With no good excuse as to why it took me so long to get out there, I finally played my first round of the year at Great Oaks Country Club on Saturday. And I wouldn’t have played this weekend had Skip Bishop not called me Friday night and invited me to join him.
Skip is the high school golf coach (current state champs) and the mayor of our small town. Even though I had a list of chores after spending four days this past week in Savannah at the Legends of Golf, my wonderful wife said go play. So I did.
I had no expectations. I just hoped to make some good swings and stay down on the ball. Keep it simple and see what happens.
What happened surprised me, at least on the front nine. I had 12 putts, including a chip-in for birdie and another near chip-in. (I don’t usually count putts or any of that stuff, but my short game was so surprising that I had to add them up.) I was out in 38.
Realistically, I knew it might not last. I didn’t drive the ball well at all. I didn’t know if I was going to hit it left or right. I was just trying to put it in play. (I was hurrying my swing.) I hit my irons fairly well for the first time out.
The back nine, which is easier from a scoring standpoint, turned out to be mediocre. I hit a super three metal over water to reach the par-5 13th in two. It was my best shot of the day. Then I three-putted for par. I wasted several more shots on the closing holes, which included a bogey-double finish. I shot 42 on the inward nine for an 80. I’ll take it.
Not that it mattered. It just felt good to be out on the course, walking around, swinging the club. I enjoyed the company, too. It was the perfect way to end a shockingly sad week here in Hokie land.
The Armchair Golfer
Awesome!
There’s nothing like the first round of the year. I’m fighting my way back from a long, nagging injury myself and just being out there feels special.
If I haven’t played for a while, I normally play extremely well for about 6 holes and then my faults start to make their way back into my game. By the time I finish, I’ll be playing like someone who never played the game before.