It's Always Something - Good

Just when one aspect of my golf game comes together - another disappears. It's the great mystery of golf.

Since starting to play golf regularly about six years ago, my game has improved. My handicap has dropped about 15 points. But it's a case of faltering baby steps forward and, often, a step or two backward. Progress is frustratingly slow. Golf is at the same time a great social pastime and a very personal competition between mind and body. It takes focus, hand-to-eye coordination, discipline, and endurance.

I'm sure this doesn't sound like fun to some people. But it's hard to communicate the best of this game. There are so many moments that make up a four hour round of eighteen holes:

Intense anticipation while lining up your drive on the first tee.

The heady sweetness in the air early on a clear summer morning.

Exhultation when you hit a shot exactly as planned.

The satisfying sound of impact on your club's sweet spot.

Warm and honest moments with your golf friends.

Eternal hope for that hole-in-one.

Delight at sharing the course with wildlife.

Expansive views of landscapes.

The scent of turf damp with moisture.

The belief that "this will be the day" for...whatever.

So we gladly tolerate body soreness, uncooperative clubs, blow-up holes, bad bounces, water hazards, the occasional snake, cactus thorns in our socks, wind, bunkers, and capricious miscellaneous blows from the Golf Gods. We're on the golf course with friends, and it's all good.

P.S. I have a lesson today at 11:30, because I can't hit an iron right now to save my life. Tee time for 1:00 with the girls.

The One and Only Sedona

In the United States, we are fortunate to have a handful of places unlike any other on earth. Their uniqueness may come from landscape, climate, and/or history and culture. Sedona is one of those places and, if you haven't been there, a visit should be on your bucket list.

We are fortunate to live only about an hour and a half drive from Sedona, and come here a few times a year. Hiking, biking, sight-seeing, shopping, and golf are the attractions. Sedona is a small town, with a full-time population of only about 11,000. However, 3.5 million visitors annually come from all over the world to see the luminous towering red rock sandstone formations in and around Sedona. Some seek the fabled healing powers of the energy fields among the rocks.

Yesterday we came to Sedona with a few other couples, to play golf, dine, and play more golf. The Sedona Golf Resort at the Hilton Sedona has a beautiful course with challenging greens. The course whipped me, but I was repeatedly pacified by the stunning views from every tee box and fairway. It's difficult to stay self-focused or frustrated for long when so clearly dwarfed by the majestic display around you. "Darn, I missed my putt, but LOOK AT THAT!"

Last night we dined at Dal and Di Luca, a standout Italian restaurant. This morning we'll complete our visit by playing golf at Oak Creek Country Club. Back to the more sedate beauty of Prescott tonight. It's nice to have such an appealing getaway available so close to home.

What if Golf Was Like a Political Campaign?

Talking Rock Ranch kicks off the Spirit Cup today with a day of practice rounds and a reception this evening. The Spirit Cup is our annual women’s member/guest golf tournament. Today I awake with a slightly sore shoulder, earned from hitting an entire pyramid of balls yesterday on the practice range. My muscles are tight from negative anticipation. This is not the way to begin the next three days.

We are in the thick of campaign season for the Presidential race. As a blogger, should I feel guilty that I write about frivolous matters, instead of hefty issues? Nah! I keep up with politics, but I don’t like to talk or write about it. The fruit from my opinions will be implemented at the ballot box.

This is what leads me to think about how civilized golf is in comparison to political wrangling. Can you imagine what it would be like if golf was played with the ethics of a political campaign? This is what I envision…

Everyone would lie about what they score. Not a lot; just enough to enhance a golfer’s reputation. Stories of holes well played would be embellished to the point where they would take on legendary proportions. Egos and power would rule the game. The best players would diminish the achievements of lesser golfers, to keep themselves at the top of the heap. The ugliest debate would be about whether handicaps are justified. Haven’t the better golfers earned their exclusive place in the sun? We should all look the other way when they break the rules, because the rules are not for them. Others could be better golfers if they just worked harder. Anyone would be free to besmirch the name of their fellow golfers; calling them evil liars and unfit competitors. We all would do whatever we have to do to win.

I wish with all my heart that politics was more honorable and politicians acted with more civility. I am well aware that politics is not a game. But it would be so refreshing (not to mention, shocking) to see our leaders conduct themselves with the honesty, grace, and humility that we experience among our friends and fellow golfers.

Wish me luck and fun during the Spirit Cup tournament. This year’s theme is “Stars & Stripes Forever”, a fitting nod to this election year.

Our Other Car is a Golf Cart

We are buying a golf cart. OK, I am spoiled. But consider these factors before you condemn me…

1. Since we retired over four years ago, we have owned only one car. Ron and I share, and that works out just fine.
2. For almost two years in Chicago, we navigated city living on foot, or via city bus or train. (We had moved the car to Prescott.)
3. We play golf four or five times a week, and pay a fee to our club to use a cart each time. We’ll actually save money owning our own.
4. Talking Rock Ranch allows golf carts on our private roads, so we can use it to get to the club house or to visit friends.
5. It’s electric; not gas-powered, so we’re being environmentally friendly.
6. We’re buying a pre-owned model. Isn’t that recycling?

Other than those justifications for our actions… I just WANT one! Remember those battery-operated cars in the Sears Christmas catalogue when we were kids? Lord, I always wished for one of those. But they were too expensive, and I never got one. So, I give! We’re just big kids, and buying ourselves an expensive toy. Oh boy!

Golf Gods, Mojo, and Karma

I play golf four to five times a week when the weather allows. Golf is good exercise, a fun way to socialize, and a good way to enjoy the outdoors. Some may think it would be boring to play the same course so frequently, but it’s not. There are many, many variables in every round.

The biggest wildcard is you. Do you have your mojo today?  Will your drives find the fairways and bounce straight and true? Will you be hitting your irons? How will your short game treat you? Can you avoid the dreaded three-putt? Will you best yesterday’s score? As your game improves, there are always surprises (good and bad). You can have an awful hole; then birdie the next one. The Golf Gods are fickle that way. They can be cruel, but they don’t actually ever want you to give up. That wouldn’t be any fun.

Mother Nature also provides variation. Granted, it’s often clear and sunny in Prescott. But the wind may howl and knock your ball out of the air, the temperature can be cold or hot, the sun gets in your eyes, and the summer monsoons provide pop-up thunderstorms that send you scurrying for cover. Once we played in a snow squall. Some conditions truly test your powers of concentration.

The course itself is a constant challenge. Think about it. You never hit the ball twice in exactly the same spot. Pin positions change from day to day. The fairway undulates. The sand in the bunkers could be dry as a bone or heavy and wet. An unlucky bounce leaves you in someone else’s divot. When your ball strays into the desert, you may be puzzling over whether or how you can punch your ball out from under a bush or from behind a rock – all while keeping an eye out for rattlesnakes. There are uphill lies, and downhill lies. Your may be forced to practice a “specialty shot” out of a tricky situation. And, just because your #3 hybrid got you over the chasm on 11 yesterday doesn’t mean it will today. Trust me on that one.



The first tee at Talking Rock

Golf is a great way to make friends and deepen relationships. (For that reason, I wish I had played when I was in the business world.) Golf requires confidence, honesty, and infinite grace. You must to follow the rules, celebrate successes with humility, suffer nobly through your own failures, and support your partner’s play. People’s true nature shines through on the course.

Every time I stand on the first tee I feel intense anticipation and excitement. I take a deep breath of clear mountain air, stretch my shoulders, tee up, wind up for my first drive, and hope for good karma! 

Change of Scenery

We played golf in the snow in Prescott earlier this week.  It was fun, and a little crazy, and pretty darn cold and uncomfortable.  The next day, we escaped to Phoenix for a few days of sun and fun.  We love Prescott, but every once in a while, we need a little…more.

Last night, we had dinner with friends in Scottsdale.  This morning, we played a round of golf at the Raven Golf Club, near South Mountain.  The course was green, the flowers were blooming, and it was gloriously warm!  It was also a treat to play on an unfamiliar course – a test of my developing skills.  I didn’t lose a ball, mostly stayed in the fairway, scored one par and several bogeys.  It was an average to above average day of golf for me.

Tonight we are going to check out the Arizona Theater Company’s production of “The 39 Steps”.  We’re not looking forward to giving up the rich theater scene in Chicago, so we have to find out what Phoenix has to offer.

On the way home tomorrow, we’ll do a little big city-type shopping.  Then we’ll be ready to head back to Prescott to meet our friends for Friday Night Happy Hour at Talking Rock.

Time to have a brief lie down and then get changed for our night out!

Take a Deep Breath of Life

Yesterday was our first full day back in Prescott. Once again, we seem to have brought Chicago’s chill with us. The day struggled to climb out of the 40’s, but brought sun and clear, clean skies to enjoy. We headed for the driving range at noon, and were on the first tee by 12:30.

Talking Rock Ranch has a stunning golf course. It has emerald green fairways, but the desert hazards have their own beauty. This time of year, the high desert is smudged with dramatic swaths of gold, green, rust, and purple. Native birds provide flashes of blue in the landscape, and jackrabbits and roadrunners dart among the scrub oaks. Climbing the hill up to the 15th tee is rewarded with the gift of a 360-degree mountain view. The color of the sky is only upstaged by the intense sapphire blue of the pond between 9 and 18; the water attracting ducks and the occasional heron or other water bird.

Being outside in the fresh air amidst so much beauty is cleansing. I’m not sure what I had going on that needed to be cleansed…maybe emissions from CTA buses or the noise of a big city. I enjoy the bustle and excitement of Chicago – I truly do. But whenever I come back to Prescott, my soul is soothed.

Several times yesterday, I found myself standing still and taking very deep breaths of the clean air. It felt as though my lungs expanded with each inhalation, and that the oxygen was energizing all my nerve endings. It was euphoric.

Take a deep breath of life today, and enjoy.

The Spirit of the Spirit Cup

Last week I played in Talking Rock Golf Club’s annual ladies’ invitational golf tournament, the Spirit Cup. My handicap is high, my partner was a stranger to me, and I was pretty bound up with trepidation about the whole event. But I had set myself a goal to compete this year, and I am pretty stubborn about meeting my self-imposed goals.

The biggest hurdle in my mind was whether my partner and I would be compatible. After playing a practice round with her last Thursday, my concern was quickly dispatched. Although a much better golfer than I, we got along famously, enjoying the course, the beautiful weather, and each other’s company. She has had quite a bit of tournament experience, and I appreciated her knowledge about the formats (Best Ball and a Scramble), and the finer points of the rules and regulations.

On the first morning of the tournament, a party atmosphere reigned. The theme for the Spirit Cup was “Wild, Wild West”. Carts were decorated accordingly, and the creativity was impressive. We had several stagecoaches, a saloon, a jail, and a chuck wagon, among others. Some ladies had coordinating golf attire, or even costumes such as pigtails and Indian feathers, ponchos and six shooters, and saloon girls with feather boas.

Both days of golf included 18 holes of play, with 9 holes of a Scramble, and 9 holes of Best Ball. These formats take a lot of pressure off us lesser golfers, as your partner can save you if you have a bad shot or a bad hole. Of course, you still want to feel that you have contributed, which I did – hitting some good drives, some great pitches onto the green, and a few really good putts to close out scoring on holes. My intimate knowledge of the geography of the course was also a big help to my guest, who was unfamiliar with it.

We played respectably, and could hold our heads high as the top teams went on to the high-pressure Shoot Out for the championship. The Shoot Out drew a gallery of club members and guests that moved progressively from the 14th hole to the 18th, where the champions were determined by a Chip Off after a tie between the finalists on 18. Congratulations to Kim Dornan and her guest for their big win!

The trophy presentations were accompanied by food, drink, laughter, and hugs, among a large group of happy people. As the sun set, washing Talking Rock with golden sun, we relished our celebration.

I am most pleased that I pushed myself outside my comfort zone to take on a new challenge and have a wonderful new experience. My hope is that more of my golf buddies will take part next year in this event that is a great confidence-builder.

Hubris and Golf Don't Mix

Last year I promised myself that I would start posting my golf scores and get a handicap, so that I could play in Talking Rock’s Spirit Cup ladies golf tournament. That seems like a reasonably innocuous, maybe even fun goal; right?

A day before this year’s tournament begins, I regret my dedication. I have an embarrassingly high handicap. It’s 47.7. Ugh. For a ladies tournament, the maximum handicap that can be applied is 44 point something. If I scored 126 for 18 holes (pretty average for me), my adjusted score would be 126 minus 44, or 82. Let’s just say I won’t be going pro in this lifetime.

I am so nervous about this tournament! My friends tell me not to worry, because it’s about the fun and food and drink – not the competition. I’m good with that, yet still sincerely fear hacking up the course and humiliating myself.

So here’s my plan…

1. Golf clothes and shoes are already washed. I’ve put my tournament outfits together, all the way down to undies, socks and caps. I can’t think about attire on game day.
2. Try to relax and enjoy my practice round today, while getting to know my partner.
3. Lean on my friends who are at a similar skill level and the ones who are pretty darn good golfers.
4. Avoid the temptation to overindulge at the welcome party. This is going to be hard enough without being hung over tomorrow.
5. Lastly, I will think repeatedly of this last line from Roy M. Barineau’s “A Golfer’s Prayer”: Most of all, God, let us find happiness in our game, experiencing joy, fun, and delight even though the ball does not always roll our way. Amen.

Hopefully by this time next week I will be telling you what a wonderful experience I had in the Spirit Cup. Wish me luck!

Let's Walk 18

We just purchased a golf membership in Talking Rock Ranch in Prescott. Oh boy! This will allow us to play without worrying about greens fees accrued in the course of a month’s play. Today, we’re heading out to golf for the second time this week. I continue to work on my handicap, and am still very inconsistent with my game. I did manage a Par and a Birdie when I played on Tuesday – but those are the exception rather than the rule.

I am becoming more intimately familiar with the course and its challenges. It all used to be one big mish-mosh in my mind, but now I can walk the course mentally in pretty good detail. It’s helping me with club selection and strategy (that is, as much as someone at my skill level has a strategy).

HOLE 1: A fairly simple hole, unless your drive goes wild right into the retention pond…
HOLE 2: A straightforward Par 4, right behind our house!

HOLE 3: On this tough little Par 3, you have to hit over a small desert scrub-covered hill on the left. I use a 3 wood. “3 on 3” is how I remember it.

HOLE 4: The beautiful sweeping fairway on 4 often is a runway for jackrabbits.
HOLE 5: A oddly challenging hole, fraught with fairway bunkers.
HOLE 6: Ron has nicknamed this “The Death March”. It’s a 606-yard Par 5 that gives my 3 wood a workout. Very little hope for us chicks to par this hole. The best I’ve ever done is a double bogey, and happy to get it.
HOLE 7: Another Par 3. I use my 7 wood – “7 on 7”.
HOLE 8: Native landscape on the left and bunkers on the right. Stay in the middle, for sure.

HOLE 9: Front 9 finishes with a Par 5, and a water hazard on the right. Hit too close and your ball bounces right- splashing into the pond. The ducks scatter when they see me coming.

THE TURNAROUND: I recommend the panini-grilled hot dog. Delicious.

HOLE 10: A wide open, forgiving fairway. A fresh start for the back 9.
HOLE 11: Nicknamed “The Chasm”, on this Par 5 hole you must hit over a deep, dry ravine before approaching the green. I have lost many, many balls on this darn hole.
HOLE 12: Here, your drive has to fly over a “mini chasm” to get to the fairway. Not so bad. The green is elevated, which is a bit tricky.
HOLE 13: An uphill Par 3 surrounded by bunkers. If your drive misses the green, you are probably in trouble.
HOLE 14: My least favorite hole for a reason I have yet to determine.

A beautiful day on 15.

HOLE 15: The course’s signature hole is at a higher elevation, with a downhill approach to the green. The view of Granite Mountain is spectacular from the tees.
HOLE 16: A Par 3 where I very nearly got a Hole-in-One earlier this week. My first birdie on this course.
HOLE 17: A fairly straightforward Par 4 on the home stretch.
HOLE 18: This Par 5 is a tough way to finish, with prevailing winds often in your face from the west. Watch out for the big bunkers on the right, and the water on the left!

It’s a beautiful and challenging course – and it’s helping me become a golfer!

No More Mulligans for Me

If you’ve been following my blog, you already know that I am golfing. I love the physical challenge, the competition (with myself), and being out on a beautiful course in the fresh air. All that walking and flailing around with a club is good exercise. An added bonus is my new circle of golf buddies – the ladies I see at least once a week for our “Nine and Wine” gathering. But, it’s time to kick it all up a notch!

I am working on my golf handicap. Turns out that I need one to play on Ladies Day and in any club tournaments. My goal for this year is to participate in Talking Rock’s “Spirit Cup” tournament in late August. The tournament is several days of golf, female camaraderie, food, drink, and fun. I don’t want to be left out this year.

The purpose of establishing a handicap is to allow amateur golfers of disparate skill levels to play together competitively. My club has set me up online with the Arizona Women’s Golf Association, and I now log my scores. Once I have completed a certain number of rounds, a calculation will be made based on my scores and the difficulty of the courses I have played, and a handicap established. Assuming I continue to submit my scores, the handicap will be adjusted over time, if I get better (or, God forbid, worse).

Let’s say I am assigned a handicap of 20. If I then actually score a 120 on 18 holes, my handicap would be subtracted from my score, and my score would become 100 for competitive purposes. At this point, I expect my handicap to be pretty high – but I have to start somewhere, right?

The pursuit of a handicap is having some interesting side effects on my golf game. First – I can no longer be casual with the official rules. Until now, if I flubbed a drive, I would take a mulligan and try again (without counting the extra stroke on my score). Second – I find that I am much more focused on making a good shot, because one more stroke here and another there makes a difference. Now that I submit my scores, I would like to avoid unnecessary embarrassment. I think this focus will help me improve my game.

This could be a humbling experience, but it’s necessary if I want to become a serious golfer. Stay tuned for updates.

Top 10 Facts that Prove I'm Hooked on Golf

#1: I have a golfer's tan

#2: You know, I really don't care when my golf cap gives me hat hair...

#3: Two pair of golf shoes isn't enough 

#4: I now consider televised golf tournaments exciting entertainment

#5: I have a painful regret that I never played golf with my dad

#6: The only pencils I have in my house are little stubby golf pencils

#7: Golf tees fall out of my pockets when I'm searching for other things

#8: My next car is going to be a golf cart

#9: I react exactly like Pavlov's dog when I hear someone hit a drive off the tee behind our house

#10: There is a new man in my life - my golf pro

Uh Oh... Caught the Golf Bug

This is such a retirement cliché! I am now hooked on golf. I almost never played before, but now I browse the weather forecast looking for nice days to get to the golf course. If there is only a small window of clear weather, then I can at least sneak in a trip to the driving range. We had a rainy spring in Chicago, but I already have a golfer’s tan. How did this happen?

My dad was a dedicated golfer. He played every weekend, sometimes on both Saturday and Sunday. It was, in part, a social event for him, as he was part of a regular foursome. They would golf early, and have brunch at the club before heading home. When we kids were little, I remember Dad taking us to the driving range as a special treat.

You can’t become a competent golfer by playing once or twice a year. That’s just impossible. But now… We have more time, and we can walk to a 9-hole golf course on the lake. I knew I was committed to trying when Ron surprised me with a beautiful set of clubs two years ago.

It’s hard to have a bad outing when the weather is beautiful, the course is green and fresh, the lake is sparkling and the birds are tweeting. But there are only so many mis-hits you can suffer before beginning to get frustrated. Golf is a muscle memory sport – so the more you swing badly, the less opportunity your body has to experience how to do it right. The worse you do, the more strange things you try to fix what’s wrong. Generally, it just worsens. The golf gods always let you hit just enough really good shots, to keep your hope alive – just to be dashed again and again.

Failure drove me to a golf lesson when we were in Nevada last month. Hallelujah! Mary Ochs, “my” LPGA pro teacher, was fabulous. In an hour lesson (with another freebie 15 minutes), she pinpointed my major issues and coached me to correct them. I hit some balls that made me literally shout with joy! This is the pleasure of golf. It’s so challenging that when you finally do something right – it’s totally exhilarating. I’m still at the point where each time I address the ball, I have a whole checklist I have to work (elbows in, knees bent, butt out, back straight, head down, weight on balls of feet, eyes on ball, relax grip, twist hips, full follow through, etc.). In time, these should come naturally with less thought.

Ron and I still play “best ball” on the course (we both play from the spot of the best shot between the two of us), to keep the game moving and be courteous to the more experienced golfers behind us. Now, some of the best balls are mine! Sometimes I am hitting glorious drives out of the tee box, straight down the fairway. My putting is so-so, but shows promise. I get tired after nine holes (still a lot of swinging to little avail), so a half round is perfect.

I’ve got the golf bug something bad. Gotta go. I need to book a tee time.