TGIF - A Promising Weekend

OMG, I'm so phyched! Nick just told me we're going to play Lake of Isles tomorrow! I love that course! Even though it's at least a million times too difficult for my skill level. But that never bothered me, I just have to remember to bring, like, 25 balls. Then, tomorrow night we're going to see Bill Maher at Foxwoods. I love Bill Maher! So that's why the weekend seems so promising. You can be sure I'll be documenting our adventures...and misadventures on Monday. In the meantime have a great WE.

Sunset Redux

Nick and I went back to Sunset Hill yesterday. We can just about get 9 holes in before dusk now...and that's if we play somewhat efficiently, which is a major challenge for us. Yesterday though, Nick was amazing. His drives were uncharacteristically fine, he hardly did any of his usual psycho fairway shots and he was putting with a totally unNick-like precision! Needless to say he was really, really happy. I played OK too, which was fine with me. Specially the 9th hole when I teed off with a 7 iron and landed my ball on the green just three feet from the pin. Of course it took me three putts to get it in. Guess I overshot in my excitement. Oh well.

I heart tee bags

...specially Ame & Lulu tee bags. In fact, I've got a collection of them. Now I just need some club covers to go with. The thing is, these gals really know their colors...or rather my colors: hot pink, lime green and various combinations of same. Actually they've got loads of colors to choose from and eventually I want all of them. Matching shoe bags and tote bags too. Looks like I've got to get shopping...now!

Enough said - a lingering Ryder Cup observation

This post - from the always observant Ilogical Golfer, kind of says it all.

Another beautiful sunset

Yeah, I had planned on the driving range but Nick wanted to play, so we left the office at 5:00 and dashed over to Sunset, so as to get our round in before...sunset. We both played horrifically, but we had a blast anyway...drinking beer, taking photos ...and lots of mulligans, generally cheating on every hole. The thing is, you can do those things on a beautiful afternoon in late September and feel like all is right with the world.

Golf and beer just seem to go together. By the third hole we were really relaxed.

Nick insisted I pose next to this sign...because he has a really warped sense of humor. Of course I obliged. I always do.

OK, this is what sunset looks like at Sunset Hill. Isn't it beautiful? Nick totally missed this putt. Oh well, that's par for the course. Actually quite a bit over par

Sergio Gossip

Did you hear Sergio Garcia's going out with Greg Norman's daughter Morgan-Leigh? Yeah... that's what they're saying... admittedly it's just a rumor, but still. Sergio's so cute and so talented (Ryder Cup proved that beyond a doubt) and Morgan-Leigh? Well I don't know much about her but she would appear to be a beautiful blonde with an outstanding golf pedigree...at the very least. Sounds like a perfect pairing, doesn't it?

Home on the Range

I tried a new driving range yesterday. Stony Hill. It's just up from my office, so ultra-practical. I like Quest...I mean, I'm fine with it, but sometimes a change of scenery can beneficial, right? Well anyway, that was the premise. In the end I can't say it made much of a difference as far as my hitting was concerned. Irons still inconsistent and weak. Driver...better, but not great. Oh well, it was a beautiful evening and I'll probably go again tonight. I have a feeling I'm going to be hitting much better. I don't know why...just a feeling. Not I can't wait to see if it's justified.

A Rather Satisfying Weekend of Varied Golf Experiences - Sunday

It was supposed to rain but didn't. Well, maybe for five minutes, but the rest of the day was fine. We got up kind of late and watched snippets of the Ryder Cup throughout the morning. It was pretty amazing. So many implausible, beautiful shots. Later we went to the Hilltop for lunch with Sulay , Jill and the girls. Then when we got back
home we watched the Europeans celebrating and lots and lots of highlights. I think this article sums up the US vs Europe attitude to golf (and to pretty much everything). It seems to me that we Americans are just more into our own personal happiness and less into a greater societal happiness than Europeans are. Three years in France and a French husband taught me that. In any case I really enjoyed watching all that good golf...loved the back stories of course too. It made for a memorable end to this satisfying golf weekend.

A Rather Satisfying Weekend of Varied Golf Experiences - Saturday

Actually, I like to walk with my clubs wraped around my shoulder. Nick however, always insists on riding. It helped in this case...at the 7th hole I realized I'd left my pitcher back on five.

Nick hates the beach. Specially when the sand's like cement.
Better call EasyOut.

Nick and I had a wonderful time at our favorite, sweet, little par three course in Southbury. We both hit quite a few really nice, satisfying shots, and some pretty fine putts too. Of course, there were lots and lots of awful ones in there as well, but you learn from those, um, hopefully. The weather wasn't meant to be good...they had predicted showers, but it was, in fact, fine. Filtered sun, quite warm...the first day of Autumn. A few fragile, crumbly leaves already appearing on the greens. Soon I imagine well have to brush a path to to the pin. This day however, they didn't interfere, just reminded us that summer was over. There was a flock of monarch butterflies on the 8th green, on the crest of the hill, which we at first took for just a few more fallen leaves, but when Nick chipped his ball up onto the green, six or seven took off, fluttering into the air. We met them again in the same place on our second nine. After we played we went to Atlantic, a Portuguese restaurant we both like. We drank lots of Portuguese red wine and had cod fish and quail and clams with chorizo sausage. Nick had a steak on a sizzling stone. It was a pretty perfect first day of fall.

A Rather Satisfying Weekend of Varied Golf Experiences - Friday

The weekend began immediately after work on Friday, when all weekends should begin. At 5:02 I slammed shut the door to my office and striped off my work clothes, replacing a sexy, form-fitting business suit with sexy form-fitting golf clothes. (I definitely have a personal style that I maintain in all circumstances). I got to Ridgewood before 5:30 and met Steve on the practice range. The weather was perfect
end-of-summer; squarely between balmy and brisk. I bravely started out with an iron (7) and within a couple of minutes Steve was able to show me why I had been having so little success on the fairways. Seems I was way bent over... to the extent that my arms couldn't possibly get straight. Yes I know, it seems obvious, but somehow I never realized it. Once this posture problem was corrected I found myself able to hit just fine with that 7 and felt confident that all my irons would be nicer to me now. Later Steve showed me how to hit with a fairway wood,which I had always avoided in the past but now feel could really help me out. By the time I got to hitting a couple shots with my driver, everything was flowing very smoothly, I was consistently hitting them long and solid and I felt really good. (Keep in mind this is in the context of my golf ... and I just started playing in April, remember). So by my standards it was a really good lesson and in the end I was looking forward to playing with Nick the following day.TBC

The Ryder Cup...enough said

I know what'll be on TV at our house all weekend. This. I wish Michelle was on the team though. Yes, I happen to be a huge fan of hers. Anyone have a problem with that?

Uh-oh...golf can be devastating.

Nick just got back from his game. It didn't go well. I think he's gonna need lots of TLC tonight.

Getting what I need this afternoon...hopefully

I have a lesson this afternoon with Steve at Ridgewood. I'm hoping to get my swing back on track...not that it was ever very good, but at one point I felt it was progressing in the right direction. So let's see what this afternoon brings. The day started out beautiful (Nick's playing at Richter) but it looks to be clouding over a bit. Oh well as long as it's not pouring later, I'm totally there for the lesson. Then if the weather holds out tomorrow (not definite) Nick and I'll probably go up to Gainfield. It's funny; I always, always feel like the next time'll be the best. My best drives, successful fairways, precise, beautiful putts...I'm always like: "I can't wait to play!"

Sunset at Sunset Hill

Now I know why it's called Sunset Hill. My Ridgewood lesson was
canceled yesterday... actually postponed till tomorrow... so I was
about to head for the driving range when Nick called and suggested we
play nine holes at Sunset Hill. "Hell yeah, I'll meet you at Billy Goat
in 10!" Was my enthusiastic response. BTW, Billy Goat Hill is our nickname for this course, which is compactly set on a rocky, rustic terrain that was a farm not so long ago when CT was much more rural and agricultural.

Anyway, we started out and I wasn't playing well at all! At all, at all, at all. I was feeling kind of disjointed and unfocused, and I miss hit my first couple of drives, and my fairway shots were even worse than normal. That's bad. Yeah it wasn't going well, but you know what? It was so beautiful, it didn't matter. Nick and I were pretty much alone on the course. We rode (bumped) along the hilly landscape, sipped our beer, worked on shots around the green. By the third hole the sun was blazing orange and lowering in the sky. My game picked up on the third and got slightly better from there. Not much better, but slightly... and that was good enough for me. We saw a deer on the 6th, down near the little frog pond/water hazard...then a couple of small, sweet rabbits nibbling on the edge of the rough, near the scrubby
bushes of the 7th. The sun was really setting by the time we approached the 8th, which is up hill in faces west, thus visibility was slightly impaired. We played the ninth just as dusk was setting in. Sadly, this kind of beautiful golf after work experience is just about over for now. Autumn's here, winter's on it's way. CT is beautiful but winter is a reality here, and I have a feeling it's going be harder to get through now that I've discovered golf.

It rained - so I had my nails painted orange

By the time I was able to leave the office it was pouring, which effectively eliminated my opportunity for redemption at the range. That will come eventually. In the meantime I decided to face the torture of my bi-weekly manicure/pedicure. I like golf, I don't like having my nails done. I hate the nail salon. I hate everything about it! ...but alas, it's an integral part of the normal maintenance routine for a sexy, flirty little sugar baby such as myself. I accept that. So, ignoring the fact that summer would officially be over in a couple of days, and disregarding any notions of good taste I decided on bright orange for my fingers and toes. I'm talking about a really, really bright, really, really orangy, orange. Orange happens to be one of my favorite colors. Along with turquoise, pink, lime green, sparkly, glittery and see-through. Yes, those are all colors, at least in my book. Anyway the resulting look is amazing...totally hot and goes perfectly with my bright orange ultra-short, non regulation golf shorts and my orange Calloway baseball cap. Now I just need to get this glove.

When I got home last night Nick told me he had booked me a lesson at Ridgewood, so that's where I'm going this afternoon. And today it's sunny and beautiful. I'm toally pyched.

Yesterday's frustration = today's opportunity

This past weekend I played 36 holes; 18 on Saturday at my happy little par three in Southbury, then 18 Sunday on the perpetually soggy greens of CandlewoodValley. Well, for me - it was just great. My drives were solid and straight (well 80% of them were - the other 20% didn't go anywhere at all)and my putting was often quite brilliant (or lucky). I even managed to hit a few half way decent fairway shots. I usually mess up ALL of my fairway shots.Ok , so it wasn't up to the standards of even most rudimentary golfer but pretty damn good by mine. The weather was awesome too, sunny, warm end-of-summer weather. So I was happy...and I couldn't wait to get to my local driving range after work yesterday to reconfirm to myself that I could consistently hit the little white ball that had at one time seemed so elusive. Well, it just didn't happen. It was once again elusive. I was OK with my driver...just OK...and a disaster with all of my irons. And I tried all of them, hoping one would have mercy on me. But no, they were all being impudent and uncooperative. I hit four buckets to no avail, my last swing, (with a five iron)yielded an unenthusiastic five yard knock off the toe of the club face. Frustrating? Yes, for sure it is. But the thing about golf is that redemption is always possible the next day...or the next week...whenever there's a half hour to spend hitting balls again. I'm hoping that'll be today. My opportunity for reemption. We'll see.

The short history of my current obsession

It began several months ago, in early April, about 45 minutes outside of Paris. I don't remember the name of the town but I think it was in the direction of Fontainbleu. Unlike many French towns, this one wasn't particularly pretty or romantic; a medieval church steeple, all filigree and stonework, was visible from the first hole, but so was a dusty old smoke stack and a rust-cover electrical pole. In any case I was there reluctantly on that blustery Saturday in early spring, with colleagues who had begun playing only a year or so before. I had no clubs and was wearing a very tight pink velour track suit thus felt out-of-place and inappropriate. It got worse when the clubs I rented turned out to be left handed. But... what happened during the slow, plodding course of those 18 unkempt, overgrown holes changed the way I spent the summer, and probably changed the way I'll spend the rest of my life.

That this inauspicious beginning led me to embrace this game says much more about seductive nature of golf than it does about any natural ability I might have - I'm quite certain I have less innate golf ability than most. Despite tons of money spent on lessons, and endless hours on CT courses over the past couple of months, I'm still basically a non player, but now I'm a non player who loves golf. And who's fairly addicted to it. To the extent that I now feel compelled to dedicate a blog to it. Golf Girl's Diary has been launched.