Yes, the blog is late. This is due to the fact that it was a long weekend and some people had to go to detox after the trip to NH.

This was our first “out of state” golf trip with 6 out of 8 golfers making the trip. Everyone except Joe went up Friday. Joe went up Saturday morning, leaving Springfield at 0400. As Joe was driving up he hit some serious rain. Even Chris said he could hear the rain from his room at Hampton Beach at 5am.

When everyone meets up at the golf course it is raining off and on. We decide to wait because it is supposed to blow over but some of us are an impatient group and after a few minutes we move to the first tee box… in the rain and it is a little chilly.

The first tee box is an ok looking short par 3, about 125 yards. Just like at Cedar Knob, we decide to play all 6 golfers. Joe and Jake make par, Chris, Dave and Dan get a bogey and Rock makes 7. At the 2nd tee box we decide that we should break up into 2 groups of 3. I don’t know if it was because we saw more golfers going into the clubhouse or because it is tough to play golf with 6 balls flying around.

First Group: Joe, Chris and Dan.

The 2nd hole is 505 yard par 5. This hole doesn’t look so good and it shows. Chris and Dan get 9s and Joe gets a 7.

Holes 3, 4 and 5. None of these holes are over 350 yards but we manage to make the look hard. Joe gets a par and 2 bogeys, Chris scores a double bogey and 2 triple bogeys and Dan 2 double bogeys and a triple bogey.

To be honest with you, between the tee boxes, the fairways and the greens, this place has seen better days. Tee boxes are placed haphazardly, are in thick grass and are lopsided. If you find a green fairway is it not grass but clovers. The greens are half dirt with no break. This is a par 4 Pine Knoll with very narrow lanes to hit your ball.

On the 6th hole, Chris hits a nice tee shot (well, the best he has hit so far) and he is about 80 yards to the green. He duffs the 2nd shot and Dan asks him “why did you hit it like that?”. Joe almost falls out of the cart laughing. Dan then duffs his shot. Dan and Joe make double bogey and Chris gets a 9.

7, 8 and 9: We finally get our feet under us. Joe has a par and 2 bogeys, Chris has 2 bogeys and an 8, Dan has 2 double bogeys and a triple. At the turn Joe has a 44, Dan has a 57 and Chris has a 60. Joe plays good golf in crappy conditions. Chris vows to play good golf on the back 9.

Second Group: Dave, Jake and Rock

Dave gets only one par, 5 bogeys, 1 double bogey and a triple bogey to make 49. Jake only has one par, 3 bogeys, 3 double bogeys, a triple bogey and a 9 to shoot a 52. Rock has THREE PARS, 2 double bogeys 2 triple bogeys, a quadruple bogey and of course the 11 did not help but in the end Rock shoots a 57. Like Joe, Rock must like the poor conditions.

First Group:

As easy as the front nine was, the back nine was just crazy. It reminded me of the old mini golf places with the clown’s mouth and the windmills. The 10th hole was an easy par 3. Dan had a par, Chris had a bogey and Joe had a double bogey. Most people believed that Joe would fall apart on the back 9 and in the end that would prove true.

11th hole. The 11th hole was a par 5 with a dog leg right. Joe and Chris made it harder than it needed to be and ended up with double bogey. Dan gets his 2nd par.

12, 13, 14 and 15. This is where things start to get crazy. The 12th tee box had a very narrow opening with water to the left of the fairway and another water hazard a little farther up on the left. To make life just a little harder there was a tree in the middle of the fairway.

This same tree would be in play for the next 4 holes. Chris and Joe let their natural hook take the ball right where it opens up and is safe. Unfortunately, you end up with that tree in your way. On the 12th hole Joe and Dan get 8s and Chris get a double bogey. On the 13th hole Par 3, Dan makes another par, Chris gets the bogey and Joe continues his downward spiral and gets a 6. The 14th hole is a par 4 but it is only about 210 yards. Joe drives the green but then manages to 3 putt to save par but honestly it should have been a rare birdie. Chris gets his first (and only) par for the day and Dan gets a 7 that he worked hard for. On the 15th hole Joe gets a bogey and starts to feel like the worst is behind him, Chris makes a double and Dan has another 7.

16th hole, par 5. To be honest with you I don’t even remember this hole. I must have blocked it out of my memory because the score card says that Joe got a 10. So much for a comeback. Chris gets a 7 and Dan has his third 7 in a row.

17th Hole. Things are looking up as we look to get off this course with a little bit of dignity intact. We all shoot bogeys.

18th hole. So much for dignity… This hole has a tiny gap to shoot from the tee box and you must land the ball on to a small landing area on the fairway. This hole is actually shaped like an S with the final part going left on to a small 2 tiered green. Just to add a little more fun, there is water in front of the green. Nice!!

Joe hit a 3 wood which puts him in the fairway but does not make the first corner. Joe decides that he can shoot over the building that covers the corner but the fairway on the other side is very narrow with no room for error. With all of the confidence in the world in his approach club, Joe gets ready to make the shot of the day. Of course you have to remember that the wheels fell off Joe’s game at the 10th hole so I have no idea what he was thinking. True to form, Joe duffs the shot and is now beside the house in the rocky drainage. This day just keeps getting better. I don’t really know how Dan and Chris are faring but we all meet up in front of the green. Chris almost convinces Joe that he can drive the cart up the walking bridge to the green but after Joe hits the narrow bridge he decides to walk. At the end of the back nine Chris shoots a respectable 52, Dan a 55 and Joe has a miserable 59. Final scores were Joe 103 (thank God for the 44 on the front), Chris and Dan tie with a 112.

Second Group, Back Nine.

10 – 17: Dave has 2 pars and 6 bogeys. Jake gets 3 pars, 2 bogeys, a 9 and a 10. Rock gets 2 MORE PARS, a bogey, 3 double bogeys along with an 8 and a 9.

18th hole: The crazy 18th hole was not any kinder to Dave and Rock. Dave got a 10 and Rock got an 11. Jake somehow managed a triple bogey. After the back nine Dave finishes with a 48, Jake a 54 and Rock with a 59.

Final scores – Dave has a 97, Jake a 106 and Rock has a great 116. Rock is back on track and with his handicap shoots a 53. Good job Rock.