The weather of late has been wonky, going from dry and hot, suitable for outdoor activities like golf, to wet and cold. It creates a sense of melancholy, yet to be home and be a couch potato seems okay to enjoy the wet and cool conditions.
After that eagle achievement, I am not aiming to be a couch potato but raring to play some good golf, only to have the weather derail my plans. We abandoned our game yesterday afternoon after the rain came rather quickly. Sigh.
Recently, I went for several therapy sessions to address my plantar fasciitis problem. It turned out to be a pinched nerve on my spine, causing pain in my right heel. My spine? I never suspected this at all!
Initially, I thought it was plantar fasciitis because the pain occurred almost daily – in the mornings, throughout the day, and especially after playing golf. I even thought my golf shoes were not right for me. Well, this is a thing of the past now.
Immediately after the treatment, my recovery was spectacular, with an eagle shot on a Par 4 the next day! If I had understood my pain better to address it correctly, I could have avoided my recent golf downward trend. Oh well, better late than never, and the Eagle achievement has made up for all the past performances.
The lesson learned: always be aware of your body if something is wrong. Being a dinosaur, we cannot take things for granted. If there is any physical pain, take the proper measures to address the issue immediately to avoid months of suffering. I’m glad I am now cured and happy.
The golf game on Saturday, 19 August 2023, will forever be etched in my mind, for it was during this game that I holed out from the fairway for an eagle! A two on a Par 4.
Saturday’s game was the Carlsberg Classic tournament held at my club. I played well despite performing poorly on all the Par 5s again. This phobia is hard to get rid of. Slowly, perhaps to change the mindset.
Thankfully, I fixed some issues I had earlier, and it helped. I was sharp on the short game, and my Scotty putter was good. I also had good company on my flight, and the camaraderie eased our waiting for each shot.
I told my buggy mate we should all aim to finish with a par on Hole 1 because we started with three pars and a birdie on Hole 2 during the shotgun start. With that in mind, I teed up and launched my ball.
Typically, my ball would fly to the left, but that morning, it went right. And actually, it was a much better position to approach the green. I brought two clubs with me when I walked to my ball on the fairway. The distance on the Hole 19 app on my AppleWatch showed 119m. The hybrid choice came to mind since it was a white flag, so it is better to land the ball short for a one-chip, one-putt strategy.
But when I stood still at the ball again, the reading changed! Aiks. It became 125m. Maybe I better use my wood instead. One last effortless hit and a par is still within range.
I lined up my shot, took a test swing with my 5-wood, and struck the ball. It flew beautifully, landed on the green, and rolled a bit before disappearing into the hole! I saw the whole scene unfolding in slow motion. Holy moly, what just happened?
Retrieving my ball from the hole-out eagle shot.
OH WOW! I could not believe my eyes! I just holed out for an eagle. Everyone on my flight whooped and shouted, and I was ecstatic! After twenty years of playing this game, this eagle achievement is my first.
After the game, the club presented a dozen golf balls to me, and I will get an Eagle Achievement certificate too. Nice! Sometimes when the going is so bad, a little surprise pops up, like this one, and you love the game all over again. I am officially an eagle achiever, be still my beating heart!
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