The Big Bet

My friend Retro has been scuffling on the golf course and even went so far as to cancel playing last weekend and went to take another lesson.

He was sure it paid off and his swing was working great. In fact, he was so jacked up about it he was convinced he would crush me in league last night. So convinced, in fact, that he was willing to bet a pitcher of beer on it. I was not quite so convinced and said I would give him some strokes. We agreed on 5 1/2 (I had beaten him by 13 each of the first 2 weeks).

We teed off the 10th hole and Retro hammered one right down the middle and was almost giggling like a school girl who just heard a juicy secret. I followed by cutting the corner and getting about 50 yards closer, not quite in the fairway though. His second shot went left and I put mine on the fringe. Unfortunately I ended up 3 putting and we both double bogeyed the hole.

On 11 I bogeyed and he doubled again. On the 12th tee box I whispered to Pat that it was time for the implosion and sure enough Retro hooked one into the pond, took a drop and hit it god knows where and had to take another drop. I 3-putted again for bogey while he took an 8.

I gave him an opening on 13 as I hooked my tee shot into the pond and then hooked my 3rd shot into the high grass and lost the ball. Meanwhile he duffed his second shot then hit his 3rd into the high grass but I happened to see his while I was looking for mine. Unfortunately for him he hit it short then over then back over again, finally managing a 9 while I had an 8. We both doubled 14 and then it all ended.

I went double, par, par, bogey to finish while he threw some big crooked numbers up and when it all ended I had posted a horrendous 49 (with 5 3-putts) but it was still enough to beat his god-awful 60.

I guess it's time to go back for another lesson.

He gets another chance at me on Friday as we'll play 9 as a warm up to Whistling Straits on Saturday. There's an outside chance he could shoot over 130 Saturday. I can't wait to see that. :)

By the way, I have renamed Thursday to be "Day of a thousand excuses". So far, he's only had 2: (1) "I was off my game" and (2) "I was distracted by the beer cart."

Update: One more excuse: "I was too nervous".

Also, I failed to mention that my league partner, King Erik, crushed me with a 46. About time he started playing better, my back was getting sore from carrying him! :)