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.