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.
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
A Needed Jolt
I swore I'd never do it, but I did it. I played a round using a laser rangefinder. I'd always been a non-techy kind of golfer, a "feel" player, someone who relied on eyesight and spatial sense to get around on the course. Or at least I always liked to think so. Hubby had long wanted to get a laser rangefinder, and I finally bought him one last Christmas, in a surgical strike shopping trip to Golf Galaxy when a coupon plus a rebate scored me the lowest possible price on the Bushnell Tour v3 Slope Edition with PinSeeker and JOLT technology. Since then, hubby played with it a few times. But I had never bothered with the thing till yesterday.
I've seen rangefinders you can wear as a watch or slip into your pocket. But this one is about the size of a juice box and has its own carrying case that you can clip onto your golf bag. It was pretty easy for me to whip it out before every shot without wasting time unnecessarily, especially when I was otherwise just waiting for someone else to take a shot.
I was playing with the Defectress from the ladies league, and we'd been joined by two 20-something guys, who I called "the future of the game," especially when the Defectress scoffed at their poor play and worse etiquette. "If that guy asks me one more time if he needs to mark his ball..." she complained. To which I replied, "I try to be nice to the beginners. After all, they're the future of the game." Also, I was happy not to be the worst of a foursome. It takes the pressure off.
I had noticed that the Defectress also uses a laser rangefinder, and her approach shots are eerily accurate, typically within feet, and sometimes inches, of the hole. She said she practices at a junky range where they have old tires set up to pitch into. Seri also uses a rangefinder, the GPS kind that she clips to her belt. Maybe subconsciously I knew that better players use rangefinders, since it's the next best thing to a caddy reading off calculated distances from a book of field notes.
I liked that the Bushnell Tour v3 Slope has an audible little jolt when you lock into a target. Also, it supposedly takes into account slope, so if you're aiming uphill or downhill, you'll get an accurate distance without needing the Pythagorean theorem.
Knowing distances with more accuracy definitely helped me in several instances on the course yesterday. Though I still had to execute the shot correctly (which I didn't always do), knowing the distance at least gave me an extra bit of confidence about my club selection.
The only thing the laser rangefinder can't do is spot blind targets. For instance, it would have been extremely useful to know that a certain fairway bunker was exactly at a distance where I typically land a 3-wood, had I actually been able to see the bunker.
Maybe the next thing the golf industry needs to invent is a laser rangefinder with X-ray technology.
I've seen rangefinders you can wear as a watch or slip into your pocket. But this one is about the size of a juice box and has its own carrying case that you can clip onto your golf bag. It was pretty easy for me to whip it out before every shot without wasting time unnecessarily, especially when I was otherwise just waiting for someone else to take a shot.
I was playing with the Defectress from the ladies league, and we'd been joined by two 20-something guys, who I called "the future of the game," especially when the Defectress scoffed at their poor play and worse etiquette. "If that guy asks me one more time if he needs to mark his ball..." she complained. To which I replied, "I try to be nice to the beginners. After all, they're the future of the game." Also, I was happy not to be the worst of a foursome. It takes the pressure off.
I had noticed that the Defectress also uses a laser rangefinder, and her approach shots are eerily accurate, typically within feet, and sometimes inches, of the hole. She said she practices at a junky range where they have old tires set up to pitch into. Seri also uses a rangefinder, the GPS kind that she clips to her belt. Maybe subconsciously I knew that better players use rangefinders, since it's the next best thing to a caddy reading off calculated distances from a book of field notes.
I liked that the Bushnell Tour v3 Slope has an audible little jolt when you lock into a target. Also, it supposedly takes into account slope, so if you're aiming uphill or downhill, you'll get an accurate distance without needing the Pythagorean theorem.
Knowing distances with more accuracy definitely helped me in several instances on the course yesterday. Though I still had to execute the shot correctly (which I didn't always do), knowing the distance at least gave me an extra bit of confidence about my club selection.
The only thing the laser rangefinder can't do is spot blind targets. For instance, it would have been extremely useful to know that a certain fairway bunker was exactly at a distance where I typically land a 3-wood, had I actually been able to see the bunker.
Maybe the next thing the golf industry needs to invent is a laser rangefinder with X-ray technology.
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Nay to the Wind
Spring finally sprang, and I've been out on the course at least once a week for the past month and a half. Nothing particularly memorable has happened during this time (that I can write about anyway). My scoring has stayed in the 90s, my driving is not quite back up to big bopper status but getting there, and my putting has been mostly pitiful.
Yesterday, hubby and I played a private club course situated in a valley where the wind from four corners seemed to have a regular rendezvous. This wasn't a mild breeze, but a whipping, constant 25-mile-an-hour wind, with gusts strong enough to blow the securely strapped baseball cap off my head. The pro shop guys described it as "links" golf, a term usually meant to describe a treeless, windy course near the coast. While this private course was miles from the beach, it did have few trees and a lot of wind, so much wind that I felt sun-burned and weather-beaten after our relatively short three-and-a-half hour round. We walked with three-wheel push carts, which were on the heavy side for me. In the bright sun and relentless winds and undulating hills that had unnecessarily lengthy walks between greens to tees, there were times I felt like a nomad on caravan traveling to the next hole.
Hubby says there is a Scottish saying, "Nay wind, nay golf," which basically means without wind, you're not playing golf. But I say nay to the wind. I prefer the kind of golf where the course has lots of trees to block the wind and offer shade when it gets hot, gently sloped fairways that don't make you feel like you're climbing Everest, and lush, green grass that makes you want to have a picnic -- in short, the kind of course that makes you feel like you're in a park. Appropriately enough, the official term for this type of course is a "parkland" course.
After our round, we were so tired and ravenous we could barely make it out to a local barbecue joint to refuel. Occasionally, a links-style course might be fun to play. I mean, the wind does keep the bugs away, and you really feel deserving of your post-round pig-out. But for my regular weekly rounds, I prefer the parkland.
Yesterday, hubby and I played a private club course situated in a valley where the wind from four corners seemed to have a regular rendezvous. This wasn't a mild breeze, but a whipping, constant 25-mile-an-hour wind, with gusts strong enough to blow the securely strapped baseball cap off my head. The pro shop guys described it as "links" golf, a term usually meant to describe a treeless, windy course near the coast. While this private course was miles from the beach, it did have few trees and a lot of wind, so much wind that I felt sun-burned and weather-beaten after our relatively short three-and-a-half hour round. We walked with three-wheel push carts, which were on the heavy side for me. In the bright sun and relentless winds and undulating hills that had unnecessarily lengthy walks between greens to tees, there were times I felt like a nomad on caravan traveling to the next hole.
Hubby says there is a Scottish saying, "Nay wind, nay golf," which basically means without wind, you're not playing golf. But I say nay to the wind. I prefer the kind of golf where the course has lots of trees to block the wind and offer shade when it gets hot, gently sloped fairways that don't make you feel like you're climbing Everest, and lush, green grass that makes you want to have a picnic -- in short, the kind of course that makes you feel like you're in a park. Appropriately enough, the official term for this type of course is a "parkland" course.
After our round, we were so tired and ravenous we could barely make it out to a local barbecue joint to refuel. Occasionally, a links-style course might be fun to play. I mean, the wind does keep the bugs away, and you really feel deserving of your post-round pig-out. But for my regular weekly rounds, I prefer the parkland.
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Flagstick Popsicle
Golfed yesterday for the second time this year. The temps were high enough lately to melt the snow off 14 holes on the nearest course. I had a 10:46am tee time, and I was so excited I nearly gave myself a neck spasm. But I popped two Advils, calmed myself down, and went to go meet up with a golf gal pal, the woman I had met last year who had defected from the local ladies' league. I walked with my trusty old pull-cart, of course, and she walked with a fancy schmancy motorized cart. We were paired up with a married couple, a retired doctor and his close-to-retirement wife, also walkers. It was a relaxed round. Expectations were low, so any decent shot was met with ebullient cheers. We laughed at the second hole, where the flagstick was frozen into the ice-filled hole. If you could get it unstuck, it would look like a popsicle.
Many bunkers were still full of snow, and the water hazards were iced over enough that the geese could walk over them. In the end, I made only one par and bogeyed most. But I putted better than I thought I would. I drove okay, except for a two-hole slump on the back nine. I was exhausted, but in a good way. Can't wait to get out there and try again.
Many bunkers were still full of snow, and the water hazards were iced over enough that the geese could walk over them. In the end, I made only one par and bogeyed most. But I putted better than I thought I would. I drove okay, except for a two-hole slump on the back nine. I was exhausted, but in a good way. Can't wait to get out there and try again.
Saturday, February 1, 2014
Scenes from the First Round of a New Year
January is over and I only golfed once the whole month. It's been cold and snowy where I live, so the courses have been mostly closed. In early January there was a day where the temps were in the low 50s and the snow had melted enough for play. So I called up my trusty golf pal Seri and we hit the links. I walked and Seri rode, but it was cart path only so she ended up doing more walking than me.
We played winter rules, which meant unlimited mulligans, and lift, clean and place the ball pretty much anywhere you want. The ground was either hard as a rock or wet as a sponge. Bunkers were often filled with snow or melted ice. Somehow, I ended up in a lot of them, but usually had a decent enough stance to get out.
On a par 3, my attempt to chip on was stymied by blocks of snow. These are movable obstructions, but still, I bogeyed.
My shoes got plenty muddy, and so did my bright pink corduroys.
I shot a 97, not counting losing 6 balls in the water at various holes. But it was a wonderful round, a breath of fresh golfy air after weeks of being cooped up in the house, slogging away at the various things I do to make a living. It's nice to get work done in the off-season. But I can't wait for the next time the golf gods part the grey clouds and let us golf addicts get another winter fix.
We played winter rules, which meant unlimited mulligans, and lift, clean and place the ball pretty much anywhere you want. The ground was either hard as a rock or wet as a sponge. Bunkers were often filled with snow or melted ice. Somehow, I ended up in a lot of them, but usually had a decent enough stance to get out.
On a par 3, my attempt to chip on was stymied by blocks of snow. These are movable obstructions, but still, I bogeyed.
My shoes got plenty muddy, and so did my bright pink corduroys.
I shot a 97, not counting losing 6 balls in the water at various holes. But it was a wonderful round, a breath of fresh golfy air after weeks of being cooped up in the house, slogging away at the various things I do to make a living. It's nice to get work done in the off-season. But I can't wait for the next time the golf gods part the grey clouds and let us golf addicts get another winter fix.
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Golf Resolutions for 2014
It's that time of year when I reflect on last year's golf goals and set new ones for the upcoming year.
How did I do on last year's resolutions?
Resolution #1: Get longer. I wanted to average 200, but after a back spasm in the spring and shedding a few pounds, I actually lost yardage. All summer long, I was only batting aound 170-180, though this seemed to pick up in the fall, thanks to taking up core-strengthening pilates.
Resolution #2: Enter a hole-in-one million-dollar shootout contest. Still haven't been able to find one, but perhaps this year I will.
Resolution #3: Break 80. Not even close! Sorry to say, but I did not even break 90 once this whole past year. I did manage to score in the mid 90s most of the time though.
Resolution #4: Join a women’s league. Again, didn't do it. However, I did meet a defector from one of the local ladies leagues, and judging from some of her war stories, it sounds like perhaps I shouldn't want to join a women's league after all.
Resolution #5: Play another bucket list course. Yes, finally a resolution that I achieved, Hubby and I played Torrey Pine North Course and South Course this past year, in addition to some other lovely courses.
So I fulfilled only 1 out of 5 resolutions. That sucks. Maybe it's time for me to set more realistic resolutions. If at first you don't succeed, lower your standards!
Here's my new list of resolutions for 2014:
Resolution #1: Stop obsessing about getting longer. If there's anything I should have learned by now, longer drives do not necessarily translate into lower scores. In fact, the defector from the ladies league only drives about 160 but consistently breaks 90. Part of this is due to her dead-on approach shots and one-putting. I need to stop chasing yardage and start working on my short game.
Resolution #2: Enter a hole-in-one million-dollar shootout contest. If one comes along, I will go for it, but it might be a better bet to just buy a lottery ticket.
Resolution #3: Break 80 (or at least break 90 again). I am keeping this resolution on the list since scoring low is always the goal. I broke 90 once before, and I know I can do it again. Here's hoping to breaking 80 too.
Resolution #4: Make new golf buddies. Golf buddies are literally fair-weather friends, so it's nice to have a lot of them in case someone can't make the tee time. However, I would also like to be able to play alone more often.
Resolution #5: Play another bucket list course. I believe this is doable since there are so many once-in-a-lifetime courses to play in the world. The only question is where to go next. And since I just bought my hubby a new Bushnell range-finder for Christmas, I am sure he's as anxious as me to hop a plane to a sunny fairway. It might be a month or two till our work schedules allow it, but in the meantime maybe a warm winter day will come along so I can get started on my other golf resolutions!
How did I do on last year's resolutions?
Resolution #1: Get longer. I wanted to average 200, but after a back spasm in the spring and shedding a few pounds, I actually lost yardage. All summer long, I was only batting aound 170-180, though this seemed to pick up in the fall, thanks to taking up core-strengthening pilates.
Resolution #2: Enter a hole-in-one million-dollar shootout contest. Still haven't been able to find one, but perhaps this year I will.
Resolution #3: Break 80. Not even close! Sorry to say, but I did not even break 90 once this whole past year. I did manage to score in the mid 90s most of the time though.
Resolution #4: Join a women’s league. Again, didn't do it. However, I did meet a defector from one of the local ladies leagues, and judging from some of her war stories, it sounds like perhaps I shouldn't want to join a women's league after all.
Resolution #5: Play another bucket list course. Yes, finally a resolution that I achieved, Hubby and I played Torrey Pine North Course and South Course this past year, in addition to some other lovely courses.
So I fulfilled only 1 out of 5 resolutions. That sucks. Maybe it's time for me to set more realistic resolutions. If at first you don't succeed, lower your standards!
Here's my new list of resolutions for 2014:
Resolution #1: Stop obsessing about getting longer. If there's anything I should have learned by now, longer drives do not necessarily translate into lower scores. In fact, the defector from the ladies league only drives about 160 but consistently breaks 90. Part of this is due to her dead-on approach shots and one-putting. I need to stop chasing yardage and start working on my short game.
Resolution #2: Enter a hole-in-one million-dollar shootout contest. If one comes along, I will go for it, but it might be a better bet to just buy a lottery ticket.
Resolution #3: Break 80 (or at least break 90 again). I am keeping this resolution on the list since scoring low is always the goal. I broke 90 once before, and I know I can do it again. Here's hoping to breaking 80 too.
Resolution #4: Make new golf buddies. Golf buddies are literally fair-weather friends, so it's nice to have a lot of them in case someone can't make the tee time. However, I would also like to be able to play alone more often.
Resolution #5: Play another bucket list course. I believe this is doable since there are so many once-in-a-lifetime courses to play in the world. The only question is where to go next. And since I just bought my hubby a new Bushnell range-finder for Christmas, I am sure he's as anxious as me to hop a plane to a sunny fairway. It might be a month or two till our work schedules allow it, but in the meantime maybe a warm winter day will come along so I can get started on my other golf resolutions!
Monday, October 28, 2013
Admiral Baker Golf Course, North and South
During the last two days of our SoCal trip, hubby and I finally hit our stride in terms of daily golf. We'd heard the name Admiral Baker tossed around as another inexpensive local course, so we decided to give it a try. Whoever Admiral Baker was, he must have been a fun guy to be around because they named two 18-hole golf courses and a recreational swimming complex after him.
If you're active duty, you can get on here for as little as $11. As "unsponsored civilians," we still only paid $30. We played the South Course first, which is very flat and very walkable, though not particularly spectacular in terms of the view. The starter was as friendly as they come, and he paired up hubby and I with a middle-aged woman from Utah and her non-playing daughter-in-law, as well as a guy whom I will call Sunny since that's the kind of personality he had. Plus, his shiny bald-shaven head reminded me of the sun. He happened to work at the golf course as a groundskeeper, so he knew the lay of the land, literally. Not that it seemed to help out his game, because on one of the first few tee shots, he promptly shanked his driver so hard the club head flew off. On another hole, he mishit another tee shot and his ball bounced toward the middle-aged woman's golf cart and struck the non-playing daughter-in-law in the arm. It was as if Sunny was staging these Caddyshack moments for our entertainment. The round turned out to be full of chatter, but we had so much fun it didn't matter that I shot a 109.
Sunny told us we absolutely had to play the North Course. It had recently been completely renovated, and Sunny promised us it was as good as any resort course. I am not sure if I would agree, but for the price (same as the South Course), it is money well-spent. Unlike the South Course, the North Course has a fair degree of level changes and some holes feel carved out of a mountain or set atop a plateau. All the holes were marked by those fancy stones with painted fairway maps, as well as artfully arranged cairns.
There were lots of pretty palm trees. This bare twig of a tree appeared to be posing for our attention. If you look closely you can see the blackbirds sitting in a row on its longest branch. They must be avid golf fans.
Then there was the intriguing set-up at this par 4 on the back nine. The hole was a sharp dogleg left down and around a steep, rocky hill. It involved a tee shot so blind, it had to have its own warning system. It was so very military.
Perhaps because hubby and I were on our own at the North Course, I was able to focus and play a little better and I shot a 98. Maybe not the greatest score ever, but at least I finally broke 100 on vacation.
Since getting home to the East Coast, I've been dabbling in the mid 90s and feeling somewhat frustrated that it's been a whole year and I still haven't beat my all-time low score of 87. On the upside, hubby played so well on our trip that it reignited his passion for golf and suddenly he wants to play every weekend again. Despite my lack of game, this kinda makes life rather blissful lately. In fact, our 7th wedding anniversary is coming up, and hubby's planned another golf getaway for us. We're headed to the Eastern Shore this time, and I just hope the weather holds up!
If you're active duty, you can get on here for as little as $11. As "unsponsored civilians," we still only paid $30. We played the South Course first, which is very flat and very walkable, though not particularly spectacular in terms of the view. The starter was as friendly as they come, and he paired up hubby and I with a middle-aged woman from Utah and her non-playing daughter-in-law, as well as a guy whom I will call Sunny since that's the kind of personality he had. Plus, his shiny bald-shaven head reminded me of the sun. He happened to work at the golf course as a groundskeeper, so he knew the lay of the land, literally. Not that it seemed to help out his game, because on one of the first few tee shots, he promptly shanked his driver so hard the club head flew off. On another hole, he mishit another tee shot and his ball bounced toward the middle-aged woman's golf cart and struck the non-playing daughter-in-law in the arm. It was as if Sunny was staging these Caddyshack moments for our entertainment. The round turned out to be full of chatter, but we had so much fun it didn't matter that I shot a 109.
Sunny told us we absolutely had to play the North Course. It had recently been completely renovated, and Sunny promised us it was as good as any resort course. I am not sure if I would agree, but for the price (same as the South Course), it is money well-spent. Unlike the South Course, the North Course has a fair degree of level changes and some holes feel carved out of a mountain or set atop a plateau. All the holes were marked by those fancy stones with painted fairway maps, as well as artfully arranged cairns.
There were lots of pretty palm trees. This bare twig of a tree appeared to be posing for our attention. If you look closely you can see the blackbirds sitting in a row on its longest branch. They must be avid golf fans.
As Sunny promised, there were some resort-worthy holes, such as this picturesque par 3. The bunkers are much larger than they appear. I think the bunker on the left is about the same size as my living room.
Then there was the intriguing set-up at this par 4 on the back nine. The hole was a sharp dogleg left down and around a steep, rocky hill. It involved a tee shot so blind, it had to have its own warning system. It was so very military.
Perhaps because hubby and I were on our own at the North Course, I was able to focus and play a little better and I shot a 98. Maybe not the greatest score ever, but at least I finally broke 100 on vacation.
Since getting home to the East Coast, I've been dabbling in the mid 90s and feeling somewhat frustrated that it's been a whole year and I still haven't beat my all-time low score of 87. On the upside, hubby played so well on our trip that it reignited his passion for golf and suddenly he wants to play every weekend again. Despite my lack of game, this kinda makes life rather blissful lately. In fact, our 7th wedding anniversary is coming up, and hubby's planned another golf getaway for us. We're headed to the Eastern Shore this time, and I just hope the weather holds up!
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