It was a bright sunny and 85 degree July day pulling up to the GraceWil Golf Course.  I could feel that this was gonna be a good day for golf and that I was going to hit the ball well... or so I thought.  I wanted to wait for my friends Jared and Keenen  to show up before I teed off, so I went into the clubhouse where a rush of cool air hit me as soon as I opened the door.  Inside, I bought a ice cold blue gatorade and sat down.  It probably took about 5 minutes for them to finally show up. They walked inside and bought waters and food.

“Finally you guys are here.”, I exclaimed.

  Then we went outside and headed for the first tee box on the front west.  That course we were very familiar with, since we had been coming here all summer.b
           

“Hey Keenan! Wanna see how a real golfer hits the ball?”, I teased.

I got up to the tee box with my head down, knees bent, and I kept that left arm straight,  It was a perfect swing.   When I looked up to find my ball in the clear sky I noticed it was probably going to land right under a tall oak tree.  Not the best way to start off, but not the worst either.  At least  I wasn’t the only one not hitting the fairway today,   Both of my friends missed the fairway and landed within 20 yards of where I was.

Keenan sarcastically said, “looks like a Tiger Woods shot”.  Which back in the day was a compliment, not so much anymore.

The only good thing about my first drive, was that it was an easy nine iron shot to the green.   I only lied about 125 yards out.   With my iron in hand, the “plan” was to land about 10 yards  from  the green and hope that the ball would still have enough kick to make it to the green. But when I hit the ball; it went to the right again!  It brushed a hanging tree limb and dropped to the back edge of the green and then rolled off into a thick patch of grass. I ended that hole with a bogie!

Jared pipped up and exclaimed, “It looks like we all know who’s going to lose today.”

The next 4 holes went the same way.  First shot to the right or left,  second shot went over the green or short of the green, chipped on then a two putt.   Not very good golf for someone who golfed this particular nine just last week.  However, that all changed on the first par 5 of the course.

As Jared got up to the tee box he teased, “If this shot doesn't make it at least drive 175 yards I'm running back to the last hole and throwing my clubs in the water.”

That  made us all crack up laughing!  First Keenan hit, then Jared hit and then I lined up to the tee box.  Sweating from walking in the July heat for about two hours now,  I thought to myself that this was gonna be a good shot and it was gonna go right down the middle of the fair way.  I lined up to the ball and did my normal routine,  which I do before every shot.  Two or three practice swings, look at the ball, then the fairway, then the ball again.  When all that was done I finally hammered the ball. This produced the same effect as the last hole.  Except it went to the left where there were huge sand traps and cart path!  As the ball flew through the sky, I knew that my next shot was gonna be a tough one.  To my surprise, my drive got spit out of the trees and then bounced off the old and beat up cart path and landed at the 200 yard marker. That drive was about 210 yards!  By far, my furthest drive to date.  I didn’t even know what to do with myself- I was just so happy that I hit the middle of the fairway today.

I turned and gawked to Keenan. “It looks like i’m turning into Jordan.”

Keenan just laughed and squawked back, “ Jordan doesn't shoot a 40 in the first three holes.”

I knew that I could get it to the green if I had a good three wood shot.  After all of my friends hit the ball I had the farthest drive by about twenty yards! When we finally got up to my ball I knew that I had to get an eagle on this  hole and all of my other friends had to get boggies if I wanted to get close to winning.   As I was walking up to the ball Keenan muttered, “Don’t choke.”

I just turned around and said sarcastically  “Watch this shot make it a foot away from the pin.”

He just rolled his eyes and laughed.  I knew what he was thinking; this is about a 200 yard shot, he can't even make it to the green.  Once he was quiet again I lined up the ball: telling myself that this is gonna be a nice shot everything will be ok. To my amazement I took a beautiful swing, but the ball  was heading left again! I watch the ball as it was still is the air.

Keenan piped up saying, “there goes your eagle.”

As the ball was falling from the sky, it was looking like it may be headed to the cart path…...again!  When the ball finally landed it did hit the cart path and it bounced up to the green!  Keenan and Jared just looked at me in awe. They didn’t believe what just happened and neither did I to be honest!  Out of all three of us I was the only one to even make it to the green.  We had no clue how close the ball was to the pin, I was hoping it left me with an easy putt.  As any golfer knows, the proper etiquette is to wait for your group  to hit before approaching your next shot.  So, I  waited patiently for their second or third shot at the green.   Once we got close enough to the green I realized that my ball was about six inches away from the hole. Jared and Keenan just stood there and stared at the ball in amazement.  Since my ball was the closest, I would putt last. I anxiously  waited for everyone else to putt first.  I had to borrow Keenan’s putter because I forgot mine at home which made the putt even more nerve wracking.  Once everyone was done putting I got up to by ball hoping I didn’t choke and miss the easy putt.  I looked at the ball and then the hole and hit the ball.  It felt like the whole world stopped for a split second while I watched it slowly inch toward the cup.  How the professionals handle all this pressure, is beyond me.  When the ball finally sank it into the cup I just grabbed it out of the hole and looked at Keenan and Jared and bragged “I don’t think I choked”! 

Then grabbed my bag and started to walk to the next hole.

  After that hole my entire golf game changed.  I started to hit the ball like I normally do, Right down the middle of the fairway and about 200 yards every time.  I was so much more confindant in myself.  I think that those last holes that we played were the best that I have ever played.  I never drove the green on a 220 yard tee box!  That was the farthest drive that I have ever had!  I was so pumped that I made to the green in two and one putted for my first ever eagle..Now that I eagled that hole and Kenan boggied  it,  we were tied.  And not surprisingly Jared was in last place. These next holes would determine who would win.  By the way I was playing now I was pretty sure it was gonna be me.  It turns out that I was right.  Jared got a 53, Keenan got 50, and finally I got a 48 to take the lead over Keenan!

In the end, this round of golf  was one of the best and worst that I have ever played.  I was challenged with keeping my calm and focus after those first couple holes.  The game of golf has taught me so much than I would have ever thought.  I learned that if you want to be good at anything, not only golf, you have to have patience and never just quit when times are getting tough. I never really understood that until I really started to get into golf.