COVID lockdown gave me the chance to look at items in the local area that I normally tend to ignore. With more people playing Golf and in smaller groups, there became a bottleneck at a lot of Tees and social distancing required individuals to space out. While standing at a tee one day, I noticed that every hole on the Woolooware Course had been given a name and I started to think about a story based on the names of every hole.
You are not allowed onto the Golf Course unless you are playing a booked game. So that you can fully understand what my story is about, you will find it helpful to also complete a Jigsaw puzzle that you can find at https://www.jigidi.com/created.php?id=zjk5w0gz
When we were lucky enough to get a booking in the Friday competition, we would drive up the Road to the Eagles Nest and ready ourselves to start a round of Golf. It took a good 15 minutes to set ourselves up but once ready, we would check into the Pro Shop using NSW Covid QR Code and make our way out to the 1st tee.
As usual, the pain killers hadn’t taken effect when teeing off and my drive was a swing and slam shot ending in a wayward slice. You tell yourself you are out here for the exercise and company so forget about the golf. After all, many a Geocacher will tell you that Golf is a good walk spoilt. I had hit 7 shots after recovering my ball from the creek and while it landed on the green that was all I was allowed resulting in a wipe here.
On to the 2nd and it’s time to face The Dip. To drive beyond here is always an indication that you have a chance of playing to your ability. Not me today and after 2 holes I still have no score. The 3rd has been shortened due to the number of people driving balls over the fence and hitting cars. So at 126 M, a real Eagles Nest comes into play as you lift your ball above the bird’s nests in the trees and try to land it on the green, yes the ball landed tee high. Something worked for me and I scored a Par here giving me 4 points because my handicap is so high. Not so lucky on the 4th where my tee shot landed in a tree and ran away. Several shots later and I recorded another wipe.
The 5th and 6th holes were a walk in the park and I achieved Par on both of them. The pain killers were working well and my swing was great delivering straight drives. The 7th is notorious as it has a bend to the left about ¾ of the way along the fairway. I managed a bogie here today so wasn’t to upset and it was on to the 8th. This is the first and only par 5 hole on the front 9 and is a 489 M Dog Leg right testing for even the Founders. A good drive but it was into the trees on the right and a decision had to be made. Do I play the shortcut out onto the next fairway or back through the trees. Today I made the wrong decision and found myself bruising many trees before picking my ball up 100 M short of the green and recording another wipe. My playing partner on the other hand loves to talk about firsts and managed one here by hitting a "345" M drive which he sliced to follow the fairway and scored a birdie.
On to the 9th, a short par 3 alongside the Road. However, because the green is angled away, very few balls go astray. After the shame of the last hole, it was good to score 2 points here. 17 points tells me I am playing close to my handicap but didn’t think anywhere near good enough to get a prize.
Time to start playing with some sort of courage and see what I could achieve. The 10th is a good length par 3 and by driving a Gun Barrel type of shot from the tee my ball was flag high and I knew it was not beyond scoring a Birdie here. Today I made par and since this is the hole I only get 1 extra shot on, scored 3 points.
For a number of holes from here, you are playing longer par 4 and 5 holes. I have to decide now to take more pain killers or let them laps and see how I go. I have decided that since I am doing ok, to give them a miss and I score a bogie and double bogie on the 11th and 12th. Still ok but the 13th was a problem as I began to hold my breath and miss hit almost every shot. I failed to score here but did take a second dose of pain killers. Many of the Founders like the 14th. It is a long par 5 uphill with wide a fairway and I managed a bogie giving me 3 points. On I go to the 15th where The Endeavour is to achieve a birdie on this very straight and wide par 4. After flirting with the trees to the right and creek to the left I managed a double bogie and walked away with 2 points.
The 16th is a 130 M par 3. That sounds simple. All you do is play a lofting club rather than a driving club. One problem here is the dam placed from 40 M in front of the tee and ending 20 M in front of the green. There is no room for a mis hit here. It is also known to those who fear water as Everglades because once your ball goes in there it is gone forever. What a great shot, pin high and a 600 mm put gave me a Birdie and 5 points. The 17th is a 205 M par 3 and when I get it correct, my Mangrove Drive is 200 M so there is no reason why I can’t be pin high when the pin is at the front like today. It is not unusual for me to slice my shot here and I have done that today landing in the bunker to the right of the green. 2 shots to get out and I am wondering if that was a Rabbit hole! 2 puts for 1 point here today.
Only the 18th hole to play and I am feeling like Cinders (a small piece of partly burnt coal or wood that has stopped giving off flames but still has combustible matter in it). Can I reignite the flame and score here. I have surprised myself and am on the green for 3 with a 4 M put to par the hole and gain 4 points. Not having putted at all badly today I gave myself a chance and missed. A second put and 3 points on this hole finishing the back 9 with 21 points and an overall round of 38 stableford points. I have played the day to my handicap and need to wait now to find out if it will be good enough to win a prize.
Forgetting about a prize, it was good enough to return for another walk in the park next week.
Well done Brewmaker, Nana nel and Zelda who jointly sank the first putt to open the score
Into the future, this cache has been placed to remember the COVID lockdowns that Greater Sydney has experienced in 2020 and 2021.
