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.