Playing Golf 1/8

Course: Little Bennett
Score: ??? (more on that later)
Best Club: 3 wood
Worst Club: Driver
Highlights: Scoring par on the par-3 8^th hole.
Lowlights: Losing two three balls on the par-5 14^th (also, more on that later)

Here’s a Golfing Negro rule. If it is January, the high temperature is in the 60s and I am not working, I’m playing golf.

Unfortunately for me, I didn’t set a tee time, although most courses frown on tee times for singles. When I got to the Little Bennett clubhouse and announced I was a single with no tee time, I was told I could fit in with the group going to the tee right now. Whoops, no warm up. No problem, I though. I’ve been using the Birdieballs in the backyard; my swing will be fine.

While positive thinking is a good thing, it is not infallible. While I wasn’t hideous, most of my approach irons were pushed to the right and the driver was less than Fred Funk straight.

I wasn’t playing well, but I was having fun. That is, until the 14^th hole. It is a 500+ yard par-5 that doglegs left. It also, thanks to mounds on the left side, is a blind shot to get to the green. After putting two balls in the woods to the left (thanks to pulls most likely due to adjusting my hand position with the driver off the tee to hit a draw), I dropped past the Titleist eating ravine and hit hybrid onto the fairway. At 250 yards out, I hit a low draw with my 3-wood that a playing partner said would end up really good. I never found the ball, and just gave up for the hole. The next hole is a 215 yard par-3; downhill but into the wind. I hit a 5-iron that was going right for the pin. No one in the foursome could see the ball land, but the thought was it certainly wasn’t long and most likely was just short of the green if not on it. I couldn’t find that ball either. Losing balls from bad swings is understandable. Losing balls from good swings is mind numbing to the point I didn’t want to keep score anymore. Not that that USGA was going to want a copy of the scorecard due to my excellence anyway.

It is good thing I enjoyed myself, as winter is coming back to the Washington DC area. So long playing golf until the end of March.