A Great Day For Golf
It was a great day for golf here in the South. Instead of a mid 90s blaze it was 85 with a light breeze, and it seemed like the wind was at our back all day.
I knew we were in for a good day of it. I drew “Doc” as my “A” player today. Doc is not a real Doc, except he wanted to be a gynecologist until he flunked Organic Chemistry, but got his name ’cause his father was a Doc Watson fan.
Doc is a genuine “A” man who only missed the sectionals for the Senior Open by a shot two years ago, so he can play. As good as he is, he never complains if you foul up. When I missed a five footer for birdie on one hole, he said “It ain’t nuttin’ but a thing Doc, there was a lot of chicken left on that bone,” which means no one makes ’em all and five feet is long enough you can’t feel too bad about it. I wished I’d made it, but Doc knows how to keep the team’s spirits up.
Doc was a house a fire today- shot 68- and I was my usual 78. I play golf like I doctor- boring, predictable, few mistakes, no drama. I guess I just wasn’t born to be a spectacular kinda guy.
Our “C” man was Jean Claude, who turned 75 over the winter, so he got to move up to the gold tees this year. Jean Claude moved here from France after the War, and still says “Merci” when you say, “Good shot.” He might have a bit of age on him, but anyone who spent their summer vacations outwitting the Nazis is tough by definition. He has a lot of great stories to tell about how they’d put sand in the German tanks at night to gum up the engines. I’m glad they didn’t catch the little fellow.
Jean Claude was a little upset today- he missed a putt on the last hole and shot 76. It wasn’t so much he coulda shot his age, but if it’d gone in we woulda won the back nine bet, too. Jean Claude is a team player from way back to his days with the French Resistance. Doc shot 31 on the front, so we won the front and the overall. I told Jean Claude not to worry. It was just a thing, and there was a lot of chicken left on the bone- it seemed to make him feel better.
As per family custom (for those of you new to the blog) I put the golf money I won at Marfar’s place at the table. She wanted to take me out to eat and rent a chick flick. I ain’t that much for chick flicks, but it’s her money, so I’m all about it. If your wife wants to take you out to eat with her mad money, I figure a fellow is obliged to go and watch whatever she wants to see.
After the match, I went to my eye appointment. I was sure I was O.K. ’cause I saw everyone’s shots land all day. I noticed Doc missed several of the right breakers- he coulda shot 65 easy. I wonder if he has a cataract in his dominant eye. I better call him when I get home. Come to think of it, it’ll have to wait till tomorrow. I’ve gotta catch a chick flick.
Dr. B
This entry was posted on June 18, 2008 at 4:26 pm and is filed under golf stories. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site.
Dr. Tom Bibey: Stories of the Bluegrass Music Road 
June 19, 2008 at 2:24 am
You sure have an assortment of interesting friends. Sounds like you had a great time. I don’t play any type of competitive (or serious) sports since I’m about as athletic as a rock. You’re a very wise man for taking your wife up on the offer of food and a flick! Spending mad money on a date with our husbands is one of our ways of saying we still like to hang around with you!
June 19, 2008 at 4:44 am
Ms. Roth,
I’ve stayed married for many years. In the beginning, it was dumb luck, but now it is more that we are stronger together than we would be alone. It is a tough world out there to negotiate one’s way thru.
The music helps too. My wife is a good bass player. We play together in the church band, and I fill in on mandolin with her bluegrass band whenever mine is not playing and they need me.
Dr. B
June 20, 2008 at 10:12 am
It sure was a good day for just about anything, Doc, except for reading 1L studies in causation. Now you know what I did yesterday!
One of the subtle beauties of golf is that it’s a companionable exercise, an opportunity to spend some time with folks you might otherwise not get to know quite as well. You’ve learned to master the ability of enjoying that dimension as well as being competitive and taking their money! Neat trick, and keep it up.
June 20, 2008 at 10:30 am
Parson Bob,
You learn a lot about folks on the golf course.
We only fired one guy from our group, and that was ’cause he cheated. My guys are a bunch of scaliwags, (?sp) but they play fair.
Dr. B
June 20, 2008 at 5:05 pm
Dr. Tom…. Sure I know about circus peanuts. But, I don’t know why they got the name they did. Perhaps they were a candy that was simply offered by vendors at the circus and they happened to be shaped in molds that had the shape of peanuts. Maybe I can do some research!
June 20, 2008 at 7:18 pm
Ms. Cindy,
I almost never have a sweet tooth, but I love the dawgone things.
Dr. B
June 20, 2008 at 7:31 pm
I wondered who kept up eating the Circus Peanuts after Pop passed away. They were always in their house. I understand they used to come in different colors. I even seem to remember them as pink and yellow and orange. Later though, they ended up being more that orangey color. The older they got, the chewier they got. I never really related the flavor to being a banana flavor though.
I bet you probably also like those candy coated sugery sweet candies they sold at Easter too. The ones that had that white sugary filling….
June 20, 2008 at 8:11 pm
Yeah I mostly dug the orange ones too, but I remember the others.
And the Easter candies- sure enough. My brothers and I would fight over those.
Dr. B