MO goes Around the World

A quiet morning with breakfast and some serious stretching as I hadn’t played golf in over a week. I reported to the Starter’s Shack about a half hour before the tee time. I paid for the round (cough, cough). The most expensive round of golf I will ever play. Some putting. The only driving range is not really within walking distance of the first tee. So I didn’t get in any warmup to speak of. I met my caddie Mitch, a cutie pit tootie from New Zealand..

He’s been caddying at St. Andrews Links since April.

I met my fellow golfers on the first tee. Gerard from Northern California, Dave from Fort Worth, and S.K. Also in the group was Keith, caddying for Gerard, and Gerard’s wife.

Before I discuss play of the course it is important to note that for women the course is a par 76 from the forward tees. And for the golf geeks it is rated 76.5 with a slope of 140, providing me with ample handicap.

I drove off the first tee okay. A little left. A layup to the Bern, a chip slightly over the back of the green, a chip to two feet and a made put for a bogey. Whew! I did not find any bunkers or penalty shots on the first nine.

The second nine I found a bunker on #10. Mitch blamed himself. My only option was to hit out backwards. A double bogey.

Number 11 was a lovely par (my only one of the round) but that was overshadowed by Gerard’s hole-in-one. Gerard found innumerable of the 100+ bunkers on the golf course throughout the round so the hole-in-one was sweet karma. Mitch was beside himself. He had never made a hole-in-one, let alone seen one.

On #12 a ball was lost in a gorse bush. Double bogey.

Jay met the group on #16 green and walked in with us. On #17, Carrie and Joe were spectating from The Jigger Inn and took some photos.

The iconic Swilken Bridge pictures were taken.

A fabulous day. And I get to do it again tomorrow with Mitch.

Jay very kindly walked my clubs to the car and then we walked to the Jigger Inn and met Carrie and Joe. An iconic 19th hole experience. A pint and a bite to eat.

Home to the warm shower and percussive device to loosen up the muscles. Tomorrow is another day…