Friends and contributors, here's a pretty remarkable round of golf for your cogitation and discussion.
The other day at his club, GCGC, our own Pat Mucci, shot a 69 playing the "whole" course and in a record recording context (clubs can have differing criteria regarding "record" scores).
At first a 69 may not sound like all that much to you but it instantly gets more impressive when one considers that GCGC is one of the unusual ones at a par 73 (like NGLA).
Not just that but there have actually been very few scores that low ever shot at GCGC of the kind that can qualify as "record" scores. Matter of fact, there are only about a dozen or so in that context that have ever been shot there like Pat's.
His name and his score will be going on that board at the club recording his feat with the not numerous others who have recorded scores of that ilk there.
Most of us know Pat is no spring chicken (how old he actually is I think I will let him tell you, if he feels like it, but he's older than I am and that's pretty ancient
, and he is also old enough to have felt during that round that he could and might shoot at or under his age).
Some of us know Pat has also dealt with cancer in the last four years or so and faced it down with his usual panache, inquisitiveness, thoroughness and humour.
I think, in some ways, golf itself, was a big part of Pat's barometer to test how well he could beat that prevalent and nefarious disease and get back whole again. Plus he has a great wife and a young son too that motivated him most.
But to shoot a 69 at GCGC in any case but particularly under all those seeming obstacles is just remarkable.
And the added beauty, although it makes him pissed, is that Pat made SEVEN birdies in the first ELEVEN holes!! In other words, that round could've been even better and maybe a lot better.
Congratulations Patrick, my friend---you are a trooper, a fighter, and as completely evidenced by this terrific round of golf, still one helluva a golfer. There are some lessons here from this to be learned by all of us.
(And now, having said all that about Patrick, I'm going to throw up and then go to bed).