Golf Resolutions for 2019

We're a week into the new year and I haven't posted my annual golf resolutions. Sorry for procrastinating. First, how did I do with last year's resolutions?

Resolution #1: Continue to stay fit for golf.  So far, so good on this one. Even with the addition of ballroom dancing (aka "dancesport") to my fitness repertoire, I have maintained overall health. As I resolved last year, I've added regular foot care to my routine. I bought a battery-operated scrub brush with a pumice stone attachment to keep my feet callous-free.

Resolution #2: Break 80. Nope, not yet. In fact, I didn't even keep my handicap in 2018 (gasp!). As any East Coaster knows, it was an unusually rainy spring, summer and fall. Golf-wise, it was kind of a lost season. Due to muddy conditions and fairways that couldn't be mowed due to rain, I mainly shot rounds in the mid-90s. I couldn't bring myself to record scores, since they'd drop my glorious 14.5 handicap from 2017. Most of my 2018 season looked like this:

My errant pink ball, in jail. The flag is somewhere behind those trees.

I didn't start scoring in the upper 80s till November, when the weather dried out, but by then the handicap season was over. 

Resolution #3: Grow the game. I've been continuing to encourage the young golfers in my life to enjoy the game. My 10-year-old goddaughter has started playing tournaments and last summer I had the pleasure of playing another par-3 course with her. My oldest nephew continues to play golf with his friends. And my two youngest nephews, who are 5 and 7, now incorporate golf activities into their playtime. When they visit my house, they like to create putting practice surfaces using my yoga mats with hand weights propped underneath to simulate undulating greens. How cute is that!

Okay, so how about 2019?

Resolution #1: Continue to stay fit for golf.  I think this will be a permanent resolution. I see golfers out there walking with pull-carts or carrying bags well into their 70s and even 80s. If I want to be one of them someday, I need to take care of my health.

Resolution #2: Break 80. This is going to a resolution until I just finally do it. My all-time lowest score was 83, so it's just a matter of time on this one.

Resolution #3: Maintain a handicap. So much of golf depends on the weather. And though I can blame the rain for not making progress in 2018, I realize I could learn to play better in adverse conditions. Of course, it's easier when conditions are good. This winter, I've had a few stolen days when the weather was warm and dry enough to go out. Yesterday, we had a day with temps in the 50s, and I shot an 87. So things are looking up for 2019. Stay tuned!

A Mighty Wind

It was my first official play day with the women's league I had joined. I had played with a few of the league women here and there a few times but this was the first 18 holes I would play with the group. The forecast called for a 30% chance of rain with gusts of wind as high as 30mph, but I had already canceled on a play day two weeks before due to rain in the forecast and it never actually rained that day. So I was hopeful that this rain forecast wouldn't come true either. 

I planned to walk with my pull-cart, and I brought a better umbrella this time. Feeling optimistic, I also wore white pants and a short-sleeve shirt instead of a long-sleeve one.

"It's not gonna rain, right?" I said to the pro shop cashier.

"Well the radar is clear right now," he said, pointing to the TV screen behind him where they displayed the weather radar. 

"I brought my umbrella, so that means it isn't going to rain," I said.

"Oh, like a talisman?" said the lady behind me.

"Exactly!" I said, gratified to know that I wasn't the only one in modern times who used the word "talisman."

There were 2 threesomes from the ladies league going out. In my group, I walked while the other two shared a cart. I hit a decent first tee shot and bogeyed the first hole. The second hole went the same. It was sunny, and the wind was up but not terribly so. On the third hole, an uphill par 4, we had all made it to the green and marked our balls, when cloud cover seemed to rush through like an ocean wave, bringing with it a sudden, brisk chill in the air. Within seconds, the wind rushed around like a hurricane and we were pelted with tiny, sharp drops of rain. I picked up my mark and ball, and rushed to where my golf cart had fallen over. I didn't even have time to put on my windbreaker which was stuffed in a pocket of my golf bag. In fact, I didn't even have time to put my ball marker back on my hat. I just clenched it tightly in one hand while dragging my cart in the other hand. The clubhouse was in view but I had to cross thee fairways to get there. The two ladies in my group had jumped in their cart and circled back to see if I wanted a ride. 

"No, I'm okay!" I shouted. "Maybe I could just run alongside your cart so I have some shelter." I don't think they heard me because they bolted off almost immediately. "That's right," I thought, "Save yourselves!" It felt like quite a dire situation at the time. I passed a short tree that was cracked in two. Tree branches were falling like rose stems after an ice skating performance. I saw two old men huddled against each other in a golf cart by a large pine tree, but even they decided to head indoors.

Once in the clubhouse, it was like a 60th year high school reunion of a boys school. It was all old man golfers, with the exception of my threesome and a few other non-league ladies. The power was out, so everyone just talked about the weather, watching through the big windows looking over the first hole.

My husband had sent me a text: "Be careful out there. Heavy rains coming."
I texted him back: "I know. They are here. In the clubhouse now."

After about 20 minutes, the skies cleared as suddenly as they had clouded and we set out to play again. We were going to take up from the 4th hole, but I scurried out ahead so I'd have time to place my ball where it was before and putt it out. It was only 5 or so feet from the hole, but I took two putts and then rushed over the the next tee.

With 4 over after 3 holes, I wasn't sure where the day would lead. But things turned out pretty well. We played to variably strong winds and the sounds of firetrucks off in the distance. Later I'd learn there were many weather-related power outages and traffic incidents. But here I was on the golf course, safe from car crashes and the need for electricity.

I went on to make 5 pars and a birdie on a par 4, and in the end I'd shot an 87 for the round, something I hadn't done for several years. I think the shushing of the wind helped serve as white noise to drown out any chatter from the ladies. Playing after a storm somehow made me feel as if I was in a state of grace. I shouldn't really be here, but here I am, so I must play well to deserve it. Ironically, the wind conditions were a blessing at times. Waiting for a certain gust to die down gives one an extra moment to reflect on what one is about to do, swing-wise. Also, there is such a thing as "helping wind," as any golfer knows.

So I survived 18 holes of golf during what some would later call a "tornado." I think I'm ready for Scotland.

Golfing in Pain in the Rain

Seri: What do you think, should we play?
Me: I think so. The weather says only a 30% chance of rain.

Seri: Really? My forecast says 60% chance between 11 and 4.

Me: I'm using National Weather Service. What are you using?
Seri: Accuweather.

Me: Let's check the radar. I like WBAL TV radar.
Seri: You know, radar is not always accurate, but I'll check mine.

[Silence while we both check our preferred weather radar services.]

Me: You're right, mine is showing green clouds between 11 and 4. [The green clouds are how clouds show up on the radar. They are not actually green.]

Seri: Well, what do you think, should we play?

Long story short, we decided to play. It was a tough, hilly city course but I wanted to walk to get a workout. I only planned to play 9 because my leg was still bothering me, as well as my left shoulder. It was cloudy and a bit chilly, which instantly put a cramp into my leg. 

But still, I played. And I actually played pretty well. I've already documented the beneficial effects that being in pain has on my game. But sometimes I play better in the rain too. It didn't rain the whole time. At first it was just a drizzle. But that fine, constant mist in the air has a tendency to lend a sense of urgency to the game. The skies could open up at any moment, so you better make the most of the time you've got before it does. 

Because the ground is wet as a sponge, any amount the ball would normally roll can be removed from the equation. Throughout the round, I just zapped the yardage with my range finder and took one extra club. There's less break on wet greens, and somehow my ball found the cup much more easily than usual. I even made a birdie on a par 3.

After 8 holes, I had shot only 5 over par. And then the skies opened up. I discovered that my supposedly waterproof windbreaker is merely water-resistant. And that golf umbrella I got for free at a tournament once really lets water in like a sieve. The 9th hole was an uphill par 5, and I was so soaked by the time I reached the tee, I couldn't keep a grip on my club. It took me 4 shots to get on the green but I managed a two-putt to save bogey, even with water dripping off my baseball cap brim and my leg throbbing.

So, I shot 6 over after 9 holes in the end. Now if only I could do that twice in a row on a sunny day, without pain. But I know there are some things I can't control. So I better make the most of the things within my control while I can.

Saved by the Rain

It was a dark and stormy day. A tee shot rang out in the distance. I think you know where I'm going with this. Yup, that's right. My game got rained out today.

I had a 12:12 tee time at a certain local course, where I hadn't played since last year. Seri and two of her Korean gal pals were joining me. The course has an afternoon special going where you can get $10 off the fees, including cart, from noon till twilight. This didn't help me, since I was walking, but Seri and her friends all rode, so they got a bargain. Except for one of Seri's buddies who didn't speak English and got charged the regular rate. Seri's bilingual buddy had to translate the problem for the pro shop cashier, and I suspected he may have accidentally-on-purpose charged her the regular rate. In my past travels, as a tourist in China and other Asian countries, I would routinely get ripped off because I didn't speak the language, so I have no doubt it happens here in the US to non-English-speakers. But, at least Seri's other friend caught the "mistake" and they honored the correct price.

But I digress. I was talking about the rain. When I left the house, the forecast said there was a 30% chance of rain. When I checked the weather radar, there was a big green blob on the screen but it looked several hours away. I had done everything I could to prevent the rain. I brought my golf umbrella, which is usually a foolproof talisman against the rain. I left my sunglasses at home, which is typically a sure-fire harbinger of sunshine. To be on the safe side, I even wore my waterproof golf shoes and rainproof jacket.

As we stood on the first tee, the sky was covered in grey clouds that looked like someone let the stuffing out of a dirty old comforter. Seri and her Korean gal pals chatted incessantly, in their native language. Seri remarked that I couldn't understand Korean, but to no avail. They couldn't have cared less. I told Seri, "Don't worry, I don't mind the talking." Which was totally true. Sometimes I play better with the white noise of foreign chatter in the background.

After I blasted my first tee shot 185 yards, got on in 2, and two-putted for par, they seemed to quiet down. At least till the next hole, a par 3, where I teed off first and missed the green. They all made the green and the talking started up again, while they pretty easily made their pars. By the third hole, I could see where this was going. Seri's buddies were the kind of social but lethal Korean golfers I've seen before. These ladies, with their tech-fabric jackets and big-brimmed visors and gold-embroidered golf shoes, they are on the flashy side and strut around fairways like life is some big picnic. And it probably is for them, if they're anything like Seri and they golf nearly every day and don't have to work since their husbands are working in Korea and sending money to them so they can take care of the kids going to American schools. (Not that I am jealous. I mean, maybe the golfing daily part. But I would never want to be separated from hubby for even a day.) These kind of women act as if golf is just something to do while gossiping, and they hit short drives, but always seem to make par or bogey just out of natural habit.

One of these women was the same one Seri had told me about, who recently ruined Bea's game by too much talking, to the point where Bea blew up and scolded her with some harsh words. Afterwards, Seri had to make at least 10 phone calls to both parties just to do damage control. I suspected that I might encounter a similar fate, though I would never scold any of Seri's friends (nor would they understand me), but I might end up getting mightily annoyed. So as soon as I spotted raindrops on the flags, I started thinking about exit strategy.

After I triple-bogeyed the third hole, the rain thankfully became as incessant as the chatter, and I told Seri I was going to take a rain check. "The last time I played in the rain, I got sick for two weeks," I told her. And it was true. But she didn't seem that disappointed that I was quitting early. I think it was easier for her to not worry about me feeling left out.

As I made tracks for the clubhouse, the rain started to pour, and I was glad I'd brought that umbrella. The clubhouse was full of golfers waiting out the weather. I went up to the cashier, and I said, "You know how they say whenever you get your car washed, it rains the next day? Well, I washed my clubs last night." Which was true. I actually did give my clubs their annual scrub-down last night. And now I know never to go golfing after washing my clubs.

And I also learned that it's probably best to not to join Seri when she's playing with her socially lethal golf crew, because I can't always count on being saved by the rain.

The Fox’s Wedding Day

Last Wednesday, I had a noon tee time with Seri and Bea. Rain was in the forecast, and I had woken up with a vicious migraine. But when it comes to golf, the show must go on, especially when other people are counting on you. Bea and I arrived first, and as we waited for Seri, Bea revealed that she, too, wasn’t feeling well. Her stomach hurt, so she didn’t want to “get too excited.” When Seri met us at the starter booth, we told her about our ills, as a pre-apology for playing in a subdued manner.

I have been plagued by migraines since I was a child, when debilitating headaches would leave me wiped out for entire afternoons. Since then, I have learned to live through the pain. Medications seem to make my migraines worse, so I just suffer through. The headaches usually last about 6 to 8 hours, after which the pain breaks, like a fever.

As we teed off, I knew my headache would last for the duration of the round. I triple-bogeyed several holes, though my drives were decent and I even managed to make par on a par 5. But dark, grey clouds were gathering in the sky, and I could feel the air growing cold. Just after we teed off on the 9^th hole, there was a loud peal of thunder in the sky, followed by a sudden, drenching rain.

Seri and Bea took cover in their cart. I was walking, so I ran for the trees. But I still got soaked to the skin. There was more thunder, which meant lightning, so we decided to take shelter at the clubhouse till the storm blew over.

“Let’s get some coffee,” I suggested. “Then maybe we can go out again.”

We went to the clubhouse grill, and once we sat down with our Styrofoam cups, there was an awkward moment when we suddenly realized that this was the first time we had all sat still at a table together. I looked at Seri. “You know, I have never seen you without a hat on.”

She peered up from under her wide brim. “Really? I’m sorry!” she said, removing her hat. She wore her hair in a long braid, and as she smoothed some loose locks away from her forehead, I could see she had a kind face without a wrinkle on it. It seemed to explain why she never expressed anger on the golf course, except sometimes when her ball didn’t fly straight, and she would scold it by saying, “Where are you going?” in mock frustration.

I smiled at her. “Now I could recognize you if I saw you on the street!”

We all laughed and began chatting about golf and other things. Even though we’d already spent many hours together golfing, we didn’t know much about each others’ off-course lives. Bea looked out the window at the outdoor terrace and view of the first tee ground. She told us that it reminded her of a house she used to own. It was on so much land she could practice hitting driver in her backyard. But then one of her businesses suffered a loss, which forced her to sell the house. After that, she went “a little crazy.”

Seri and I nodded in understanding. After 40, life is bound to make anyone a little crazy.

We looked outside to check on the weather.
“Did it stop?” Seri said.
“I still hear thunder,” I said. “We could get struck by lightning.”
“I think we can go out now,” said Bea.
“But no one else is going out,” I said.  

We stared out the window, waiting for the weather to change. Suddenly, the sky brightened and the sun shone through a break in the clouds. But the sprinkles of rain remained steady.

“You know this kind of rain?” said Seri. “We call it ‘fox wedding,’” She said there is a Korean fable where a fox and a tiger marry.

“Oh, I get it,” I said. “A fox and a tiger are so different, so when it rains and it’s sunny, it’s like the marriage of two incompatible animals.”

Bea continued to look longingly out the window. Now I understood her crazy, her pain. Sometimes life is like a sun shower. Alongside the sun, there is rain.

“I know you really want to play,” I said to Bea. “But golf is not worth dying for.”

She looked at me as if she didn’t agree. The clouds gathered again and the fox’s wedding ended. Now it was just pouring rain.

“I’d better go home,” I said. “Maybe we can play next week?"

We went to the pro shop to set up a tee time. Then Seri and Bea went to the range, as consolation for not finishing the round. I went home to nurse my headache. Even though we parted ways early that day, I felt somehow we’d grown closer. For one bittersweet afternoon, we were bridesmaids at a fox’s wedding, and that’s a bond that will never break. 

Day 3 at TPC Sawgrass: Monster in the Valley

The day after we played the Stadium Course, we had a 1:35pm tee time to play Dye's Valley, the "other" course at TPC Sawgrass. Although the Nationwide Tour is played here, Dye's Valley is more of a resort course and the greens fees are a lot cheaper than at the Stadium. Because it was twilight, we didn't get a forecaddie, so we bought a yardage book for $5 at the pro shop. Driving over in our golf cart to check in with the starter at the first hole, it felt like we were a world away from the excitement of the previous day. Even though it was 10 degrees warmer here than back home, the low 60s temps felt chilly because I was only wearing capri pants and a light jacket. If I'd have brought long pants and a turtleneck, I would have been just fine.

Luckily, hubby and I got to play as a twosome, and it turned out to be a calm, relaxed round, despite the constant drizzle.

 

At Dye's Valley, there is water everywhere.

And some distinctive bunkerage that reminds me of a volcano.

The course is adorned with trees draped in Spanish moss, dewy from the rain.

The best part was that hubby got to see my Loch Ness monster drive. Maybe it was the long fairways that beckoned. Maybe it was the lack of sun to distract me. Or, maybe I had finally gotten my muscles to memorize some decent technique. Whatever the reason, I was easily driving 170 to 180 yards on each hole. Although I scored a 103 here and caught a cold in the rain, I considered the round a success.

On each drive, I had that simple swing thought about shaking hands. On the backswing, I imagined I was reaching out with my left hand to shake the hand of an imaginary person standing to the right. Hubby and I had seen Greg Norman give a tip about shaking hands on the Golf Channel, although we still weren't sure if he had meant the right hand or the left hand. I thought it was the left hand, and that's what worked for me.

But, swing thoughts can be fleeting, and I wondered whether my longer drives would hold up back home. But we still had another day left in Ponte Vedra, and another few days before I would find out.

First Round of the New Year

To celebrate the arrival of the new year, I made a tee time on January 1, 2012, at 12:12pm. The weather forecast called for sunny skies with a high of 53 degrees, so I wasn’t surprised to find the parking lot half full at the golf course. Good thing there was a football game today, or it would have been packed.

Yesterday was warm too, but I forced myself to take a day off since my neck and hip were feeling a bit achy. Today I felt just fine but resolved to swing easy and not try to kill it on driver. Hubby had the idea to play a match, and he gave me a stroke a hole. So on a par 4, for example, if I took five strokes and he took four, we’d still be even. Just before we teed off, the starter said to me, “Don’t forget the rules: You’re not allowed to beat him!” I laughed and replied, “Don’t worry, that never happens!”

For the first few holes, things went pretty well, which for me means I was staying a stroke or two above par. I landed on the green on hole 5, which was the site of my hole-in-one back in October. I haven’t repeated it since, but that never stops me from trying. This time, I ended up three-putting for a respectable bogey.

Then along came hole 6. From the red tees, it’s 405 yards to the pin, half of which is a steep uphill. I botched my drive and plugged the ball into the rough on the far right, a pitiful 80 yards or so from the tee ground. From there I tried rescuing the ball with my 7-wood, but the rough was thick and the ball was stubborn. I kept hitting fat shots that sent the ball dribbling forward, clinging to the side of the fairway like a gutterball. It took me 11 strokes to get my ball in the hole. Needless to say, hubby won that hole.

Given that I blew up so hard, we had to come up with a new golf term for my terrible score. In golf lingo, there’s bogey and double-bogey for one or two strokes above par. Three strokes over par is triple-bogey, and if par happens to be 5, then you’d get a “snowman,” which is what the 8 looks like. But what about 9, 10, and 11, which are numbers that are known to appear on my score card? Well, I thought of “lollipop” for a 9. For 10, hubby thought “bacon and egg” was a good phrase. And for 11? “Chopsticks,” he said.

On the back nine, the wind picked up and some clouds rolled in, and then raindrops started falling. At the 14^th hole, we headed for shelter. We debated stopping for the day, but my husband surveyed the sky and looked at how fast the clouds were moving in the distance. “This should be over in about 20 minutes,” he predicted. So we loitered under the driving range hood till the rain subsided to a light drizzle.

Sometimes I play better in the rain. The grayness forms a cloak around me so I don’t get distracted by pretty blue skies, chirping birds, or shadows cast by the sun. On a wet fairway, balls don’t stray too far from where you land them, and a damp green is like putting on carpet. Perhaps because of this, I birdied the 16^th hole. I hit my 6-iron on the 110-yard par 3, and made the 8-foot putt to my utter surprise. 

I shot 103 for the round. Hubby shot an 86. In terms of the match, I won 7 holes, he won 6, and we came out even on the rest. So technically, despite the starter's reminder, I did beat my husband. But we both had fun. Even though there were some dark clouds and cold rain, we weathered it. We even managed not to curse or bicker much. All in all, it was a great start to the new year.