Lou - Congrats on the eagle! Did that come before or after you had a confrontation with the course marshal? Did you really threaten to "spend my money elsewhere" in the future?
Thanks, Mike, but it was all luck as I had a mostly blind shot and didn't even have the pleasure of seeing the ball hit the green. It was a 9-iron shot that just happened to go in; not executed much differently than several other short irons I hit that either ended up short, long, or in bunkers after veering off the various slopes on the green complexes. In my three rounds on the Trails, I was in 17 greenside bunkers!
Your round, at Pacific Dunes as I understand, is the one which deserves the accolades. Thank God you stiffed me on Friday at Bandon Dunes, or I may have dragged you down to my level.
Regarding the so-called "confrontation" with the marshal, the first I heard about it was from David Elvins at dinner on Sunday night who asked me if it was me in our group who had made a marshall cry. So, for the record, this is the honest-to-God not-so-short version of what actually happened.
As it is painfully known to most participants in these events, us GCAers talk a somewhat different game than we play. In most cases, the bending of reality is harmless in that it doesn't impact how others enjoy the game (e.g. hopping on carts while proffering that they are the ruination of the game; taking advantage of comp rounds as "guests" of raters while opining that "free" rounds are improper at best, corrupting at its worst; endlessly waxing poetically on the virtues of sophisticated strategies when playing ability is limited to keeping the ball within the correct zip code, etc.). Slow play, however, is a problem, though at Bandon it was mitigated more so than in past events.
So, with this in mind, my group- the second in the final match at Pacific Dunes, I think- was being "encouraged" (some would say hounded) from the first tee box to play fast and keep up. I can't think of a single time we got behind, yet, throughout the front nine, we were continually "helped along" by any number of very nice marshalls. No big deal; I didn't take it personally and actually appreciated that they were trying to move the play forward.
On the 9th tee, again waiting for the group in front of us, I tried to make small talk with a super-senior marshall. He was mostly dour and uncommunicative, other than to tell us that we were playing the lower green and to move along. He then proceeded to stand less than 10' directly behind me, well within my vision and unncecessarily encroaching in my space. I hit a passable drive to 9-iron distance and made par. No big deal; no further consideration to what had taken place.
Again waiting on either 10 or 11 tee, another marshall, this one a very young man, comes up to me and says something about the speed-of-play. Now, among my many faults is the desire to share the "wisdom" of my advanced years (some would say pontificate) with young people, particularly in golf, so I tried to explain to this young man that we are in position, that we've been reminded of the need to keep up throughout the round, and that though the job of marshalling is a difficult one, it required some finesse and discretion. I then told him what transpired on the 9th tee, and did make a comment that people who come to Bandon and spend $400 to $500 per day may just decide to take their money elsewhere if they feel they're being treated unfairly or disrespectfully.
I stand by what I said, the tone, and the manner I said it.
I did comment to someone in the KP group that I am unlikely to return to Bandon in the Spring, but, so long as the resort doesn't go crazy with the rates (they are already higher than my comfort zone, but the courses are that good), I'd likely come back some day in the early fall.
My foursome that morning included Reef Wilson, Mike Hendren, and Richard Choi. If they have anything to add (or subtract) from my comments, they may do so without fear of incurring my wrath (as if that strikes fear in anyone).
And that is the end of story.
