Reflections from the Author
Personal reflections on the local golf courses that inspired the writing of this book
One location hosted an LPGA tour event one weekend and the local junior golf events the next. I spent the days following the best players of that era and also the up-and-coming local prospects just getting their bearings on the game. I had personal experience on the bag for an LPGA player and watching them play our local course made me view the game in a completely different light.
At a different course, in the late 80’s, the final round, of the PGA tour qualifier was hosted there. I remember standing and listening on the eighteenth-hole, as a veteran player and his caddy discussed club selection into the challenging green. He was on the bubble in the event, if he didn’t execute that shot properly in that moment, he would possibly not qualify for the following year. Considering his age, his career as a tour player would probably be over. I remember having a similar shot and distance myself, except the only thing on the line was the Nassau, not my career. Perspective matters.
Lastly, on the course I frequented most, I had an all-time front-nine ringer score, (best score lifetime on each hole) of 22, fourteen-under-par. Eagles on both par fives, eagles on two par fours, and a hole-in-one on a par three and birdies on all the other par fours and threes. Of course my reverse ringer score was probably eighteen-over par, because…that’s golf. It was that kind of course, extremely challenging, but even the hacks could get lucky sometimes. One of the many things that made that course great, but alas, it sits forlorn.
