Hole Number 14

I played golf for the first time in a year. I lasted nine holes. Was so stiff I knew that I was going to ache the next day. Hit some good shots, no shot was really really bad. But the cracks in my game (dipping shoulder, looking up, fast swing) were all there, lurking beneath the surface. After six holes on the glorious course, I had scored 5 bogeys and 1 triple bogey, the 5 bogeys could have been easy pars (but met with my bad putts). But hey, Not bad, decided that if I got back into the game, my goal would be to get a solid handicap in a year's time. I figured if I get the MGolf Club share and I play once a week, I can hit a strong bogey round (handicap 18) in no time.

Then something wonderful happened, I stopped trying to prove to my caddy (who really couldn't care less) that I could hit really far. Course management took over--accuracy over distance, focus over ego-- and I hit 2 pars and a birdie. And the birdie was on a rather long par 4. What a thrill.

I was so thrilled I didn't play the rest of the time I was there. Besides, I was aching.

Always good to stop on a high note.

Picture: by R as she watched me head to tee off, Del Monte Golf Club, Bukidnon

Hearse Catcher

I attended yet another memorial service yesterday, for a golfing friend of my father's, WE, who had his memorial in the veranda of his beloved MGolf Club. His love for golf was hard core, and as Carlos said am sure it gave an idea to all the other hard cores in the club that they could have their wakes set up between the 18th and the 1st greens.

I've started looking for a golf share to rent at this club, been wanting to start playing again, but the search for one has been elusive. My options:
1. brother has a share that he is not using but I cannot rent it from him because he has not been a member for 30 years, it's simply not allowed as it is an individual share
2. buy brother's share, or "buy" his share on paper, but still need to pay a couple of million bucks for the taxes
3. be appointed as a director of a company with a share, and that share be assigned to me
4. look for a member who has been active for 30 years to rent me his share
5. look for a golf widow who no longer wants to use the share, but only within 6 years from the death

To which friends last night called me a hearse catcher.