Having returned from a 3 day jaunt to Florida I had no intention of playing golf on Thanksgiving Day. Then I woke up, looked outside and thought "what the hell were you thinking?". It was sunny and temps predicted into the upper 40's and no frost overnight. A quick text to Brad McAreavy confirmed a game was afoot. Be there at 9:00. Along with Brad and Jim Mason the group included University of Maryland golfer Andrew Kay, his father Ed and newly minted Duke graduate Mike Schwert.
Walking off the first tee provided some excitement and comical relief today. As I was walking down the hill I heard Ed call my name. Assuming he was teeing off I waived my hand and didn't bother looking. That was a mistake because the next time he called my name I did look and was promptly run over by his pull cart. I suppose "run over" is a little strong. I turned, looked, jumped, the wheel clipped my foot I flew up in the air and flat on my back. If I had stepped on a banana peel it would have been a cartoon scene. Either way it proved to foreshadow my entire day as I pretty much crashed and burned on the golf course as well.
This was our first trip back to the West Course in over a month and what a difference. With only six players we tallied 22 marks including three eagles. Throw in a couple of loners and it was a shootout today.
AK kicked off the mark game on #4 and went alone when his 195 yard tee shot finished just 5 feet from the back right pin. Four of the five field players were on the back level of the green but no one could hole out. AK dropped the putt for the birdie, greenie, loner trifecta.
After years(?) of making Jim my partner on #5 he finally returned my unwavering faith and made a birdie for a team win. Of course if I could make a birdie on #5 every once in a while I wouldn't have to lean on him so much.
AK netted a sandie on the 5th and a greenie on the 8th. Jim followed his birdie on 5 with another at 8. That completed a Mason / Kay sweep of the marks on the front nine (6 total).
Jim came back with another birdie on the 10th for a team win with AK. Inexcusably, there were no birdies on the 11th. However, things were about to get fired up on the 12th.
I was captain and as usual (and to a fault) I waited for Jim and ignored AK's drive into the front left bunker. After our approach shots we all waited for AK to hit his sand shot. AK stepped into the bunker, lined it up and nipped it perfectly. The ball flew three feet short of the hole, skipped, checked ,spun right and went into the cup! The first sandie, eagle in C & C history setting a new individual single hole mark total of 4 marks. It also put AK at eight marks on the day and Jim's single day mark record of nine marks was in serious jeopardy. There have been a few people who have made a run at the record but Jim will say they all choke down the stretch. But at this point in the round it was hard to see how the record could stand.
The team of AK and Mike would win #13 followed by a father and son team loss on the 14th. Jim made a sandie on 15 to bring his mark total to four on the day. Next up the always exciting 16th hole. With this group of hot golfer there was sure to be some action, and there was.
Jim, playing for the field ran in a 25 footer for eagle to put the pressure on Mike who was looking at an 8 footer for the team. It was a straight forward putt but with bumpy greens it was no sure thing. To his credit Mike calmly ran it right in for his own eagle and first mark (actually three) on the day. I managed a birdie to bring the hole total to seven marks.
On the 17th we had another loner attempt. This time by Ed "The Ghost" Kay. From the back of the tee to a front right pin Ed knocked six feet from the hole and then made the putt for the second greenie, birdie, loner trifecta of the day. You have to appreciate the 7 handicapper who is willing to give up his strokes and slug out the mark game with our crowd. Well done.
The 18th was halved and Jim was right. AK could not manage another mark down the stretch and finished the day with 8 marks. The longer the record stands the better it looks.
Walking off the first tee provided some excitement and comical relief today. As I was walking down the hill I heard Ed call my name. Assuming he was teeing off I waived my hand and didn't bother looking. That was a mistake because the next time he called my name I did look and was promptly run over by his pull cart. I suppose "run over" is a little strong. I turned, looked, jumped, the wheel clipped my foot I flew up in the air and flat on my back. If I had stepped on a banana peel it would have been a cartoon scene. Either way it proved to foreshadow my entire day as I pretty much crashed and burned on the golf course as well.
This was our first trip back to the West Course in over a month and what a difference. With only six players we tallied 22 marks including three eagles. Throw in a couple of loners and it was a shootout today.
AK kicked off the mark game on #4 and went alone when his 195 yard tee shot finished just 5 feet from the back right pin. Four of the five field players were on the back level of the green but no one could hole out. AK dropped the putt for the birdie, greenie, loner trifecta.
After years(?) of making Jim my partner on #5 he finally returned my unwavering faith and made a birdie for a team win. Of course if I could make a birdie on #5 every once in a while I wouldn't have to lean on him so much.
AK netted a sandie on the 5th and a greenie on the 8th. Jim followed his birdie on 5 with another at 8. That completed a Mason / Kay sweep of the marks on the front nine (6 total).
Jim came back with another birdie on the 10th for a team win with AK. Inexcusably, there were no birdies on the 11th. However, things were about to get fired up on the 12th.
I was captain and as usual (and to a fault) I waited for Jim and ignored AK's drive into the front left bunker. After our approach shots we all waited for AK to hit his sand shot. AK stepped into the bunker, lined it up and nipped it perfectly. The ball flew three feet short of the hole, skipped, checked ,spun right and went into the cup! The first sandie, eagle in C & C history setting a new individual single hole mark total of 4 marks. It also put AK at eight marks on the day and Jim's single day mark record of nine marks was in serious jeopardy. There have been a few people who have made a run at the record but Jim will say they all choke down the stretch. But at this point in the round it was hard to see how the record could stand.
The team of AK and Mike would win #13 followed by a father and son team loss on the 14th. Jim made a sandie on 15 to bring his mark total to four on the day. Next up the always exciting 16th hole. With this group of hot golfer there was sure to be some action, and there was.
Jim, playing for the field ran in a 25 footer for eagle to put the pressure on Mike who was looking at an 8 footer for the team. It was a straight forward putt but with bumpy greens it was no sure thing. To his credit Mike calmly ran it right in for his own eagle and first mark (actually three) on the day. I managed a birdie to bring the hole total to seven marks.
On the 17th we had another loner attempt. This time by Ed "The Ghost" Kay. From the back of the tee to a front right pin Ed knocked six feet from the hole and then made the putt for the second greenie, birdie, loner trifecta of the day. You have to appreciate the 7 handicapper who is willing to give up his strokes and slug out the mark game with our crowd. Well done.
The 18th was halved and Jim was right. AK could not manage another mark down the stretch and finished the day with 8 marks. The longer the record stands the better it looks.
Game Summary:
West Course
Scratch Game
Players 6
Carryovers to 9 & 18
Total Marks 22
Mark Leader - Andrew Kay 8
Overall Leader - Andrew Kay $31
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