Much of my summer this year was spent playing competitive golf.. I subscribe to the notion that there is a big difference between “happy golf” and competitive golf and am drawn to the challenge of trying to post a number like a moth to a light bulb.
The first competitive round of the year featured 33(F) degree temperatures , 25 mile per hour winds and snow flurries. I got out of the car and voted for cancellation but the motion apparently failed. My only contribution was to get up and down from a pond for par to halve a hole. Our squad – former perennial powers in the event – was crushed in the first round by a team that was crushed in the second round. I hope relegation is available to our squad next year.
I next got my butt kicked in qualifiers for state tournaments. It was not a good omen when I realized during a windy cold practice round that I could not make it over water to the fairways on a couple of holes from the back tees into the wind. I actually tried to map out wedge shots to the front tees in case I needed them. Fortunately, they moved the tees forward during the event. Unfortunately, the tee movement did not change my short game. The second event did not involve forced carries but at least it poured the entire day.
After three rounds in snow, rain, cold and wind, I tried out hot and humid for a match play event. It felt good for the 18 hole qualifier and even better when my opponent forfieted my first match in the afternoon. The next morning, I had the misfortune of having an opponent show up – therby depriving me of the title:
http://p.hostingprod.com/@mpga.net/2011_Match_Play_A.pdfhttp://www.mngolf.org/uploads/tanners_brook_results_2.pdfhttp://www.mngolf.org/uploads/wapicada_results_2011.pdfhttp://p.hostingprod.com/@mpga.net/First_Flight_Braket_Pairings.pdf It was now time for my Iowa swing of tournaments. For me, the highlight of the summer is being introduced on the first tee at the Northwest Amateur in Spencer, Iowa.
I have written about the Northwest Amateur before in which I gather with a group of high school friends to try and recapture childhood glory at a venue that we have played many times in the past. This year we were joined by Ben Kodadek who screwed up the mojo of the trip by showing competence on the course.
http://tournamentresults.igolftheworld.com/IndividualStroke/Results.aspx?IDGolfEvent=3b2f4766-6d6a-43a7-8cdf-af11f0a11e9c&IDTournament=9ad4b2e6-8c52-443f-b10d-e8f1d636e9de&CategoryCode=Next was the Herman Sani Invitational, which is hosted by Hyperion Field Club outside of Des Moines, IA. I have played the Sani at times because it includes professionals and is a rare opportunity to play with some old friends that are now club pros. It is a wonderful event that raises money for a scholarship program. The course is about 6400 yard Bendelow design with plenty of birdie opportunities and fast sloping greens.
In the final round I was paired with three kids who played for college teams. After watching how far they hit the ball, I questioned how these guys could have shot the same score as me in the first round. I soon got my answer. The entire course is on the side of a hill. These guys had a hard time figuring out that the hill would influence the speed of their putts. If they figure that out, I will never play with them again.
I also got to experience parents following their kids around the course. When I was a kid only one parent did that. The father would carry around a lawn chair and sit about a hole ahead. If you were in the group ahead you would see the father in the trees and then hear a stream of profanity that was not meant to be heard by other humans – let alone children. We all loved the father but kept our distance when his son was on the course.
Today, it seems like a requirement that any group of kids playing in a tournament bring along a pack of parents following them around like a herd. In my group, the parents stayed about a half a hole ahead and made the unfortunate decision to stay in the left rough. The first four holes at Hyperion feature OB tight on the right side. I have learned over the years that my best play is to aim at the trees left and try and fade it back to the fairway. The parents stood 60 yards short of their kids tee shot distance but such positioning put them precisely in range for me. I made one blonde mother jump four holes in a row as my tee shots travelled directly at her without a hint of fade.
After assuring the mother I was not trying to kill her, I spent much of the remainder of the round conversing with them. They seemed so old when standing 240 yards away. Up close, I realized we were about the same age.
Herman Sani Invitational (Aug 12-14):
http://tournamentresults.igolftheworld.com/IndividualStroke/Results.aspx?IDGolfEvent=0fa1a218-7234-488b-80d9-97b40d425f11&IDTournament=085e1590-314b-420b-a5dd-1da4fb16aa9d&CategoryCode=The final phase of my tournament year consisted of club championships. My private club’s tournament featured a field of seven contestants and I finished deep in the also ran division. Fortunately the club does not post results on the web.
Things turned around for me at my public course, where I managed to play in the final group the second day. Even though, I gradually faded to finish five behind, it was fun watching an experienced 52 year old fend off charges from two younger challengers who made putts all over the place. The pro kept a leader board that he would update every 3 holes and drive around the course. Apparently he did not think much of my play because at the turn he pulled my name off and replaced it with a guy I was beating. When I questioned the move, he erased the 4th name on the board and left it blank.
As people finished their rounds, the course gave them carts to follow the final group as it finished. By the last 3 holes, it felt like we were leading a parade.
It was a nice way to finish a tournament season that started with snow and not being able to make the carry to get to the fairway.
Bunker Hills Club Championship (September 10-11):
http://www.bhmc.org/eventresults/9_11_2011_9-11-11%20CC%20Winners.pdfI encourage everyone to find some competition and try their best. You quickly learn to appreciate how much more difficult the game becomes when your performance will be posted on the internet and many people will look up how you did. Architecture changes when that pretty fescue surrounding a bunker suddenly carries with it the possibility of the march of shame back to the location of your last shot. Water that never seemed in play suddenly looms as if it creeps out to the center of the fairway. Bland courses suddenly seem very interesting.
Even on my darkest days I feel better about an ugly number than the people with “NC”, “WD” or “NS” next to their name. I always learn something even if I do not like the lesson.
Now, however, I am ready for some “happy golf.”