Nine Glorious Holes

Made it to the Chandler Park Golf Course Tuesday afternoon around 5:20. Found a spot in the little parking lot and threw everything in the trunk. By the time I tied my shoes the first hole was clear. I selected two balls: a Pinnacle and Nike MoJo. Great day for nine holes.   

1. As I set up the phone in my bag rang. I let it go, and didn’t check it until several holes later. Terrible tee shots. Terrible second shots. Decent third shot and two pitches – one from a trap. Nice two putt. Winded, I decide to not keep score (though my best balls added up to 7).

2. Terrible tee shots, but at least I got one in the air. Second shot not great, but better. Nice chip, but it flew over the green. Another nice two putt (7).

3. Great tee shot just off the green. Decide to hit a second and almost lose the ball. Three putt (4).

4. Another great tee shot lands on the green, but rolls off the back end. Decide to hit a second, which again is bad. Hit several putts for a bogie on the par three (4).

5. Holes four and five (above) now have trees to the left, which looks great. I’ve caught up to the player ahead of me, giving me a change to re-tie my shoes and take a rest. After he clears the green I hit one straight tee shot, short of the green put playable. Hit two decent chips and several putts (4).

6. I usually lose a tee ball to the newly added marshland, so I decided to hit from the nearby red tee instead of trekking back to the faraway blue tee. Hit a decent driver, but again can’t resist hitting a second, which dutifully veers into the marsh. As I walk I amazingly find my second ball. I can’t believe I’ve played five plus holes without losing a ball. Then I can’t find my first ball, which should’ve been out in the open. I find a Wilson ball where my Nike ball should be, and hit a decent shot down to the middle of the fairway. As I walk I finally find my first ball far ahead of where I thought it would be – a great tee shot for me. With no one behind me, I decide to hit it – right into a bush. I also flub two more fairway shots before making a nice pitch onto the green, where I sink another nice two putt (5).

7. Two cruddy tee shots. By now I’m so exhausted that I’m just trying to make nice, easy swings. From here out I rarely hit a second shot if the first one was decent. I hit two straight fairway shots and a nice chip onto the green. Now I don’t mind putting two or three balls, giving me time to rest (6).

8. Two decent tee shots benefitted from the downhill fairway. Found a Titleist in the fairway. My first fairway shot landed on the green, so I didn’t take a second. I did take several putts. As I made my way to the ninth tee I snapped a picture of the bell, used to signal players on the tee that the green was clear (5).

9. My first tee shot bounded to the right, toward the road. Had I lost my first ball of the day? My second tee shot was better. As I started up the fairway a bearded, bare-chested jogger veered off the path to greet me. He held up his hand and asked “Is this your Wilson ball? I saw it rolling down the street!” My no lost ball streak was intact. Climbed the hill and hit two fairway shots, both just off the green. I putt several times, and walk off the course at seven o’clock (4) (46).

Two over for the round. How, you say? I played all nine holes with the same two balls, plus I found two more. That’s two over, right?