Eye On The Birdie – Post #5 Crazy Conditions

  Hello, and welcome to my fifth post! This post is going to differ from my previous ones because I could not think of a mind trick to write about. Instead, I’m going to share stories about some of the craziest, weirdest, and most uncomfortable games or practices I’ve ever had. I’m going to start with a high school golf tournament that took place last fall. It was eighteen holes and a scramble. What made it unique was the fact that it rained the entire time. No lightning, just a steady drizzle from about 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Since there was no lightning and the rain was relatively light, the game was not called. Since the game was not called, I was out in it the entire time–except a ten-minute break for lunch. If you have never golfed on ground so saturated it’s spongy, here are some facts. If you happen to get under the ball–even a little bit–you are going to end up with a divot that’s about six inches by three inches and about 1\2 inch deep. The sand traps become like the sand at a beach that the waves have been washing over–hard-packed yet sticky. And here’s some advice–don’t try to wash the mud and sodden grass clippings off your shoes in a puddle. That was my stupid idea of the month. The part of this game that made it so unlucky that it was funny was that I could not golf and wear my rain jacket at the same time. By the time the game was over, I was soaked to the skin. Even if the rain jacket is awesome on hikes, it may not work for golf. This next one happened this week–Tuesday, I think–during practice. The weather on Tuesday was not pleasant to say in the least. It was cold, overcast, and windy. On the second hole I played, it started to hail! The hail was coming down hard, and when it hit you, it could really hurt. I didn’t even keep score because all I cared about was getting inside a car or building. Very soon the coach came and took the group I was playing with and me to the parking lot. Like typical New Mexico weather, it let up as soon as the practice was cut short and everybody was sent home. My last story takes place two summers ago during a First Tee class. The class started late in the first place because it was raining so hard. I don’t think we had even finished a hole before it started raining again. There was also a lot of thunder and lightning, so they took us in. That year, there was a young woman who was a kind of assistant teacher. She was the one with my group, and while she was driving back to the clubhouse, the rain started coming down harder. It was coming down so thick and hard that she couldn’t see through the windshield and had to lean her head out the side of the golf cart. I can remember laughing so hard I could hardly breathe while the woman kept saying that the rain was hurting her face, it was coming down so hard. It is one of my favorite First Tee memories. This last paragraph is not about weather and is more of something I have always wanted to tell the world. I get frequent bloody noses. They are completely harmless, and I have been getting them since I was three. They tend to happen when I am stressed or have not been drinking enough water. It also might be genetic, but I’m not sure. They barely even faze me at this point, but for some people it can be upsetting or worrying. However, when others around me get upset or worried, it stresses me out, which means that it takes longer for it to stop. So, if you are ever golfing with me, please do not get upset. It just makes things worse. If you have any “crazy conditions” stories you would like to share or also get frequent bloody noses and would like to tell people about it, you can post your story in the comments section. -Birdie