Once again, I have been blessed to meet another couple of great dudes from the buckeye state, thanks to GCA. Brian Laurent, a french national living in Columbus
, and I were finally able to get together and tee it at Holston. He had originally planned to attend Ice Bowl 08, but fortunately for him, he had a last minute premonition of a snow-enshrouded Holston Hills and bagged the trip down.
So, a few months ago we planned a do over; he would bring a friend and I would do the same. Graham, my long time nemesis on the golf course and Brian's friend, Kirk Herbstreit, (Brian failed to mention beforehand WHO he was bringing), rounded out our foursome and by doing so ensured we would be talking plenty of college football today.
My plan was to honour the Open Championship we would be missing while out playing, with a day of 'British' golf. We'd play 18 in the morning, break for two hours, shower, eat lunch, have some drinks, then head back out for another 18 in the afternoon. We pulled off all but the mid-round shower, mostly because Herbstreit insisted on a communal shower arrangement, but we could not accommodate him as there are only stalled showers there in the clubhouse at Holston. He is still very much a team guy, obviously.
So we drove over to Calhoun's on the River for lunch, a great rib place fronting Neyland Stadium where the conversation got a little heated with Brian and Kirk making impassioned arguments touting the Big Ten's superiority over the SEC in football. I fell asleep during the debate and when I woke up they were still making faces at us and blabbering on about better skill players, shorter cleats, etc so I simply googled 'BCS National Champions' on my phone, then counted to six out loud, then I counted to one. 12 BCS Champions to date, 6 from the SEC, including TENNESSEE!, and one from the Big Ten, yes THE Ohio State Buckeyes. Silence. Everyone grabbed their hats and sprung to the door. The afternoon match was going to be LOTS of fun!
In the afteroon round I carried the British golf theme a step further and played using my putter from as many places as I could on the golf course. Yes, Holston Hills was playing plenty F&F, but on bermuda grass this play would not be most golfers 4th choice, much less the preferred one. But it was hot, my swing was suspect, the beer was cold and the laughs continuous, so putt I did, with mixed results. Graham and I only lost 2 down in the first match earlier in the day, then fell 3 and 2 in the afternoon, so I credit the putter for keeping those matches close.
Kirk Herbstreit was much more of a regular guy than I think many would imagine. What a great golf swing too, even after Tommy John surgery, the guy can flat out kill it. What's funny is he has a 2002 BCS National Championship ring, though anyone who follows college football knows, he didn't play on a championship team at Ohio State, he played 10 years before the 2002 squad won the Fiesta Bowl, besting Miami in double overtime - one of the greatest college football games ever played. That team was quarterbacked by Craig Krenzel, a molecular genetics major, two time Fiesta Bowl MVP and the guy Coach Jim Tressel calls the smartest QB he has ever coached. Krenzel is a legend in Ohio - deservedly so. Herbstreit wishes he was Craig Krenzel. Though, he does have good taste in friends, as his buddy Mr. Laurent (and now mine too) is an instantly likeable guy: good humored, a sports enthusiast and a proud dad. He's also a terrific golfer - the class of those who I've had the privilege to play with from GCA. He and Jonathan Becker would be a fun match to watch. Maybe at Canton Brookside, next year??
Brian, you mentioned #15, here are some more pics:
Note the natural tilt of this green, awesome stuff.
Ok, he really wasn't Herbstreit, but was in fact Craig Krenzel. And Brian is really Maurice Clarett. What, he's French too, oui?
Brian (and Craig), it was awesome teeing it up with you two down in Big Orange Country. I look forward to doing it again. Go Vols!