I never thought I’ would write a post about this, but yesterday, the final round of our club championship. After shooting a 78 on Saturday, I was in the final group. My best friend is playing in the group ahead of us…
The true amateur in me took shooting anywhere in the 70’s out of play in the first four holes where I went Bogey, Double, Bogey, Double…. The day was ruined.
Settled in… muscled through with a Southern Pines Brewery “Duck hook” and a hotdog at the turn, continuing the struggle. We pulled up to hole 16, a 499 yard dogleg right par 5. OB on the right and left, lots of NC style waste all around. Knowing I needed to keep the ball on the left side of the fairway, I pulled out the time tested TSi 8 degree and hit the best drive of the day, ball parking that around 321 yards (not the normal) as my playing partners hit up, I lasered my ball from the cart path at about 198, Grabbed my 5&6 iron to see how crazy the helping wind was going to get. And ventured the 20yards into the fairway to see what I was working with.
As I got up there, I lazed it again, to see it was 178 yards… Normally I would have just sucked it up and hit a light 6, but the group was still putting, and I had to contemplate walking all the way back to the cart (20 yards…) to grab my T200 7-iron. Welp I did…
I walked back and got ready to hit as my best bud and his group strolled off the green to the tee box set 30 yards off the back of the 16th green.
I swung that club, it felt good, it kept rising and rising, the lightest sprinkle of rain was hitting my face as I watched it not veer off the flagstick. It dropped down, I saw a bounce, was it long? Was it short? I had no idea, the hilly green I’ve grown so familiar with had a little valley in the middle of the green. My balls probably just in there… I could see the group ahead freeze, I could tell they were confused. I see my buddy throw his hand up and start clapping.
A 2 on a 5. I didn’t much care at the time, I would have preferred to hit 18 GIR any day, but woke up and realized how cool and special that was. That my best friend whom I’ve played thousands of rounds with got to watch that happen from the best seat in the house.
Golf is awesome. What a roller coaster we’re all addicted to.
Alway go back and get the right club.