I have often been asked “Do you golf?” Well that depends
on what your definition of golf is.
Every time I pull into my garage, there standing in the corner is my current set of clubs, which I haven’t used in years.
My first set of golf clubs came to me by weird
circumstances. My father, who repaired cars, was told by a customer that he
couldn’t pay the bill and was wondering if he would take a set of golf clubs
instead. I was in high school and Dad asked if I wanted a set and I said of
course.
My first time on the golf course was at Town and
Country, that’s roughly where Bluestem is today. My first tee shot was unbelievable.
Hit the green and rolled within 15 feet of the pin. As we prepared to putt an elderly gentleman approached and said “First time golfing son?”.
“Yes sir it is” thinking he was going
to compliment me on my tee shot.
“How did you know?’
“Well son, we don’t bring the golf clubs and
the cart on the green. The proper golf etiquette is to leave them them on the edge of the green and just bring
your putter with you.”
Embarrassed, I thanked the gentleman and
proceeded to 3- putt for a bogey.
Now I can hit that little white ball hard…it’s
just getting it on the right fairway that’s the problem. It’s a 435 yard par 4 with a straight shot to
the pin. I took my mighty swing and there it went heading south instead of
west. But the great golf gods took pity on me and it hit a high wire going
across the course, literally riding on the wire for a good 20 to 30 feet. When it came
down it bounced on the cart path not once but twice, with the last bounce
kicking in towards the green. Bob Harris
had just hit a 400 yard tee shot, and yet still got a bogey 5.
It was a pick-up hole-in-one!
I have witnesses on this one. Former KFGO alumni
Don Hall and I took a couple of winning listeners on a golf outing and dinner to
Rosecreek. My tee shot was pathetic, so I took out the 5 wood for my second
shot which promptly sailed, and i mean sailed, hitting a cart path and
then into the parking lot. Then there was something i was hoping NOT to hear. BOOM! It hit a car! Well we went to
the lot to look for it and confess to the damage and after an extensive search
we found it. In the back of a black pickup truck was my ‘Titlest” and of
course the first line out of Don’s mouth was “Play it were it lies
Harris”.
In a final note I’ve never had a hole-in-one (are
you kidding) but I did witness one. First hole at El Zagal one of the members
of the party in front of us hit a screaming line drive toward the hole. Right
on line for the pin. It hit 20 feet in front of the green and rolled and rolled
and rolled and then dropped in the hole.
Big deal, I put a golf ball in the back of a pickup truck once. You don’t see that every day do ya?
Anybody wanna go golfing?!?!
