James,
The thing with PVGC is that you have been allowed at last to walk that hallowed ground with a golf club in your hand. You are standing with the guy who got you invited and with the guy who is your host....
the last thing you want to do is chunk it in front of the tee.
My caddie was a guy called Rocky and Tom Paul will tell you what he is like....he is imtimidating...to say the least. He is even written about in a book called 'Golfers'.....
'One time,' says Rocky, 'I was caddying for Terry Francona, manager of the Phillies. Now, I'm five feet six and he's maybe six-three. We're on the 17th, a short par 4 but it's uphill and the green sits up pretty high. So he hits his second shot from maybe 130 yards out and says 'Rock, is that on the green?' I said 'Terr, come over here a minute.' I says 'Sootch down a little.' He squats down a little, and I tell him to get down a little lower. He squats down a little more, and I says. 'Just a little bit lower.' Finally he gets down to where his head's about level with mine and I says, 'Now, that's what I see. How the frig do I know if it's on!'
That story there sums up Rocky!! He signed the book I bought in the pro shop:
'To Brian, Cheers you were the worst till the back 37.'
I had something like 24 putts on the front nine and was hitting most of the greens...luckily he got me round the back nine in 2 over par for a respectable 18 over par.
One thing Rocky taught me was to enjoy my golf and not to worry so much about how crap I am.
Brian