Golfing by the Seashore

Wednesday was golf day! It had been about 3 months since I last played (January 1st), so I made my tee time reservation with some trepadation. I had planned to play the Ocean Links course, designed by Pete Dye and Bobby Weed (just names to me), because it had 5 (count 'em) holes along the ocean. Well....for an Ohio golfer, that sounded wonderful! Usually, I'm trying to keep my ball out of some muddy creek, not a huge blue expanse of ocean. Anyhoo, with my excellent driver/caddy (Beth), I made my way to the first tee. I was freaked out. I hadn't swung a club for 3 months, and I was going to play on this narrow fairway? You gotta be kidding me. "Drive up there to the red tees, Beth." "Aren't those for women?" she replied "Um....yeah, but I want to make sure that I have a good time today. No point in getting frustrated too much."

So, there I stood, big shot Ohio golfer, teeing off at the women's tees. I think it was the right move. I started out with three triple bogeys (7's) on the first three holes. Ouch. This was shaping up to be a GREAT round for me.....until I saw the ocean. With the calming breeze and warm sun, I pulled a par out of the bag, and the went on to play bogey golf for the majority of the rest of the round! I started to get good enough that by the 9th hole, I was back onto the White tees...total confidence builder, playing from the reds, let me tell you! I went out the front nine in 48, and came back in 46 for a total score of 94! Of course, Beth & I decided not to count four lost balls...you know, Outcome Based Golfing:). So, I wasn't really THAT good, but I was pleased with quite a few of my shots. I was consistently hitting the greens on the first or second shot on the par threes and fours. I even birdied a par 5!, and I wouldn't really consider the course to be too easy - very narrow fairways, and small greens. Still, it was fun and challenging as we wound our way around the plantation, and admired some of the positively outrageous homes built along the fairways.

Check it out! On the green in one! (Of course, I three-putted the green for a bogey)

Beth, enjoying the sun, and getting a little putting practice in!

No way was I going to hit a ball out of the muck. Eeewww!!!

No Joke! This was my lie for Hole 16, and you're not supposed to play on the dunes, so I dropped 5 feet behind.
I hit a nice 180yd 5 iron right onto the green from here. Very nice!

My favorite hole, Number 15, a long par 3, which I made to the green in one shot.
This also was a three-putter for a bogey, but I didn't mind. The view was too nice!

The view through the trees, looking back at Number 13, another long par 3 - very nice.