Great Time

I'm not an avid golfer (never was and never will) but there was this tournament once held for the local Law Enforcement on island, I had no golf clubs, no bag, know nothing about golfing but I was put on the list to join. The tournament was two weeks away and that gave me enough time to find (even second hand) clubs for the game. I collected a whole set of irons and drivers. Others had sets of brand name golfing equipment while I had my collection of what I called "Continental" brand. Anyhow, we ended up playing at Coral Ocean in pairs (four altogether) with two others. Tee off time was something like 6:00 a.m. and boy-was I one nervous golfer-to-be.

As some of us stood there watching those who were hitting first, I knew some of them (me included) felt some sort of tension. Lawrence's turn came, he positioned this tiny golf ball on the tee, made his body adjustments, gently brought the head of his wooden club behind his back and swung with all his might. He immediately looked forward toward the fairway to spot the golf ball he'd just hit but everyone of us standing near the mount started running away while Lawrence stood there looking down the fairway when the golf ball he had just hit, came straight down and landed from where he had just hit it off from. A crack of laughter came from everyone and that-I think was the first boo boo that got him "skinned" by his betting opponents.

Knowing I had no previous experience in golfing, I had some on-site coaching from the others. "Take your time, don't let your eyes off the ball, concentrate" and things like that. I took my (long) time, placed the ball on the tee, positioned myself, looked down at the ball, down the fairway, down the ball and down the fairway again thinking to myself "if only I can hit this damn golf ball straight down the fairway, I'll be good to go" but that didn't happen. As I finally swung and looked down the fairway, I saw that white round golf ball flying for the tangangtangang covered area. I was rest assured everything will be okay. I ended up with a triple Bogey.

We were at #7 already and I'm always last to hit for I was not making any pars or anything better than that. This area is somewhat tricky (for me) as everyone had to shoot off over water. Manny made his shot and landed it on the green but the ball won't stop rolling until it got off the other side of the green. Tars made his shot and was about the same as Manny's. Again, Lawrence's turn. I think he used a 7 iron but when he hit the golf ball, it flew forward, hit the rocks in front and came flying back towards where we had parked our golf carts. I think this really pissed him off for he took his club and tossed it into the ocean. My turn came and I just think to myself "it's alright, if I don't make it there, I'll just have to drop". That's just what happened as I landed the ball in the water.

By the time we got to #10, I was feeling a little comfortable because the fairway was a bit wider for my slices. Even my playing partners were telling me to "compensate" for my slices meaning I'll have to position myself facing more to the left in order to place my golf ball in the fairway. This didn't happen on #10 for I positioned myself as everyone else did, hit the golf ball and landed it on the opposite fairway (#18) on the right. While others were hitting westward, I was busy hitting the other direction to get to green #10. I was like going the wrong way on a one way street like I did one time while driving in San Francisco but that's another story.

We all attended the banquet and the talk of the night was all about golf. Golf this, golf that, golf everything. I sat with my golf partners and Lawrence was not one bit happy of his game results. I wasn't either but at least I played in the tournament and now at the banquet to have a great time with my friends and see who gets the most prize(s). I think Tars won a set of irons and Manny with a brand new Driver. I think Lawrence won a new golf club bag. I didn't think of winning anything but I did-for the worse score. Twenty dollars was more than enough to buy chew.

I played on a couple of times after that until I started going with my wife on her Friday night bowling leagues and eventually got recruited to play in their team. Some of those whom we've played a game of golf together would ask "are you still golfing" and I would only respond "I think I like bowling better because I don't have to go looking for the ball, it comes back to me".