Why do I bother?
May 29th, 2007 by Olaf Bound.sOlaf has been nursing a back injury for the past 4 months now. It’s not really as bad as it sounds but it is a really big annoyance. But the time has finally arrived for Olaf to rejoin the lush greens. Having spent a few sessions with the golfer’s meet in the driving range with my fellow beginners, seems Olaf has learned more from them than vice versa. My first round and in the very first tee, a par four 380 meter. Being very careful not to hurt my back (and my pride), I swung very smoothly and wow! A two hundred and twenty meter drive! I must be dreaming but no, it was still there! I’m back and with a vengeance!
Left with about 160 meter to the green, Olaf took a 5-iron and again swung smoothly. The ball went straight for the pin but unfortunately was short of the green by about 10 meters with the pin location right at the end of the green. The shot calls for a short pitch for 20 meters and a roll for about another 20 meters. Not bad for someone out of the game for the past few months. I took out my trusted sand wedge, took a few practice swings and there it was. The ball lofted above the ground and landed 5 meters in front, trickle to the front of the green and I was left with a 30-footer putt. OK just putt it close and a bogey is a good result. Read the green and did a few practice putts, and as soon as the ball left the putter……. It went about 15 feet! 15 goddamn feet! I was still left with a 15-footer. So maybe the green is slow and again lining up, I gave it another putt to save bogey and it went straight for the cup. It was rolling, rolling, rolling and it’s going in! No it’s still rolling, rolling, rolling….STOPPPPPPPP! Next thing I knew, I was 10 feet away. You should see the faces of my playing partners, no better still imagine them! Sniggering away! I got a triple bogey! FROM OFF THE GREEN IN TWO!!!!
Let’s not get too carried away. Of course, this is only the first hole. I’ll get them back. The second hole, a par 3-145 meters across the pond. None of my playing partners have got it on. A nice little 6-iron and voila, on the green with a fifteen footer for birdie. Guess who laughing now! Since I was the furthest away, I waited for all of them to chip and putt their way up to the pin. Having waited for my turn, I got a chance to survey the green. Got the line, line up the putter and just give it a good stroke. From 15 feet, I putted past the hole to 10 feet. I then putted for par and again ended the hole with a bogey. Three putting from 15 feet is akin to getting the lovely lady of your dreams to a date and forgetting to wear your pants out.
That’s how bad the whole round ended! The long game was great with an occasional ball in the rough but my short game was nothing short of abysmal. I can remember just a few short months ago, I was struggling with my irons but my short game was, to say the least apt. The frustration of this game can drive you nuts! I really considered giving it all up after the round and say goodbye to my playing partners forever! Until they invited me for another round next week! What could I say……….. Same time, next week!!