwards. The best thing about today…I was out on the course, playing with friends. The weather was cool, not humid…I’m a happy camper. The score means something but I can’t worry about what already is.

This is a game of misses. The gal who misses the best is going to win.

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