Thursday May 17, 2012

The pairings were set, the sun was shining, the wind was only slightly blowing and we were ready to tee off at Bandon Dunes.  We first hit the range in order to make sure all was in order.

 Shackie getting his groove on as he prepares to dominate the field at Bandon Dunes.











I don't know what my expectations were coming in as far as my scoring average but I did know one thing...I was in a heavenly place with some of my closest friends.

The scenery and the course lived up to the hype.  These were some of the most spectacular views I had ever seen while trying to hit a little white ball into a little black hole.  I tried not to think too much about the golf but more about where I was and how much fun I was having.  In my first foursome was: Iceman, Tbone, and Stanga.  We had first scheduled Bandon Dunes, a spectacular course with holes right along the ocean.

Cragun, Dro, Tbone, and Stanga with the ocean behind us and the hope of brilliant golf shots in our future.

Some of the fellas hired caddies, others got a pull cart...I said the heck with all that...I am carrying my bag.  This wasn't a very smart decision on my part and by the 2nd 18 holes, I got a pull cart like everyone else.  I think it was golf at its purest.

I loved walking leisurely down the fairway in anticipation of my next shot.  I loved taking in the sights and the smells of the ocean air.  I loved talking with the fellas in my foursome as we walked rather than being whisked away in a golf cart...not being able to enjoy nature at its finest.




Tbone ripping it down the middle like he did all weekend.












Stanga crushing like always.

Dro with his backswing at parallel getting ready to hurt the golf ball.

Cragun the technician.  A golf swing never looked more pure.

Stanga and Tbone forshadowing Tbone's eventual championship pose.

Cragun with the ocean as his backdrop.  Unreal.

Cragun and Dro taking time to pose with a picturesque view.











Our 2nd round was Pacific Dunes and I was able to play with: Cookster, DK, and DMac.  I didn't play well so my memories of that course are few and far between.  I did enjoy getting to know DK and DMac.  I hadn't met them before and there's nothing like 5 hours of golf that will bring people closer together.

DK, Dro, Cookster, and DMac from left to right.











I will say this...they both shared a caddie and that caddie had to be the slowest human being to ever walk Pacific Dunes.  He carried both their bags and acted like he was Bones Mackay caddying at the US Open.  Cookster and I (friends since we were 10 years old), got a good laugh every hole as we sat on the green waiting for "Bones" and his 2 prodigies to arrive.  I think I actually shot the worst in the group so maybe I needed Bones to carry my bag too.

DK getting ready to crush.

DMac with a pure follow-through.  Somebody get this swing on video for sale.

Cookster right before the patented "grunt."

DMac drawing it over the ocean towards the hole.

Dro and Cookster.  Finally I found a guy that doesn't make me look like an umpa-lumpa.

Cook out of an oceanside bunker.

DK in perfect form.

DMac ripping it down the middle as his hat flies off in the wind.

DK again showing his skills.

DMac with the divot spraying up and the ocean to his left.  What a shot!

Cookster holding his follow-through while trying not to be distracted by the view.

Dro getting ready to pull the flag as his shadow looms large.











After both rounds were over, the scores were assessed and both the good and bad shots were recounted.  A popular mini-game within each foursome was being played called "Banker."  This game leads to the best stories of all time.  It involves doubling down on good drives and doubling back on even better ones.  It is the ultimate game of cat and mouse and puts one's golf game at a crossroad.  I believe we've all been a part of a great "banker" story either for or against one's wallet.  Sometimes it got tough to "enjoy the scenery" when you feel yourself choking away the benjamins in your wallet or in my case the washingtons.

DK, DMac, Nelly, Tbone, Shackie, and J.Ord on the shuttle after their rounds at Pacific Dunes.









In any case, I had just played 36 holes of golf on some of the best courses I had ever played.  The wind had definitely played a factor in many of our scores except for one guy: Tbone.  He somehow had manipulated the elements and was sitting atop the leaderboard with plenty of strokes to spare.