[ Home ] [ Contents ] [ Search ]

BeachGolf
[ Rhine in Fremont ] [ Divas ] [ Big Game--Not Quite ] [ BoxofChocolates ] [ BeachGolf ] [ All The Way ] [ For Your Eyes Only ] [ LittlePutter ] [ WooCanCook ] [ Dive Dive Dive ] [ BeachBum ] [ Freedom ] [ 13thDayXmas ] [ Peter Pan ] [ Tiger ] [ Black Diamond ] [ Aloha ] [ Walkathon ] [ Big Sur Walk ] [ 4x4 Anniversary ] [ Sausalito ] [ Alaska ] [ China ] [ Stanford 2000 ] [ French Laundry ] [ Snowshoe Yosemite ] [ BestThingsInLife ]

#5 11/24/1999
Beach Party--at a Golf Course?!
Does the Golf God Have a Sense of Humor?

When I was young I did not pay much attention to golf. I remember watching TV while I was a school kid in Taiwan. There would be a TV show on a U.S. golf tournament, but I did not find the show interesting at all. Even after I came to United States as a 13-year old, I did not care much for golf. I did not understand that golf could actually be considered a sport. What's so difficult about hitting a ball that's sitting steady on grass? Some people actually consider golf as a form of exercise! No way.

A few years ago Theresa suggested that why don't we go take a few lessons at the driving range through the Fremont Adult school because it may be fun for both of us. Well, I fell in love with golf after just a few times when my club actually made solid contact with the ball. What a feeling! To be able to strike a ball and then see it flies straight and long! Yet, how fleeting that feeling is. I despair as soon as I slice, hook, and top my very next ball. Yes, golf is a very humbling experience--just the right medicine for my cockiness, though :-)

Besides, even though I love to play volleyball, I figure that I cannot play for the rest of my life. On the other hand, golf is definitely a lifetime sport. I can enjoy this sport for many years to come. Believe me, I don't think I can ever master golf even if I have 10 lives to live. Golf is definitely very challenging and interesting.

I still remember that the first and so far the only time Theresa and I played golf together was at Kiahuna at Kauai in 1997. It was a windy day--what day isn't in Hawaii :-). I remember that I had a nice shot on a par-3 only to see the wind brings the ball completely off course.  Theresa had an "interesting" outing. However, I do recall this great 20-foot putt that she made. I also remember that we skipped the last two holes of the course because we ran out of balls!

Despite many moments of frustration I do find playing golf to be a great hobby. After reading this WEB about "playing at a golf course that I have never been to" as part of my 39.99th birthday celebration, Stephen Tom, a high school friend of mine,  invited me to play at Crow Canyon Country Club with his father and his friend. The date available was the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Even though originally I was planning to work on that day, I quickly changed my mind. How can I give up an opportunity to play at a country club? You know that saying "the worst day playing golf is better than the best day working." Let's see if it's really true.

Crow Canyon Country Club is a private, member-only 18-holes golf course at Danville, CA.

Ever since playing at a country club in Vancouver with one of my Dad's college friends in 1998, this was the second time that I get to play at a country club. After playing so many times at various public and municipal courses, I was very easily spoiled by this well manicured course. Thanks to Mr. Tom for treating me.

What do you see in the distance? Cows? Really? Why were cows here at a golf course? Actually they were safely on the other side of the driving range. We warmed up with a few balls.

After getting that great hint from RK yesterday regarding having a slow and one-piece take-away, 90% of my warm-up shots with my 5-iron and 5-wood were all straight and long. Amazing. Not a hint of slice and hook! Maybe I would be having a great day, unlike yesterday. Maybe the golf god would be smiling on me after all--or he may just be teasing me!

Here was the first hole. A straight-away par 4. The weather was absolutely perfect. Sun was out on this autumn day. No breeze. You could not ask for a better day to play golf.

Just think I could be at work reading/sending a never-ending stream of e-mails or attending numerous meetings--not! Golf was definitely the right choice.

I was still smiling here as I had a few good drives to start the round of golf. Prior to coming to the course I read that there were a number of water hazards. Well, I know usually how my balls really like to take a bath! So I brought three extra sleeves of balls as sacrifice to the goddess of watery grave.

See, what a beautiful course we have here. It was a pity that I played as my old self again. I lost my great contact to the ball. Oh well.

As it turned out that I didn't have to worry much about water. Sure I lost one ball, but it's only one. It's a small price to pay for playing around here. As a matter of fact, here was the hardest hole on the whole course. Mr. Tom, Bud, and I all hit into the water :-( Stephen was able to make par! He played a very nice round of golf. Here he was before making his par on this watery par-3.

Along the course were all these exclusive homes. Notice the beautiful autumn color and the fallen leaves. You can skip the torture--we will never admit how many balls we sliced and hooked unto the roof of some of these houses!

It was a lot of fun playing with Stephen, his Dad, and his Dad's friend. I've known the Tom's since high school. They are a really fun family as the parents always joked with their four sons and vice versa. Many times Stephen would joke with his Dad. At one point after Stephen teased his father again, I turned to his Dad and said "Mr. Tom, I'm so glad that you still have three more sons left after you strangle this one here! :-)"

I've always like par-3 holes since my drives are not that long--remember that I've been driving with my 5-wood instead of a 3-wood or driver just to be more consistent in the last year. Here was another par-3, and both Stephen and I hit a great 5-iron to get on the green. Stephen's ball was darn close to the flag.

  Yes, the golf god does have a sense of humor. He teased Stephen with a birdie putt that  he almost made. Well, there is no "almost" in golf. Either the ball is in the cup or out. So Stephen walked off the green steaming with only a par. Just like yesterday, I lost my touch with my short putt. So the golf god laughed out aloud and punished me with a bogey. :-(

Actually, the golf god has a really good sense of humor. I worried about the water hazards needlessly. Instead, I was rewarded by a beach party in the bunker--as the ball landed in the sand so many times! Actually I attended so many beach parties at so many bunkers that I lost count. I hit into fairway bunkers and green-side bunkers. A couple of times I even  hit from one bunker to another bunker! Yikes, my shoes were so filled with sand I thought I'm playing on the beach all day long! Where was the bonfire? I wanted to burn my sand wedge as an offering to appease the demon of the sand bunkers!

Of course, the golf god is also a merciful one. Just when I was ready to give up, I was able to hit a few nice drives. It was a great feeling to see my golf ball soared effortlessly straight and long. Here was the par-4 18th hole.

Stephen drove first

Yes, the golf god does have a sense of humor. Was the ground curved, or was it my drive slicing into the woods on the right-hand side? Yikes!

From there I chipped out and laid up in front of the water. I could have played safe. But this is the last hole. I decided to take a risk and used my 5-wood to drive from the fairway. The ball landed on the rough to the left of the green. I then chipped onto the green, but the ball ended up 30 feet away.

Was I going to be able to make this 30-feet putt? All day I've putted ALMOST great. One ball ALMOST passed the hole on the right. Another ball ALMOST rolled into the cup if it could travel just 2 more inches. Another ball ALMOST went in, but it was going so fast that it jumped up and passed the cup by another couple of feet. If the golf god does not have a sense of humor, then he must be torturing me. Actually it was mostly my own fault. Just two days ago I read about a putting hint about having a follow-thur that should be  twice longer than the back swing on a putt. Well, you are never suppose to change a swing or a habit on the course while playing. I did, so I struggled on the course.

I took one more look at the hole 30 feet away and swung my putter. The putter made good contact. The ball rolled and rolled. It's slowing down. Oh no. Was it going to make it all the way to the cup? The suspense was killing me. Just one more turn...

Yes. Amazing. The golf god does have a sense of humor. I made that 30-feet putt! I pumped my fist and yelled in joy. I felt like that I'm on top of the world--or maybe even better than that--since I did not pump my fist on top of Mt. Kilimanjaro back in Feb, 1999!

On this last hole I made a bogey, but I was a happy puppy. Look how I missed all that water and avoided a beach party in the sand bunker. I will always treasure that great 30-feet putt!

Here were Mr. Tom and his friend Bud calculating the score. Stephen did great and left us in the dust--or sand in my case :-)

There was a friendly competition between Mr. Tom and Bud. They were big rollers. It was time for Mr. Tom to pay up--a grand total of 60 cents!

The golf god does have a sense of humor. Look at the big smiles we have on our face! (Of course, laughing rather than crying on the course is much more socially acceptable.) We ended our golf adventure with beer (Stephen, thanks for the bottle of Corona and lime!) and great conversation. I said goodbye and told Mr. Tom that if he is ever tired playing golf with his sons who always tease him, I'm available to play as a much more loving and respectful virtual son!

This has been my most enjoyable and memorable golfing experience ever!