“he loved the echo of the ball in the woods when he hit.” (I probably am more used to the thunk of the ball when it hits a tree). Day 3 (Paul's Day)

Last year was Paul’s first year in Michigan and his favorite courses were the Mountain courses because “he loved the echo of the ball in the woods when he hit.” (I probably am more used to the thunk of the ball hitting the woods when I hit.) So, we’ve dubbed this day “Paul’s Day.”

Yep, only in the 60s. Drops to the 50s quickly.

Fog on the Alpine starting hole.

Getting ready to tee off.

#2 Monument. Short par 4. The bridge with "hut" goes to the third tee box.

Again, no trouble getting this group in the car. In fact, I’m the late one since I was uploading photos and saving stuff and stretching, charging stuff. Into the car we go and head to breakfast at the Lodge at the Mountain (note: it doesn’t open until 7:00 am so we read the paper and sat around). Sorry to other patrons, but yes, it was me who picked out the raspberries, blackberries and blueberries for my oatmeal. Not polite, maybe, but there was more, I’m sure.

At breakfast, we’re talking about other people and inviting them on the trip. It isn’t so much that we don’t invite people. Just that we may not try hard, or discourage people. Some people just aren’t cut out for:

·        * 13 rounds of golf in a week

·        * 2 rounds of golf in a day – leaving by 6:00 am and then a round, a quick lunch, then another round, then quick dinner, then shower and go to bed and all over again

·        * Staying in a house with other people

Pete makes a comment that someone couldn’t go because he wouldn’t be able to wander around the townhouse naked around everyone. My comment was that he could if he wanted… Paul made an emphatic NO WAY to that. Pretty funny trying to think of having one of our group deciding to wander around naked the whole time – actually hilarious.

To the Mountain we go. Since we haven’t played much golf, we haven’t found many balls to throw at each other’s carts when we take the 15 minute ride up the mountain to the Alpine course. So, Tom hooks up his speaker to my iPad shuffle (thank you, Danny and thank you, Tony) and we have tunes. Don’t really know what’s on the shuffle, but we’ll see. It’s pretty foggy. No, really foggy. Can barely see the group ahead of us (#1 is a dogleg left with a bunker at the corner).

Paul and I get clobbered (we lost all six holes clobbered) in our robin to Pete and Tom. I get Tom next and Tom and I win (but not a clobber). Tom’s playing well. We’re listening to the ball echo when we hit it in the woods (or, in my case, thunk when it hits the woods – but, plenty of woodies). Then, Pete and I area holding our own, but then Tom closes the deal. Or, maybe the fact that on 17 there was the COOLEST POND GOLF BALL GETTER THING EVER – picture two gators on either side of a bond with a cable. Attached to the cable is a barrel with a golf ball range picker thing. It is dragged across the bottom, picking up golf balls. They wheel it in, empty the balls and start over. It was a par 3 and as soon as I saw this coolness, I knew I was out of the hole. Paul made a birdie, greenie, polie, skin, so that was good (for Tom and Paul – and Paul). Tom is the big winner of the day with a 76, all three robins, and I think at least 10 more trash than the next person.

I clearly am out of this hole watching the golf ball getter in action.

golf ball getter in action. need one of these.

coolest golf ball getter EVER

Lunch in the meadow and then they let us tee off early on Monument. Even faster since the group ahead of us let us play ahead of them since they weren’t exactly pros (Tom used the word spraying, a word I know about, but probably not all of the time). #1 Monument is one of my favorite holes (not because I play it well, but because it is a par 5, hard dogleg right. In front of the green is a bunker and from the bunker to the green are rail road ties. I’m bummed because I come up short of the bunker because – you can PUTT up the rail road ties onto the green. Yes, I’ve done it and it works. We encourage Paul to try, but he won’t. He doesn’t believe us.

Can’t remember which hole – it’s the par 5 dogleg left – but shoes come off. We’re looking for the beer girl, but at least enjoying the shoeless round. First Tom, then me, then Pete… then Paul. All of us need a Tootsie Tanner (note to Boyne: you could supply those when we’re heree and we might rent one for the week). I could use some new polish. They could all use some polish. Paul: blue. Tom: purple. Pete: red. And, then Linda shows up. She’s the same beer cart woman who made great Bloody Mary’s last year at the Mountain. She hooks me, Tom and Paul up (Blue Light for me and Tom – Coors Light for Paul – BUT Paul did go off the reservation last night at dinner and have a Corona!). Much better. Beer and barefoot golf go well. And it makes it better if you’re not playing well (like me). I keep fiddling with my clubs because I’m hitting it poorly. And then will flush one – I’m happy with it, but when you’ve compensated for wind, slope, hitting it left, hitting it right and hitting it short and then flush it. Well, yes, it goes long. But, it looks (and at the Mountain, sounds) great!

Tom and Paul win the second robin. And then Paul and I get the last robin, starting off on 14 which has to be one of the most difficult par 3s – no water, just sand – and it’s long and up hill – 225 yards from the Purple Tees. I think Tom has only hit the green once in all of the times I remember. I might have accidentally hit it. And might have accidentally made par. Not the best way to start a robin. Pete hits the green … and makes par. They win the hole. Paul wins us the next. Then I pop the rest of the way in. Tie. Win. Win (on a par 3 with a greenie – yes, that’s wrong, but when you’re losing, you’ll take anything). PAUL AND LIZ take Tom (and Pete) down in the last robin (I can say Tom because until then, he hadn’t lost any robins so it’s a big deal). But, then we did it to ourselves on the last hole (or, I did). Tom makes it on the green in two (#18 is a narrow hole with water all of the way down the right. If you hit it too far left, you have a long way to the green over the water – or have to lay up. Pretty hole, but I have a love hate relationship with it). Paul’s over in the bunker. Pete and I are out of the hole. Paul makes a sandie par, net birdie. I tell him Tom’s going to make his putt, but may not if he has to look at me (like Spieth) and putt it. This could be doomed for me and Paul. It is. Tom, looking at me, drains a 15 foot polie, birdie, net eagle, skin putt (not a robin win, but a lot of trash).

Then, we load up and… off to the Bob In Again. Bear Claws, Custard, Root Beer Floats, oh my. It’s tradition. A wonderful tradition.

#1 Monument Green with rail road ties (you can putt up them)

Tom had to put his shoes back on for this shot.

Barefoot golf. Only way to go.

Back to the townhouse. Showered up and then working on my blog, it starts raining and … down goes wireless, cable. I can type my blog, but can’t blog. Since it’s after 8:00 am, I’m typing this up and then heading to bed. Black Lake and Elk Ridge tomorrow. More driving since they are about an hour away. I’ve only played these two courses once before. Remember them, but don’t remember them.  So, off to bed since I am certain wireless is not going to come back any time soon. We’ve adjusted Pete and Paul so they can catch up to Tom (and me, kinda – my problem is that I decline quickly throughout the week and making trash becomes increasingly more difficult. But I’m not losing at this point).