6.26.2009-- It was a beautiful day for golf and some folks played really well.  For example in my group Matt went OB on #1, recovered for a bogie 6 and then went on to birdie #9 finishing one over for the first nine.  He did come down to earth some on the back but still that was some nine holes.  I think it is a family affair because his kid brother (I think) shot an 80 in the C flight.

On the flip side of that Ivan was doing a nature walk in the trees the first nine posting a 45 but then righted the ship for a 38 on the back with a coupe of nice scrambles.  Wayne was steady with a pair of 41’s.even with one OB in #5.

I was surprised to see that we played from the white tees.  Three of us played the practice round from the blues thinking that would be the logical setup.  Pearl from the back tees can be really long.  It probably makes some sense to keep it short so that the playing time stays reasonable.  Back tees could have made for a long afternoon.

For the most part the course was set up for scoring.  The one exception might have been # 8 had the green been a tad faster.  That is a short par 4 and there has to be a way to protect the course but putting the pin on the down slope between two tiers was a bit much, or so it seemed.  Our group actually played it well although I was asking where the clown head and Ferris Wheel were.

I think it helps if you play Pearl more than just the practice round.  Take # 17 for example, that is a fairly easy par 5 if you just play it smart (I didn’t).  The green rolls away from you on the back so you have to adjust accordingly.  Number 6 can be tricky because you can’t feel the wind coming down through the valley and if you don’t take an extra club you just end up surprised and short.

Saturday is another day and may be a bit wet.  It is a well run and enjoyable event, kudos to those who put it on.

Respectfully Submitted,

Billy the Goat