The starters at Fossil Creek all know me now and are pretty good about getting me out; they are mainly all senior gentlemen and they look out for me. They ask if I want to play alone or with someone and then we check out who is available (and willing LOL). I particularly like going out on Monday and Fridays as I can get out before the official twilight time of 1:00pm begins and rate goes to $20 for me. They let me out up to an hour early usually and that is a pretty quiet time on course if I want to get in a quick round. One of my favorite starters is TC with whom I have also played a few rounds. He was giving a course lesson to a young man on one of these and so I was able to grab a few tips :) TC tried to help me with my 3wood which continues to frustrate me but apart from identifying that I was overrotating on my backswing, did not solve my problems! But he is encouraging.
Played a short while back with a threesome of guys who all turned out to be salesmen. They had invited me to join their group and so out we went. Course was full but not real slow til we arrived on the last few holes. One of the guys mainly talked with me and was intrigued that I was a history prof; he said always interested in history and when found out military history, well then he wanted to see what I knew. He apparently had been an officer in the Marines in the 1980s before going into sales. He was a pretty nice fellow but then started telling me how to golf. None of the three were great golfers -- okay but nothing special and I was staying with them although I had some sloppy shots occasionally. My chipping was excellent and had pulled off about 5 in a row when I suddenly lifted my head on the long par 5 #8 after putting my iron shot just off the back of the green. I had played the hole smartly and the iron shot was my fourth so now needed to try and chip in. The flag was on back of the green so I needed to make a nice touch chip into the hole. Well just got greedy and lifted my head to watch it and drug my club! The marine had the nerve to say "yes I was going to tell you a few holes back that need to keep the sole of the club up or you will drag it." I just stood and looked at him and really, really thought of beaning him with the PW but did not want to ruin a great club. I then made my putt. The other 2 guys snickered at him. By the time we got to #17, I was distracted and hurting my game, plus the one guy's cigar smoke was beginning to give me a headache. I finished up but my score had ballooned into the upper 80s.
Played another round with two really nice older guys. I accidentally hit into them on the par 5 #3 a they were way off to the left and down the hill and I could not see their cart. My drive was about 220 yards and just a few feet beyond their cart LOL. We were waiting behind a foursome and they asked me to join them. They were a lot of fun and very nice to play the round with both retired from energy company and one now works as maintenance supervisor at a local country club. Also played a round with some younger guys who were not very good but really hysterical. Round was slow but I laughed a lot. They just seemed so surprised that a woman could play pretty well.
I am volunteering with the First Tee of Fort Worth and I really enjoy this work. I am helping to update the database they have for all the kids with whom they work which is about 10,000. I usually go on Monday mornings and take my laptop; a good grande mocha from Starbucks is a must while doing this work. I also helped at their annual pro/am tournament that had been rescheduled. The Friday morning of the tourney was pretty cool but sunny. I helped run the registration for golfers and to manage the pot for the pro golfers betting pool. Met a lot of great, nice golfers and one of the other volunteers was actually one of my former students. The FW director is a really nice guy who is happy to have new dedicated volunteers who can help regularly not just once or twice a year. He wants me to help write some of their newsletters and such as we move forward. I also may have a chance to help with work at the Colonial Tournament in the spring; I have done work at the tournament previously when I was with the FW Symphony League and I was so lucky that it was the year Annika Sorenstam played the tournament! I watched her play part of the first two rounds.
Finally played another round of golf with my old golf partner/swing czar. It had been several months and he has been under the weather. We played Tapatio Springs outside of San Antonio. The course had been in rough shape because of the severe drought in the area; over the summer they had basically told me not to come play when I had called. They had had some rain recently, however, so I wanted to play. Had hoped to play all 27 holes they have and they offer a great 2 for 1 all-you-can-play rate, but partner had to leave early. I had missed playing with him as no matter who else I have played a round with especially guys, I always have the most fun when we play together AND I play better golf. He offered a good tip to help with my 3 wood overrotation as well - turn my right foot inward on my stance. This is an old Ben Hogan tip! Also told me I was thinking way too much standing over the ball and stance too wide on some of my irons. Although I drove the ball really pretty well especially on some tricky holes, I did lose pretty decisively to him however and thus lost our bet! But... since he had to leave, I did not have to pay up :))) I liked the course and really is in a beautiful location in the hill country and some of the leaves were turning -- just gorgeous; there were a few bare spots especially on the first 2-3 holes and it had us a little worried but rest of course was not too bad. Did have us on cart path only the whole way though. Funny I had been cart path only quite a bit back home because of all the rain but strange to see signs saying drought so cart path only! Did forget to take my camera to the course though :(( Unfortunately, I do not know when golf partner and I will play again and that makes me kind of sad because again I forgot how much fun he is to play with and how he only offers help when I ask for it and it usually always works too! I really wish we could play a tournament together someday as I think that would be a great experience.
Played last few days back at home and went to range to work on 3 wood. Well I have been working and working with this club and while have done okay on the range I cannot hit it decently and regularly on the course. After my help from golf partner, I went to range first to do some work. Well... bingo! I hit 40 straight 3 woods with right foot turned in and not thinking so much -- I hit all but 3 of them BEAUTIFULLY!! I mean mainly straight up and high down the range! Then on course only needed to hit it 3 times and they were pretty good. So maybe I have finally turned a corner... I can only hope :) Also adjusted my stance and the balls just flew well. Even hit a long 5 iron over the creek, up the cliff and onto the green and five feet from hole on the great #6! Actually made the putt too which is nice cause now my putting is a little iffy :)
Now football update -- my TCU Horned Frogs are now 4th in the BCS!!! ESPN Gameday will be in town this coming week as well. Really excited about our chance to play in a BCS game...and if some things go our way -- like more of the teams ahead of us slip up and lose a game... we might make it to the championship game if we keep winning. Florida and Alabama have looked beatable and if not before the SEC Championship game then at least one of them will have a loss; Texas should win out to the Big 12 Championship game, but they have been known occasionally to lose to A&M when they shouldn't. (I have to admit though I could NEVER EVER root for A&M to win.) Not sure what might happen if Texas were to lose the Big 12 championship game and we had gone undefeated -- would we be picked over them?? Well I will just focus on this week's game for now but fun to think about possibilities :))) If nothing else, hope we end up at Fiesta Bowl in Phoenix as that would be a FABULOUS trip to take as could play some great rounds of golf while there and maybe drag my old golf partner along since both will be on winter break!
