Golf Marathon

posted October 2008

Hole #4 one day in the Ocean, other a birdie....

Just back from what can only be described as a golf marathon at Bandon Dunes Golf "Resort" in Bandon, Oregon.

Why "GOLF MARATHON?" We walked up and down sand dunes for over 50 miles in 3 1/2 days. I hit nearly 800 golf balls and swung the club over 1500 times including practice.

In addition, the elements make a hard game that much more difficult. Winds blow non-stop along the coast of Oregon. The marine layer which looks like a fog bank early in the morning before the winds come up, moves like a bullet train in the afternoon when energy from the sun powers the clouds. The mist from the ocean causes glasses to fog up and the greens to become "Tacky" in the words of our caddies.

The wind plays affects the game in so many ways. Wind breakers and pants flap in the wind like an over sized American Flag. The obvious effect is how wind moves the ball while in the air. A slight amount of spin is amplified by the wind. It effects the direction of putts and chip shots. It moves the putter head and causes the the face to open or close. It makes it virtually impossible to hold steady during a swing. The wind amplifies and exaggerates all of the flaws in a persons game. Every mistake is bigger because of the wind. At the same time, a purely struck ball seemed to be exempt from the wind. Pure strikes are rare for the average golfer.

After flying to Portland we made the 4 hour drive to Bandon in time to arrive for a round of golf in the afternoon.

This trip was an awakening for me. I learned to accept the inevitable bad shot based on the wind and the difficulty. I accepted a score that would have been totally unacceptable in the past. I discovered which players I enjoyed and those who I will never travel with again. Life is too short to spend it with selfish people with short tempers. We should enjoy the outdoors, the exercise, and the friendship. For some it was all about the golf and the drinking. That's not for me. It's about friendship and a test of golf.

I never felt so challenged on the golf course. In fact, Bandon doesn't seem like golf. It's some other sport, similar too but unlike any golf I've played. Creativity and local knowledge was never more important in any sport! The course presents many options depending on the shot to be played. Some approaches to the green make it basically impossible to score a par. Others approaches set up easy birdies, while being just off the green presented many options. A short shot could be putted, or lobbed, or chipped, or pitched, or just bumped into the side of the green.

One of the remarkable people I met was my caddie, Dave. He carried my bag, food, water for all 4 days. We traveled the +50 miles over sand and grass from 8 am until 7 pm. The man is 61 years young and was always the first down the fairway leading all of the players and caddies.

The week was too much for 8 of our players. Only 4 of us finished all 7 rounds (126 holes). Some suffered injuries, others didn't pace themselves or got sick. There were many blisters for those not accustomed to exercise at this level. There's nothing like 50 miles of walking to bring out the faults in golf shoes.

For the record I shot, 94, 88, 88, 87, 83, 83, 91. The best round was the 83 at Pacific Dunes and a 39 on the front at Bandon Trails. That round started with 2 birdies. I had two other birdies, but many pars that felt like eagles. Many of the 160 yard par 3's played like 200 yard holes because of the wind.

My handicap is 8 which means I should shoot around 80. Bandon was at least 7 shots harder...maybe 10.

Golf is a challenge at Bandon. It's a game of endurance there. We endured the weather, the company, and the game. Most of all it was a test of endurance for a man nearing 60 years of age. The only person to have been scores didn't play the last round. He had a big lead and didn't need to play. He was also 20 years younger than me. All in all I passed this test.