The smallness of the world, and the six degrees of separation have never been better exemplified than via the internet, FACEBOOK technology, where I ran across your Son John who was kind enough to pass along your e-mail to me.
How wonderful to hear that you are still top side of the soil?
Are you still golfing, with those magnificent hands of yours, that incredibly smooth tempo, the finest fairway wood player I ever saw strike a golf ball?
I learnt so much from the opportunity to caddie for you and Nancy at BHCC: how to comport oneself on (any) golf course, how to enjoy the company of adults, how to play hard and accept the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.
A funny thing happened to me last October 31, 2010. I played Lakemoor Country Club up near McHenry with my father. Fortunately I holed out on the 8th hold (to save 8), otherwise I might have had difficulty breaking 60 on the front nine. I eneded up carding 57.
"Oh well," foolishly thinks I to myself, "I can't shoot worse than this." Only to open the back nine with a 9, and follow it up, on the 327-yard eleventh hole with an 11. "How," you might ask, "in the name of all of God's creation could you have made 11 on a 327 straight away par four?"
Not so difficult. Quite lucky, really, to be finished with the hole. Drive it up the middle, then, play "safe" in two, towards the left green-side bunker. This keeps me out of the water. Now, skull a chip into the water (on the left). Three in, four out. Only place to drop is sand, I opt for the right-hand side green bunker. Five in the left hand bunker. Six in the water. Seven out. Eight in the left hand bunker. NINE on the green. And a proud 2 putts, gets to eleven.
I counted ALL of them muthah truckahs.
And then I went back to basics. Teeing off only with the 7 metal club. Hitting only the 7 metal, the 7 iron, or the putter. Shot the back nine in 58. It only got worse. And I played damn well on the last six holes.
Funny thing about that stupid course. The yardage plates are 100% spot on from the fairway to the middle of the green. BUT, unless they measured the holes in meters to the front of the green, EVERY fricken hole is understated in total yardage by 25-40 yards.
OKAY. Now, I understand that golf is just a game, just as organized religion is just a way for the organizers to make a good living in the here and now. Further, I realize, I had not picked up a club in 42 months, so, hitting the 7-metal 175 and straight as a putter, and the 7-iron 145 and maybe even a tad straighter, I could have taken away from the pleasant uncrowded day with my favorite golfing partner (my father - to whom I owed ever swing I ever took from birth until March, 2011, when FINALLY, I started to think for myself), I did none of the above. Rather, I steeled my soldier's heart saying: back to the basics.
And thus it came to pass that until the present moment, every day with less than one inch of snow on the ground found me golfing at least 36 holes at the Barrington Park district Par 3 course. For the first six weeks, I played only with the 5-iron, and from 40 yards on in, I played swinging only with my left hand (being left handed is a great advantage for this type of practice). Then, I owned the 5-iron. Similarly, for 3 weeks with the 7-iron, and then finally, one solid week with a 21 degree metal club.
And I played, and I played, in weather conditions that a postal deliverer would not have braved. And then, it finally started, I expanded my horizons, and started playing courses with a 117 slope rating, rather than 155. Played 18 holes of 600 yard par 5's.
And my handicap incredibly shrunk to +5.4. Randy Gepp, one year my junior, but captain of the golf team wrote me on facebook to say, "You'd have to give Tiger a stroke."
I wrote him back "He'd need it, and he still can't beat my on THIS course (BPD)."
And everyday, I continued to play. 15 degrees, 40 mile an hour winds? Yes, I played. 36 bogies on that day was a monster round of golf. I played when the so-called "serious golfers" were in drinking hot chocolate and eating krumpets. I played all through March and April, 2011, and watched as my handicap soard to plus 1.4.
And now, slowly, it's coming back down again. At 5.4 index, I was only 11 strokes better than I had ever been in my life; At age 60, nearest birthday.
I am cocky enough to believe I can hold at least three of the following titles simulataneously, and maybe even ALL of them:
US Public Linx
US Senior Public Linx
Illinois state amateur
Illinois senior state amateur
Illinois Open
Illinois Senior Open
British Amateur
British Senior Amateur
And THEN, I will be able to give full credit where its due - to the Barrington Park District's 1180 yards, par 15 five-hole golf course.
BUT - what would be life with only golf in it?
I am engaged to marry an extremely hot 23-year from California, by way of West Verde. She has a 3 month old baby. We write each other e-mails almost twice a day.
I've recorded 6 CDs and a DVD in January, 2011, making me the world's most prolific recording artist. I'll be starting my criss-cross country tour playing benefit concerts Labor Day weekend, when I return to HOME (which for me will always be Streator, IL) and play a free concert at the American Legion. The money comes from people purchasing CDs and / or DVDs, featuring the audience.
FINALLY, the only thing I ever wanted to do (other than loop for Race and Phansteihl double at BHCC) is going to happen - I will get to sing and play the piano for people, and raise some money along the way.
WILLIE NELSON - "A successful musician is one who knows where he's going to sleep tonight, wakes up to hot and cold running water, and has enough money for a big breakfast."
All my best, sir, to you and your wife, and your talented, loving, kind and caring children.
You have done much good in the world. Thank you for being a role model for me.
With Love to You and All You Love,
Mark Raymond Ganzer
No comments:
Post a Comment