Winter golf...a nice treat

On Wednesday January 11, 2006 the normal temperature for this time of the year in Rochester, NY is about 25-35. Well that day (as well as the 12th and 13th) the temperature was at or around 60 freakin' degrees.

I talked my boss into letting me take off from work at about 1:30 and I headed for the golf course. Yes, the golf course. Remember what I said about the temperature? My course, Victor Hills, was open and I walked on at about 2:30.

Mind you I had not hit a ball since early November so I sat on the tee and hit a few 7 irons down the fairway to aquaint myself with the swing once more. After about 4 decent shots I proceded to grab the big stick and tee one up. I hit a loopy hook down the left side that bounced off of a pine tree and back towards the fairway. Not bad. I hoisted my bag and off I went. I retrieved the 7 iron shots and plodded on the to my "real" drive.

In true obsessive golfer fashion I assessed the remaining 140 or so yards to the green and managed to launch a 7 iron onto the green. I chuckled as I walked: hell, it was the middle of January and on my first hole I am on in regulation. Expecting the greens to be pretty slow and mushy I hammered my 15 footer towards the hole and VIOLA! I canned a birdie putt on my first hole, on January 11th in Rochester, NY. I was all smiles.

Off I went to the next hole, a par 3. I knocked it on the green and proceded to 3-putt from about 30 feet. Oh, well, its January 11th in Rocheser, NY. I was all smiles.

On the third hole my second shot flew the green from a side hill lie and it came to rest on some muddy grass, down a hill about 20 yards beyond the green. There was only about 15 ft. of green to work with so I just tried to run a 7 iron up the hill and hope it would find the green. It ended up about 10 ft. from the hole. I calmly ran in the putt for rather miraculous par. I chuckled, said "nice four" and headed to the next hole.

After hammering my drive down the left side on #13, I left my wedge just short of the green. Oh, well, that is not the first time that had happened here. My chip lipped out and I kicked in my par putt and off I went to the next hole. I was all smiles, it was January 11th in Rochester. (even par after 4 holes...)

I made a terrific two putt on #14 after pulling my approach shot long and left, but on the green. Number 15 is a very reachable par 5 in the summer months, but I did not expect much roll so I just swung away off the tee. I hit a BOMB! I could not reach the green from where I ended up because I was just a bit too far left so I tried to just draw a 3 iron up near the right front of the green. I managed to do just that and after chipping to about 15 ft. I two putted for my par. I smiled and chugged up the hill to the next tee.

I nearly hit it stiff on the par 3, 16th hole. It just did not carry far enough and trickled back down the hill and sat about 15 ft. below the hole. I stubbed my putter on the downswing and 3 putted the second of the two par 3's on the nine. I smiled, bitched about the 3 jamb for about one second and headed to #17. I laughed and said, its January 11th in Rochester, NY.

They were playing the more difficult of the two greens on the next hole and when faced with that, par is a good score. I blasted my drive right at the reachable green, but in January the ball does not really carry all that well and I ended up right under the green, dead short. I chipped up and snaked in a two putt and ran off this dasterdly green.

Number 18 is a par five and is very reachable in two... in the summer. Again, I killed my drive but ended up on a side hill. Now, in the summer, the 200 yard 3 wood from a side hill lie is tough enough, but in January it becomes a hit and hope shot. Well, I hit it, and then I hoped it would at least carry about 50 yards. I took one of those monster divots and the ball just floated just inside the 150 marker. Damn. I smiled. It was January. I was left with an uphill 140 yard shot. Using my golf brain, I chose to hammer a 7 iron, rather than risk flying the green with a 6 and stiffed one about 8 feet from the pin. My birdie putt missed, but after tapping for a par, I smiled and said nice 37!!! I smiled all the way to the car and wished that I had time to play the other nine holes. But it was getting dark.

I went home and calmly put the clubs back in their hole down in the basement. I smiled and said, "I played golf on January 11th in Rochester, NY". What a rush!! By the way, some guy had a hole-in-one the next day at Oak Hill CC. Nice golf story there, huh?