The second annual Middleton Reunion Golf tourney was Saturday. Rusty, Ben, Phil, and Victoria played in the first group, followed by Ceil’s parents, and Will and me. Rusty’s team had the lowest handicap at 15.25, and our 24.00 was the highest. Juniors and seniors played from the red Ladies tees, meaning I was the only one in our group to play from the whites. So even when I hit a good tee shot, there was another shot further down the fairway. We teed off shortly after nine.
1. In front of all the Middletons, my tee shot dribbled down to the ladies tee. Will hit a fine drive, and we made an easy par four.
2. I hit another cruddy tee shot, and we used Will’s tee shot, as we would on the first six holes. We had a long second shot, and I hit a 5 wood all the way to the pin, but right of the green.
3. My tee shot on the par three landed just short of the green, in front of the bunker. Will’s tee shot dribbled the entire way and rolled onto the green, and we two putted for another par.
4. My tee shot wasn’t that bad, thanks to an extra landing area on the right side. Edwin had hit his ahead of mine, but in the trees. Joan’s was short, but in the fairway. Will hit his longer, and thought Joan told Will not to, he picked up Joan’s ball before discovering that his ball had rolled into the woods. Joan made a nice chip out to the fairway just short of the green, and we made the up & down for par.
5. Will again had the best tee ball, but his and Joan’s approach were just short of the green. With Ben watching, I hit a nice high seven to the middle of the green. Then Edwin followed me with an iron even closer to the pin. Then Edwin, putting last, made a nice putt for birdie.
6. Will hit a nice straight drive, and my six iron just short of the green had us putting. Then Joan and I just missed birdie putts, so we settled for par.
7. I dribbled my tee shot, but even a great drive wouldn’t have gone much further than the ladies tee. Will hit into the woods, Joan hit one short, but Edwin saved us again, with a nice drive in the middle. I flubbed the second shot, but we managed to par the long par five.
8. My 5 wood on the par three went right, though it was playable. Will also hit right, Edwin into the greenside bunker, but Joan rolled it all the way from the tee to the green. After we all came close, Edwin again rolled in a birdie putt.
9. I finally hit a nice drive, still to the right, just short of the lake, but very much in play…a place where I saw others hit it. But it was just even with the ladies tee, so Edwin’s first two shots were used. My approach was flubbed, just after Ceil, Anna, and Matthew appeared. The birdie putt was makeable, but we all missed. Edwin took one of his mulligans and rolled it home.
10. My back was hurting, as it usually does from three nights in that bed, and I was tense, playing worse than usual. I didn’t hit my 6 iron well, and it didn’t quite make it across the lake. The women’s tee was again much closer, and Will and Edwin put it on the green and close, Joan’s shot falling just short, into the trap. After Will and Joan’s birdie putts went right, mine was true. This birdie would be particularly helpful later on.
11. Another tee shot of mine went right, into the same lake. Will flubbed his, and we used Edwin’s nice tee shot. Joan’s approach was short. Will hit his onto the lower part of the green, then I hit mine pin high, just off the green to the right…a nice shot. Again Edwin outdid me with a closer shot. Again after three missed putts, Edwin rolled his in for birdie…our fourth straight!
12. Matthew joined us to ride in the cart. Anna and her cousin Jordan were riding with Victoria’s group ahead of us, and cousin Katherine was also with us. This elevated Will’s stress level. Though he was figiting and walking around while we putted, Will was demanding silence from Matthew. I finally hit a straight drive, using my 3 wood. It went just further than the ladies tee. Edwin hit an ok drive to the left, Joan hit hers short, and Will hit it further, to the right. When we tried to find it, we could only find a Top Flite ball. Will thought he had hit a Noodle, so we continued looking. Will wasn’t sure what brand ball he hit, but we finally determined the Top Flite was his. We had a tough shot through trees and Joan’s was just off the green…I flubbed mine again. We were able to two putt for par.
13. Another drive to the right, and we used Edwin’s. Will hit a nice approach shot, and Edwin hit an ok chip after the three of us didn’t do as well. Will made a testy putt for par.
14. I hit the tee shot short, and Will hit it right. Again Edwin had the best shot. When Joan hit her approach short, we thought we’d have to play Edwin’s shot from the middle of the fairway, but short. Then we discovered that Will’s ball had bounced out into a playable lie, much closer to the green. None of us had a good chip, but we used mine, closer to the pin, and we two putted for a par five.
15. My tee shot was playable…in the 14th fairway, though just past the ladies tee. Joan and Will hit ok shots, but Edwin hit a wonderful drive not too short of the green. Will made a nice chip, and he also made the birdie putt.
16. Another par three over a lake, and again my trusty 6 iron failed me. Joan hit into the front bunker, and Will and Edwin hit onto the fringe, next to each other. Will had the best chip, but we still had a 15 foot putt. We all missed, and I missed my mulligan try. Then Edwin used his second mulligan and again rolled it in for birdie.
17. Same tee shot story. On the dogleg right I had plenty of landing area, though my tee shot wasn’t the greatest, not past the ladies tee. Will again pressed and topped the ball, Joan hit it short, and again Edwin saved us. Will and Joan had ok approach shots short of the green. I pulled out my 5 iron for the first time and hit a great shot to the middle of the green, though 30 feet over the pin. Will and I weren’t close, and Joan’s putt seemed slow and short…but continued rolling and dropped into the hole for another birdie.
18. I hit an ok tee shot, but on the par five, it was actually short of the ladies tee. In the past I’ve hit similar ok tee shots, just short of the lake. Joan hit into the lake, and Will and Edwin hit off to the right. We used Will’s ball, still a long way to go. Same story: I hit it right again, narrowly missing Uncle Lennie’s Lincoln in the parking lot. Joan hit it short. Will hit it close but into some high grass, so we used Edwin’s ball. With Ceil watching, I hit a nice chip, but it rolled off the back of the green. None of us could make the 12 footer, though Will and I used our final mulligans.
We finished with a 7 under par 65, using 25 putts, hitting 11 greens in regulation. Adding the 7 to our 24 handicap, we came in a three way tie for first, with Uncle Lennie and cousin Zane, among others. To break the tie, they had a boy pick a number between one and eighteen. He chose ten, and the three first place scorecards were examined to see who had the best score on the tenth hole. We were the only ones to birdie, so we were declared the winners! Will was pumped.
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