Michigan Day 2: Camera down, use your imagination
Day 2: Forest Dunes (again, and we’re not complaining) and the head towards Boyne Highlands where we’ll be staying for the rest of the trip. We haven’t stayed in the Alpine Village but we have four bedrooms and three full baths so hopefully we’ll be good.
All of us are up early, wandering around (shhh) the 7th hole cart path where we’re staying. Kinda looking for golf balls, but really just enjoying seeing the excellent shape the course is in. Even down to the mowers taking out all of the stakes before mowing the fairways, rather than just trying to go around them. All of us slept well, but stll up, anticipating round 2 (and breakfast). Breakfast is buffet, but good. And the coffee is good. I’m not usually a breakfast person (don’t lecture) except on this trip.
Head over to the chipping practice area and play a game of “21” -- kinda. Really just fun trying to take on shots and try to beat one another. Then warm up on the range and putting green (Forest Dunes has NXT Tours -- nice shiny ones). And then head to the first tee. Round 2 commences, with Tom wearing the bucket hat that Don/Forest Dunes gave me. Definitely his style (me? I wouldn’t have a place to put my tees with that kind of hat).
Weather is perfect. Sometimes sweater, sometimes not. Sun yes, Sun no. But no rain. Tom, as usual, is the only one hitting the ball solid, even though we have our good shots here and there. And Tom keeps muttering about the greens. I LOVE these greens. Super fast. “You’ve got to be kidding me” called out by Tom, Bob and Robert quite a bit as their balls go racing by and by and by. Just don’t hit it so hard… not that mine were just dropping. I just wasn't running them 6 feet by the hole.
Tom and Bob win the first robin (need to say that Robert and I really weren't playing well).
On Hole 10, Robert is MUCH happier with his tee shot because he isn't where he was yesterday -- actually just in the rough. Bob goes on a bit of an adventure. Tom and I win the hole. Hole 11 is a par 3 -- really pretty hole, but the 18th handicap. I'm the only one who hits the green, but probably have a harder shot than they do being off. But, no blood on the hole. On Hole 12, there were crew working around the green. Clearly trouble for them since we don’t necessarily know where our balls will go at any time. I hit right at them, hoping for my ball to go left to right. It went straight... into the bunker. Robert did the same, but hit the stake that was holding the hose they were watering the green with. Pretty hard to do (hitting the stake and hitting people we're actually aiming at because we're really not that good -- and worth trash. Only problem is that Robert had already been in the sand and didn’t really need the additional burden of now being in another bunker because of hitting this stake. Bob made par and won the hole and tied the robin.
Sad to finish up on the 19th hole. Tom won the greenie and the skin. But I came up pretty close to getting it -- and hitting from the same tee box as all of them, I’m pretty happy -- he should beat me! But, Tom's happy because he isn't the biggest loser this morning.
Off we head towards Boyne Highlands. Next stop: Grocery store for snacks and beverage, Bob In for frozen custard, then check in.
So, here we are at Alpine Village. Not quite as nice as some of the other houses we’ve stayed at. But, all have bath tubs, nice patio, pretty spacious kitchen and dining rooms. I’m sitting here at the bar writing this blog, with Tom at the dining room table working. Bob napping. Robert watching TV. It's raining, but we're not supposed to have rain the rest of the week.
Boyne has a “reception” for the Sunday “Great Escape” package people -- remember the one that we went to a long time ago at the Mountain with Tom and Jason. This package includes breakfast and dinner each day. They food is pretty good up here.
Oh, note to people reading this blog. Going forward, it may not be very visual. Unless Tom and Bob take pictures. My camera seems to have “broken.” Took a picture of Tom in this awful stance, kinda in a bunker, kinda in grass (he made a great shot). But, something isn’t letting my camera lens open up and I’m getting lens error. We tried to fix it, but I’m guessing it’s finally a casualty of use. So, my plan is to post and then hope to circle back with pictures later.
Peter, if you’re reading this: yes, I got a Forest Dunes ball marker for you.
All of us are up early, wandering around (shhh) the 7th hole cart path where we’re staying. Kinda looking for golf balls, but really just enjoying seeing the excellent shape the course is in. Even down to the mowers taking out all of the stakes before mowing the fairways, rather than just trying to go around them. All of us slept well, but stll up, anticipating round 2 (and breakfast). Breakfast is buffet, but good. And the coffee is good. I’m not usually a breakfast person (don’t lecture) except on this trip.
Head over to the chipping practice area and play a game of “21” -- kinda. Really just fun trying to take on shots and try to beat one another. Then warm up on the range and putting green (Forest Dunes has NXT Tours -- nice shiny ones). And then head to the first tee. Round 2 commences, with Tom wearing the bucket hat that Don/Forest Dunes gave me. Definitely his style (me? I wouldn’t have a place to put my tees with that kind of hat).
Weather is perfect. Sometimes sweater, sometimes not. Sun yes, Sun no. But no rain. Tom, as usual, is the only one hitting the ball solid, even though we have our good shots here and there. And Tom keeps muttering about the greens. I LOVE these greens. Super fast. “You’ve got to be kidding me” called out by Tom, Bob and Robert quite a bit as their balls go racing by and by and by. Just don’t hit it so hard… not that mine were just dropping. I just wasn't running them 6 feet by the hole.
Tom and Bob win the first robin (need to say that Robert and I really weren't playing well).
On Hole 10, Robert is MUCH happier with his tee shot because he isn't where he was yesterday -- actually just in the rough. Bob goes on a bit of an adventure. Tom and I win the hole. Hole 11 is a par 3 -- really pretty hole, but the 18th handicap. I'm the only one who hits the green, but probably have a harder shot than they do being off. But, no blood on the hole. On Hole 12, there were crew working around the green. Clearly trouble for them since we don’t necessarily know where our balls will go at any time. I hit right at them, hoping for my ball to go left to right. It went straight... into the bunker. Robert did the same, but hit the stake that was holding the hose they were watering the green with. Pretty hard to do (hitting the stake and hitting people we're actually aiming at because we're really not that good -- and worth trash. Only problem is that Robert had already been in the sand and didn’t really need the additional burden of now being in another bunker because of hitting this stake. Bob made par and won the hole and tied the robin.
Sad to finish up on the 19th hole. Tom won the greenie and the skin. But I came up pretty close to getting it -- and hitting from the same tee box as all of them, I’m pretty happy -- he should beat me! But, Tom's happy because he isn't the biggest loser this morning.
Off we head towards Boyne Highlands. Next stop: Grocery store for snacks and beverage, Bob In for frozen custard, then check in.
So, here we are at Alpine Village. Not quite as nice as some of the other houses we’ve stayed at. But, all have bath tubs, nice patio, pretty spacious kitchen and dining rooms. I’m sitting here at the bar writing this blog, with Tom at the dining room table working. Bob napping. Robert watching TV. It's raining, but we're not supposed to have rain the rest of the week.
Boyne has a “reception” for the Sunday “Great Escape” package people -- remember the one that we went to a long time ago at the Mountain with Tom and Jason. This package includes breakfast and dinner each day. They food is pretty good up here.
Oh, note to people reading this blog. Going forward, it may not be very visual. Unless Tom and Bob take pictures. My camera seems to have “broken.” Took a picture of Tom in this awful stance, kinda in a bunker, kinda in grass (he made a great shot). But, something isn’t letting my camera lens open up and I’m getting lens error. We tried to fix it, but I’m guessing it’s finally a casualty of use. So, my plan is to post and then hope to circle back with pictures later.
Peter, if you’re reading this: yes, I got a Forest Dunes ball marker for you.
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