Progress - Baby Steps

I was very excited today. I played at Phoenix Country Club. I was anxious when I arrived, concerned that all of the Club members read my post, "Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden" and I would be blackballed (if that is a politically correct term). I entered through the side door to the golf pro shop rather than through the newly renovated main entrance to the Club. After getting a number of congratulatory slaps on the back about the post (not really), I hit some balls on the range and I was ready to play.

My member friend, "Fred Flintstone" is one of my closest friends. He is one of those guys that you love to be around because he is so inclusive (not in a diverse way) and makes each person feel like he or she is an integral part of the event, party or just hanging out watching TV. He is also a heck of a good golfer and athlete. His USGA Handicap Index is 6.8, but he does not play very often and his last 20 scores include scores that go back to 2000 (when he was much younger and more flexible and never missed a putt inside five feet!). He was a high school and college pitcher and, although I never saw him pitch, I am sure he was one of those pitchers that did not throw very hard, but never walked a batter, fielded his position well, had a good pick-off move, could lay down a sacrifice bunt and was just fundamentally sound. Fred is one of the smartest business persons and one of the best husbands, fathers and friends that I know. I have learned a lot of business and life lessons from him over the years. He and I (and his wife, Wilma) met over 20 years ago when I joined the board of directors of Chrysalis Shelter for Victims of Domestic Violence, a women's domestic violence shelter. We used to hold our board meetings at Fred and Wilma's home.

The Phoenix Country Club golf course was the home of the PGA Tour's Phoenix Open from 1932 to 1986 (except for a few early years when the tournament was not played) before it moved to the Tournament Players Club in Scottsdale. The Club is located in the middle of downtown Phoenix. The course is 6,764 yards from the black (back) tees with a course rating of 72.4 and a slope rating of 129. The Club was having a member-guest tournament in the afternoon so the tees were back as far as they can go and the pin placements were tough! The course was overseeded about seven weeks ago and it was in beautiful shape and the greens were fast, running at about an 11 on the stimpmeter. Putts that would normally cozy up to the hole for a gimme, were running four or five feet past the hole. I heard a lot of "there's still some meat on that bone" from Fred. We walked the course and I carried my bag. I have not done that since I was in my mid-20s! It was a lot of fun.

Because I know my followers are dying to know my score, I shot a 94, with a 46 on the front 9 and a 48 on the back 9. Fred shot an 85 and did not play his best golf. I am not sure if he did that to let his client beat him (one of those life lessons) or he had an off day. Although I did not score that well I was generally pleased with my play for the first time since I began blogging. I felt a lot more comfortable on the tees and hit my driver fairly well. I had a number of high, drawing drives in the 250+ range and in the fairway, although I still had a few duck hooks when I swung too quickly and two painful push slices when I did not get through the shot. I parred the 1, 2 and 3 handicap holes, a 457-yard par 4, a 460-yard par 4 and a 425-yard par 4! I missed a five footer for birdie on the number 1 handicap hole. But I only had two other pars! On a number of holes I was pitching or chipping from off of the green and it took me four more shots to get the ball in the hole, for triple bogey! I still need a lot of work on my short game and getting up-and-down! On 18, a 527-yard par 5, there was an old tree along the right side of the fairway with large branches hanging close to the fairway. I hit my driver right "on the screws" and I knew that it was going to nicely draw into the fairway about 250 to 260 yards down the middle (Fred may have a different recollection of this shot, but don't believe him!). Instead, I heard the dreaded sound of a golf ball hitting solid wood and then I felt the panic of having no idea where the ball landed. I employed the "you should not get over-penalized for a good shot due to bad course design" rule, took my penalty stroke but dropped the ball about 200 yards down the fairway (but in the rough) and finished the hole dragging my bag behind me.