No golf today

Darn it!

A beautiful day in the mid 70s with a breeze blowing and no rain until maybe late this afternoon.

So, why no golf? Our local public course has an annual invitational tournament this weekend. The entire course is closed to everyone except tournament players.

Carol and I aren't into competitive, tournament golf. She's good enough to be competitive in a tournament, especially a handicapped one. I'm too erratic. When I'm playing well, it's pretty good, but when I'm off I can't hit the ball. At all.

I'm serious. I have days when I hit the ground and miss the ball entirely, or I'll just catch part of the ball with one edge of the club and dribble it is some weird direction.

I play best when there's no pressure. Especially when there's no one watching. Put me in front of a crowd and I'd do better throwing the ball around the course than trying to hit it.

A quick story to show you how much pressure, real or otherwise, can affect me. There are a few public courses that copy famous golf holes to let the average Joe (like me) pretend to be playing the dream PGA tour courses. A few years ago Carol and I played one of these, Tour 18 in Houston. They have a very good copy of number 12 at Augusta Nation where the Masters is played every spring. A short-to-medium par 3 over water. As I watched the group in front of us play it I imagined being in the Masters, with crowds of thousands watching every shot. When our turn came, I got so nervous from imagining that crowds were there that I duffed the ball right into the creek.

I know -- that's pathetic!

So there's no desire to participate in the tournament, and no other way to play this weekend. Unless I'm willing to spring for the money to play a local country club that also allows public "daily fee" play.

Nope, I'm too tight for that. So today is a good day to get chores and yard work done. Next weekend (Easter) I get a holiday on Good Friday, so we're planning to go out of town and play a couple of Texas Hill Country courses. Maybe the weather will cooperate.

And hopefully the crowds will stay away. Especially the one in my mind.