Long Way to Go

Friday, 24 May, Sunol Valley Palm Course, Hole #8 195 yards to the center of the green.

As we waited for the green to clear, my impatience surveyed the situation - an impending, unwelcomed gallery and the opportunity to tee off first in my foursome (as my fellow golfmates had decent chances to land the green). My driver was the perfect club for this hole, as it had never allowed me the luxury of more than 200 yards. My debate to hit or not lasted all of 10 seconds, at which time I stood up on the box, launched my slightly scuffed Lady's Precept straight at the pin, and fished up my brush tee before seeing the ball land. Chip and putt for par was the last thing I thought while my buddies prepped for their shots.

Driving up to the green, we counted 1 on the green, a 2nd near the right bunker, and a 3rd in the sand trap. Driving donuts in front and to the right of the green, we all could not believe my straight shot was nowhere to be found. So I settled for a drop and the unsatisfying feeling of having hit a decent shot that would get lost in a double bogey or worse. But as I scurried to my back of the green chip, I noticed a ball about 15 yards beyond the green. There it was, over 220 yards from where I had smacked it. In disbelief, I chipped on, and two putted for bogey. Good thing I let those guys in front of us clear before I hit!

Not a hole in one, and not even par, but passing the 200 yard mark was pretty sweet. When's our next tee time?