I’ve been playing golf for about 25 years but not consistently. The only reason I started playing was to get someone else – a golfer – to agree to occasionally play tennis with me. Seemed a fair trade, except that tennis only costs about $3 for a can of tennis balls, while golf costs anywhere from $40 to $100 for greens and cart fees, and a box of balls is anywhere from $15 to $25, depending on how good you think you are.
I had stopped playing golf about six years ago, but then an interesting event caused me to start playing again. I needed job protection. In a previous job, we had a yearly golf outing in June. It was so much fun that I wanted to recreate that at my new place of work. When I learned that the president of my union was interested, the deal was sealed. I pursued a group of four as a way to start the annual rite. Union president, head of technology, a fun guy who’s a poor golfer, and me. What a foursome.
We’ve played fairly regularly since then, and the job protection angle worked because the union president is now one of my best friends. However, it had rekindled my enjoyment for golf and killed my tennis time. Also, the golf outing has progressed into monthly poker games with the same group. Hopefully there’s a pub crawl in our future.
Golf has several items to check off as you reach them. Obviously, there’s the hole in one, which I don’t even think about. When starting out, you want to break (score less than) 100, which I did a very long time ago. Then breaking 90, which I did about ten years ago when I had a membership and played about five days a week. Although I have not yet broken 80, I did once get exactly 80, and I’m proud of that one. Last week, in my first round of this year, I scored what’s called an Eagle.
The average hole on a golf course is a par 4, meaning they expect you to get the ball in the cup in four strokes. 1. tee off. 2. hit on the green from the fairway. 3 and 4 – two putts maximum. Should you score one less than the par on any given hole, that’s called a Birdie. But should you score two less on a hole, that’s an Eagle.
In the picture above, I began from the yellow T on the left. It was a breezy day, wind blowing left to right – also called “at my back” – and instead of using my driver, which keeps the ball as low as possible, I used a 3-wood, which lofts the ball a little higher. That choice was so that my ball would get up into the wind and carry a little further than usual. Another advantage of the 3-wood is that it tends to stay straighter than a driver. Another reason I avoided the driver was because, on the course where I usually play, my tee shot from the 14th tee usually ends up on the 18th green. That’s a bad thing.
So, on this par 5, my tee shot went about 250 yards, leaving about 160 left. Some golfers might say, “Hey, that hole is only 410? That’s too short for a par 5.” Maybe so, but there’s about 50 yards of water in front of the green, which usually forces you to lay up, thus adding that extra stroke to the par 5. From where the yellow 2 is, i hit a 5-wood that landed where the yellow P is over to the right, sticking about 10 feet from the cup.
From there, I had a slight uphill and slight break to the left, which slipped in very easily. Three strokes on a par 5. My first eagle. In the end, I shot a 94, which isn’t terrific, but I gladly accepted for my first round of the year.
Next round – this Thursday.
brainsnorts inc. 
Congratulations, Rich. I know absolutely nothing about golf, but your explanation was so good, I was able to understand what happened, and to enjoy it with you. My best wishes for many a pleasurable game.
thank you sir. forgive my ignorance, but is there a large golf following in israel?
Since I have very little contact with sports, I couldn’t tell you how popular this one is. I know that golf is available here, but not more than that.
congrats Rich. This is indeed a rare milestone
thank you sir. i hope to do that more often.
I once hit a drive almost 400 yards..I made a 7 on the hole 😦
400? i didn’t think that was possible. i’m short, only 5’6″, and my philosophy is to avoid taking a full wind up because that’s when i slice. well, i hook more than slice. but i try to take about an 80% swing and keep it straighter, sacrificing distance for accuracy. i call it “old man golf.” on a par 4, i aim to get on the green in three, get it close enough to 1 putt for par. and if i bogey, that’s okay. putting is my strength. i probably 1-putt 8 out of 18 holes.
yeah, downhill, wind at my back…565 yd par 5…never been over 300 more than a dozen times…I am awful at the game
but you can follow john daly’s strategy, which is to hit it far and straighten it later. i go with nicklaus’s theory. hit it straight and slowly add power/distance.
this is why you make eagles and I just drink
i drink after. i have an uncle who shoots a consistent 80 whether plastered or not.
hey there cutie author… I thought u were talking about another kind of eagle hahaha i did not expect it was golf related hehehe =P hey i am very interested to read your works but i do not know if they are available in the Philippines.
they’re available right here on the blog. start to finish. four books free.
wow cool =P which one is the start???
cutie author? might be the best compliment i get all day.
wha??? How did an “eagle” get a double entendre?! hahaha, seriously I’m laughing really hard, what the hell?
Your goal for the summer is an eagle on a par 3!
i could get an eagle, or someone could flip me the bird.
hahha you are actually very handsome =P and sexy… ? i like authors who also look good =P
Well, actually, when I saw the title in my Emails, I thought it was the feathery kind of eagle too. So, no mocking from me!
hahahha that is so true =P
Congratulations, Rich from a german golfer!
thanks from across the sea.
Well I usually win at putt-putt if that counts for anything..although my Father loved playing Golf..I have his clubs, perhaps one day I’ll take them for a drive..
Enjoy your games!!!
putt putt. it’s a game. winning a game is winning a game.
Congratulations Rich. As a golfer, I can appreciate both your feat and joy.
thanks sir. happy wednesday.
And after a two year absence, I had my first golf league event last night!
how’d it go?
a strange 9 …. only 1 par, but 3 birdies. Simply bizarre.
i need 1 1/2 rounds of golf to get 3 birdies.
I don’t know if I’ve ever done that in 18 holes, let alone 9.
a good friend got a hole in one the first time she ever played. after that, she quit and would never play again so she could say she’s gotten a hole in one every time she’s played.
Cheers to her … and well done!
i saw a hole in one once. my cousin hit a dribbler on a par 3. he turned, yelled, threw his club, but i kept watching the ball as it bounced and rolled and hit the flag and dropped in. he never saw it.
I was on the next tee once and so by the next group. That was exciting.
Well. A real man finally explained what happened in a golf game so that I could understand it. Deano tried to teach me to play. I had less than no interest. He kept saying I was tall and strong and I should be able to hit it a ton. Whatever a ton is if you lay it out in a line. Finally, he got so exasperated that he threw his club on the ground and said, “Don’t you understand I’m trying to find something you can play!” That was the blessed end of our playing sports together. I ain’t looked back since. Everybody always thought I could play stuff because I was tall and thin and muscular. Shit.
Don’t play golf but my father’s second wife played the Pacific tournaments. She was a very good golfer and met her second husband playing golf. Dad tried a few times but decided that the game was not for him and stuck to lawn bowls. Daddy was not a patient person. I like watching it on television when Australians are playing and I enjoyed this post – not too technical and the bits that are, are well explained.