Bugging Out

So it was a pretty fun golfy day. Had a 1:58pm tee time but was at the range by 12:45pm. Accidentally bought a medium bucket of range balls instead of a small but took my time and hit almost all of them. I was golfing solo, and when I got to the starter box, there was not another female to be seen. Fortunately, I was paired with two laid-back hipster twentysomethings, who worked as the executive chef and bartender at a certain celebrity farm-to-table diner concept in the city. The chef was a good golfer but the bartender, who had grown up golfing, hadn't picked up a club for 5 years. I told him, "It's just like riding a bicycle," which as everyone knows, it really isn't.

A couple holes in, Bea rode up and joined us. She knew I had an afternoon tee time, and had just finished playing a morning 18 at another course. She played like crap because she hadn't eaten for two days, or so she said. I think Bea tends to exaggerate sometimes.

Anyway, I played like crap too. I was playing long, but pulled drives and 3-putts gave me trouble. Overall, though, it was a fun day of fair-to-mediocre golf. The worst part was once I got home. I went to take a shower and took out my contacts like a usually do, which leaves me practically blind. After the water got running, I stepped in and was just settling into the steam, when I looked down and saw a large fuzzy black spot on the shower floor. I kicked at it and it barely moved, so I leaped out of the shower, grabbed my eyeglasses and looked back down into the shower to see the biggest stinkbug I have ever seen in my life. It must have been at least an inch long. It looked like a miniature baby turtle that had been flipped onto its back and couldn't right itself. I frantically went for the toilet paper but my wet hands made the roll spin in futility like a slot machine wheel that turns up all lemons. Finally I got enough paper off the roll to make a wad, which I used to bundle up that stinkbug like a swaddled baby, which I then unceremoniously tossed into the toilet bowl and flushed. I'm sorry if I offend any insect-lovers or if there's some news channel in a parallel insect world that is breaking news about the latest flushing-an-insect-down-the-toilet scandal, but that is what happened in my bathroom tonight.

Moral of the story: After a long day of golf in nice weather, leave on the contact lenses in the shower!

An All-You-Can-Golf Buffet

So my favorite public course has a special deal going this season. It’s $199 a month for unlimited play on weekday afternoons, with cart, plus discounts if you buy more than a month’s worth at a time. It was an offer I couldn’t resist, so I bought two month’s worth. I’ve played yesterday and today, and if it weren’t for cold and rain in the forecast the rest of this week, I would be playing more. I already have tee times lined up for four out of five days next week. Fortunately, work is slow this year, so I've got plenty of time for golf.

I started scoring, and it's been nothing spectacular (97, 102, 99). But I haven't been trying too hard yet. I'm really enjoying just swinging the club as fast as I can without hurting myself. I think my monster drives are coming back. The other day I pounded a tee shot down the middle of the fairway about 206 yards. My 3-wood has been scooting 170-plus yards in a reliable way. I've been making par 4's in two and par 5's in 3 like you're supposed to. This morning, at the range, I was able to hit my driver so it rolled out to 200 yards. This is the first time I've ever done that in my whole life. 

Of course, my putting is a mess and my sand game needs work, but I'm just getting started. Time to break open a new box of pink balls and let the good times roll!

Whip It Good

I played 27 holes yesterday. I only meant to play 18, but you know how it goes. The first 18 was colder and cloudier and windier than the forecast predicted. I forgot my thick knitted winter hat and had to make due with a fleece headband and a regular baseball hat. I wore two layers of shirts and a down vest, and when the wind kicked up, I threw on the wrinkled polyester windbreaker I keep stuffed in my golf bag. Seri improvised her outfit with a wool overskirt worn over black leggings, plus purple knit legwarmers:

Here's a close-up on the legwarmers:

I thought it was a cute outfit, but I never wore legwarmers when they were in fashion in the '80s, so I can't imagine wearing them now that they're back in fashion. I am definitely not a fashionista. Seri and Bea always manage to add flair to their golf outfits, while I prefer more utilitarian styles.

It was a struggle for us all to keep warm yesterday, but by the end of the round, the sun was beginning to make an appearance. So Bea suggested playing some more at another course. Seri went home but I joined Bea. I played till 6pm, when my hubby gets home from work, and finished 9 holes. Bea went on to finish 18. She's truly a golf nut.

I slept well last night. My swing felt different, somehow better. Maybe it's the excitement of spring, but I felt like I had some whip in my swing. It reminded me of the old days, back when I was just starting to learn golf and I could "swing with abandon." It was also refreshing to be outside all day. Golf is a kind of therapy for me, and since I haven't had it for months, I had been going a little crazy.

I still haven't started scoring yet. But I will soon. For now, it's enough just to let it all go and whip it good.

A Sputtering Start

The first day of spring was five days ago but temps are still sub-40 around here. Winter has definitely overstayed its welcome, but that didn't stop me from trying to play the first round of the year. Seri had made a tee time for this morning, and we were joined by Bea and the husband of one of Seri's church friends. The forecast called for freezing rain, but I checked the radar and the green splotches looked like they'd pass quickly around noon. So off we went, all of us dressed in so many layers of clothing we looked like homeless people.

My first tee shot went dead left into the trees, and it took me more than a few shots to get out and on the green. Bea hit not one but two trees on the first hole, with the ball ricocheting back toward her both times. Seri was the only one who appeared to have ever picked up a club before, and she calmly went about keeping her ball in the fairway like you're supposed to.

The second hole went about the same for me, and since it's after March 15, I dutifully wrote down +3 on my scorecard. It's a good thing I'm not superstitious or those triple bogeys on the first two holes would've spooked me for the rest of the year. Then it started to rain. My card got soaked pretty quickly, along with my gloves. I had an umbrella with me and as soon as I opened it, it turned inside out, just like you see in the cartoons when the comic hero is having a really bad day.

But I was happy to be out, even in the cold drizzly rain. My driver never got going, but I did make some decent iron and chip shots. I also made a couple of good putts, much to my surprise. Because of the cold, my brain sort of froze and I relied on mostly muscle memory to play. After my card got wet, I stopped keeping score, but I recall making at least one par.

I've made some changes to my swing this year, including taking a wider stance and going back to a strong grip, instead of the neutral grip I paid $175 to learn from that club pro in California. Also, I am really trying to keep my arms straight and away from my body to create a wider, more powerful arc when I swing. And I'm trying to engage my abs more. I've been taking pilates for a year now, it's about time I use my core.

This morning, we made it through 9 holes and then Seri suggested we stop. The temps were hovering around 39 degrees, and though it had stopped raining, the dampness in our clothes lingered. So we stopped and got rain checks from the pro shop. The forecast promises sunny weather in the high 50s next week, so I'm sure we'll get out there again soon.

Snow, Snow on the Range...

This is a picture of the 9th hole at my favorite local golf course. It was taken on March 7, about two weeks ago. As you can see, the course was snow-covered, but I was meeting Seri for pre-season coffee at the clubhouse. Surprisingly, we were not the only ones there. Even with the frigid cold winter we had, there were some diehards who played through the season. I recognized a white-haired senior player with a handlebar moustache, and he sat with me and Seri, telling us about frozen putting greens that played hard as glass, and other details from his winter golf rounds. Mr. Moustache knew the Defectress and asked if we'd seen her. I told him we hadn't seen her since November. I didn't tell him the truth, which was that I really didn't want to see her. Late in the season, I finally got tired of her smug arrogance and the noisy wheels of her electric cart just started to annoy me. So, I won't be calling the Defectress to play any time soon. But that was decided last year. This is now, and time to think positive.

Walking back to the parking lot from the clubhouse, I discovered something new about the local golf course: it is open for cross-country skiing in the winter. I had cross-county skied once in my life, years ago. It was a great workout. Maybe next year, I will try it again. Here's a picture of a cross-country skier gliding past the snack shop at the turn:

Another thing I discovered is that the range is open even when there's snow on the ground.

I'd always thought they closed the range on snow-covered days. I mean, isn't it hard to find white practice balls buried in white snow? But apparently, golfers are allowed to swing away and staffers are sent out to collect the balls on foot. So, of course, I bought myself a small bucket and flailed away.

Today, all the snow has melted and the course is open for play. I've hit the range twice in the past two weeks, but haven't gotten my nerve up to make a tee time. One more range session and I think I'll be ready.

But ready or not, I will play.

Golf Resolutions for 2015

Happy New Year! Time to review last year's golf goals and set new ones for the upcoming year. It's always cold this time of year, but the thought of golf warms me up.

First, how did I do on last year's resolutions?

Resolution #1: Stop obsessing about getting longer. I did, sort of. Despite a temporary breakthrough with 200-plus-yard drives, I really didn't do much worrying about my driver distance. (I still want to get longer though.)
Resolution #2: Enter a hole-in-one million-dollar shootout contest. I didn't come across one this year, although I didn't look too hard to find one.
Resolution #3: Break 80 (or at least break 90 again). I didn't break 80 but I did break 90. Five times, in fact. So I consider this resolution achieved. It was mostly over the spring, which is what inspired me to finally get an official handicap.
Resolution #4: Make new golf buddies. Another resolution I achieved, thanks to Seri introducing me to a couple of her golf regulars. I also hope to reconnect with some former golf pals. Golf buddies may be fair-weather friends, but they also tend to be forever friends. If you've played golf with someone a couple of times, months or even years could go by and you could run into them somewhere and say, "Hey, we should go golfing sometime."
Resolution #5: Play another bucket list course. Did it, if you consider Streamsong a bucket list course. I think it is, since it has gotten a ton of buzz since opening in 2013. While hubby and I took a couple of different golf trips this year, Streamsong tops the list as this past year's bucket-list outing.

Okay, so in 2014 I achieved 4 out of 5 resolutions. Either I'm getting better at golf, or I'm getting better at crafting realistic resolutions. Now what are my resolutions for 2015?

Resolution #1: Lower my handicap. When I first registered for an official handicap in the spring, I logged in at 16.9. By the end of the season, it went up to 19. This year, I would like to get that number down. Lower than a 12 would be nice, but I will settle for a 15.
Resolution #2: Learn to enjoy playing competitively. Hubby and I played in a mixed couples tournament this past year, and I have to say I would have enjoyed it far more if we'd won. I think part of me never got in the game to begin with because my nature is to shrink from competition. The one time I'd won a charity tournament in the past, it was just from playing my usual game and then being surprised to find out I fared better than other women players in the end. I would like to learn how to play in a tournament, both to win and have fun at the same time.
Resolution #3: Become a more consistent putter. When I think about my golf swing, it usually involves an iron or driver. I really need to focus on developing a better, more consistent putting stroke too. In golf, putting is kind of important, ya know?
Resolution #4: Break 80 (or maybe just 85). This goes hand in hand with Resolution #1, but I would really like to score in the mid-80s at some point this year.
Resolution #5: Play another bucket list course. Hubby and I ain't getting any younger, and life is short. I think Bandon Dunes and Pinehurst are on our radar. Maybe we can even do both.

Now I want to get out and golf. Tomorrow is supposed to be 45 and partly sunny. Hubby said we could go out and hit balls, but I'm still trying to convince him to play a round. We shall see!

Streamsong Resort Part 3: Streamsong Red and the Bye Hole

The next morning, hubby and I woke up early so we could have breakfast at the clubhouse before our morning round at Streamsong Red. It was a Friday, and the clubhouse seemed busy with golfers preparing to go out. Hubby and I were still debating whether to hire a caddie or a forecaddie, the difference being that a caddie carries bags while a forecaddie does not. Either way, we were only going to hire one person. I didn't want a personal caddy again, but I did feel we needed someone who could guide us around the course. Generally, the Streamsong Red course encircles Streamsong Blue but we noticed the day before that the holes are so subtly marked, it could be very easy to get lost out there.

We ended up hiring a forecaddie and renting pull-carts. The starter kept calling the pull-carts "rickshaws," which I thought was odd, until I realized that the pull-cart's brand name is Riksha. They have huge wheels and a light frame and were pretty easy to use, although they don't look like they'd fold down easily to fit in a car trunk, in case I wanted to buy one to use at home.

When we requested a forecaddie, I told the pro shop staffer to make sure not to give us Matt again. Erik was already booked, so I was a little nervous about who our forecaddie would be. I wish I'd read about what to expect from a caddie before the trip, but I had quickly learned from playing Streamsong Blue that ideally the guy should have experience and a good sense of humor. Equal parts tour guide, coach and cheerleader.

Our forecaddie was Geno, a friendly and wise professional who had not only men's tour experience, but once caddied for an LPGA pro.

This guy had a really chill vibe about him. You could tell he loved golf and enjoyed helping golfers play their best. He pointed out interesting features of the landscape, and did a cool trick on Hole 5. If you get Geno as a caddie or forecaddie, ask him about it.

It was overcast the day we played, and I was determined to play better than the day before.

There seemed to be more water in play on Streamsong Red.

Fairways seemed wider on the Blue course, leaving me with the sense of almost too many options. 

On the Red course, either I was more focused or the course focused me, with narrower fairways and hazards dictating a more specific strategy.

But the Red course has the same unique topography and overall feel as the Blue course.

At times it felt like you might be stumbling upon some archaeological discovery, if it weren't for the flagstick off in the distance. 

This time, I carried my own scorecard and used my laser rangefinder to get yardages on my own. Hubby and I used the pull-carts but Geno usually took care of them from each putting green to the next hole. I relied on Geno mainly for course knowledge. I found that having a caddie or forecaddie is really useful for letting you know about hidden trouble on the fairway. Or when a putting green is too far to see clearly, they can warn you about false fronts and drop-offs so you'll know whether it's better to miss short or long, right or left. Geno also gave great putting advice. He pointed out breaks I wouldn't have seen otherwise. I made four pars on the front nine, thanks to Geno.

Of course, sometimes I couldn't always execute the shots Geno suggested. For example, he couldn't save me from an errant shot into this enormous bunker. I think it took at least two shots to get out. Between me and hubby, our caddies sure earned their dough raking bunkers.

Because of that bunker, I double-bogeyed the 9th. But I rallied at the turn and birdied the 10th, a par 4. I think Geno was proud of me.

We were actually playing with another twosome, two doctors from New York. 

They each had their own caddies too, so there were a total of seven people on any given hole.

The doctors were self-described "weekend players," but they seemed to enjoy themselves, even though I was "smoking them," as Geno put it. But how could you not feel bliss with views like this, (even if it is a scary par 3 over water)?

Which, by the way, I parred.

Like a boss.

On the last few holes, the sun made an effort to come out. The way the light played in the clouds made me feel like I was in a strange kind of heaven.

I really hope heaven has a golf course.

In the end, I shot a 92. If you've been reading my blog lately, you'll know I ended the season in kind of a slump. So this was the first time I'd shot in the low 90s for awhile. I considered it an end to my slump. I couldn't ask for a better souvenir from Streamsong.

After the round, Geno pointed out the Bye hole, the 37th hole at Streamsong. A bye hole is usually used to assess a golfer's skill at the beginning of a round, or to settle bets and wagers afterwards. The Streamsong Bye hole is near the clubhouse, at the start of the golf courses. Since we'd already finished 18, we were on the other side of the tunnel leading back to the first tee. The bag attendants had already started unloading our clubs from the pull-carts, so Geno told us to grab a 105-yard club and a putter and he'd drive us back through the tunnel to the Bye hole. I brought my 7 and 8 irons, plus my putter and my laser rangefinder.

It turned out that the Bye hole was 82 yards from the gold tees. It was over water, so I hit an easy 8-iron and the result was just fine. Hubby wedged his shot much closer, but we both made par.

Looking back, it was a great experience. I'll forever remember Streamsong Red for breaking my slump, and playing a Bye hole was a fitting end to another golfy year.