It's Not Rain, It's Liquid Sunshine

     What do you do if it rains?  How about if it looks like it is going to rain but isn't raining yet? What about if you are going to go out of town and the forecast is for rain, but it isn't raining?  What do you do? Are you going to play golf?  Go for it!
     I must admit that I am getting older and my thoughts about this have changed and are becoming a bit more conservative.  I will not play in a tornado or a hurricane.  If it is super cold and it looks like snow, no way. I draw the line at wind, hard rain and cold. I will play though if it is raining, provided it is a light rain and not too windy. It just depends.
    Where I am playing also has a role in the decision.  If I am playing at my local club and I know that I will be back and it is raining like cats and dogs, forget it.  However, if I am playing Spanish Bay in Monterey I am going to finish the round no matter how miserable the conditions.  In fact, I have finished a round there in a driving rainstorm.  It took me a week to defrost and to dry up, but it was well worth the trouble. Have you ever been to Monterey to play golf?  If you have, you know what I mean and the suspension of sanity to finish the round.

The day at Bayonet. Forecast called for heavy rain. We took a chance.

     I am pretty good at watching what the weather will do.  Most of the time I am fairly accurate, but I have been fooled. Many times I have played on a day where my companions have bailed out on me because of the weather forecast.  The day turned out quite nice and the weather turned from wicked to delightful. This has happened many times, the weather going from bad to good. It has also happened the other way as well and what looked like a day where the rain will hold off turns into a torrential rain . You just have to know the signs. If you can get it in, do it!
     Recently, I was invited to play Bayonet Golf course in Monterey with two friends. Of course, rain was in the forecast and of of the two friends bowed out because of the forecast and the fact that it was raining where we live.  Yes, it was iffy to go over and take the three hour drive to go over and play.  We went over and it did rain on us on the way over.  I did check the weather map and it showed clearing in the Monterey area.  It was cloudy most of the day, but the sun did poke out and the clouds broke with the sun shining for most of the rain.  It was chilly, but pleasant and we got the round in. We had a ball.  So much for chickening out. The course was in fantastic shape and we enjoyed the trip.
     The game was invented in Scotland.  I will leave this thought today with a story that actually happened to a friend of mine.  He was on vacation in Scotland and wanted to play golf at St. Andrews Old Course, and was fortunate to get on and hired a caddy to get him around the course. The weather was threatening when they teed off and it rained for most of the round. When my friend expressed his doubts about the round and how it may be rained out his caddy responded by saying, "Aye, Laddie.  "Tis a wonderful day to play golf.  This is the way the game is meant to be played."
           

Play Together

     There is more to golf than just a game.  We all know what takes place during the round as far as relating to good friends.  The fellowship that happens on the course continues long after the round in the nineteenth hole, as the round is hashed over and stories are told. That is the greatness of the game, it's not just a game but a social experience that allows good friends to come together.
     Many times I have gone out to the course by myself.  Usually, I will hook up with three other golfer that are for the most part strangers.  Of those golfers I have met up with this way, many have become good friends. By the end of the round we have gotten to know one another and have related stories of families and other life experiences, not to mention the the golf stories that all golfers tell each other. That is the wonderful nature of golf, not only as a sport but as a social event.

Friends.  You can imagine the conversations.

     I hope to see you out on the course soon.  Maybe we can play together so that I can get to know you better.  I know one thing, as I golfer we can call each other friends and we can enjoy the round together.  

Hmmm...What to do today?

     I'll tell you what I am going to do today.  I'm going to play golf.  In fact, I don't have time for a lengthy post because we will miss our ten o'clock tee time.  I really am back in the saddle again, with apologies to Gene Autry.  I don't have to pay his estate a royalty, do I.  If there are any attorneys out there, please let me know.  I don't have anything to defend myself in a lawsuit, let alone pay out a settlement. Oh wait, I did pay out a settlement, and that is why I can't suffer through another one.

     I am so glad that Denise, my fiancee, plays golf.  We enjoy playing the game together. She is playing with me today. Life is so good.  Let's take a look at the day on the course. The weather will be sunny and warm with temps in the 70's.  The course is green and the greens are fast. I will be playing with a great friend and my fiancee with high expectations of some great fellowship time. What I shoot is not important, the experience is what matters.  I am playing golf today.