The Spring Kickoff at SPCC

Today I braved the elements to play in the 2013 Spring Kickoff at Sand Point Country Club. I detailed the event on SandPointCup.com — the most relevant facts are (1) I chaired the event, and (2) my team didn’t win. I did, however, debut my azalea pink pants:

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A Perfect Father/Son Afternoon

This afternoon Finn and I had one of those perfect father/son afternoons. After my post-yoga shower we hit Sand Point. First stop was the driving range, where Finn continues to improve his game:

After a quick golf cart ride

we enjoyed bowls of tomato basil in SPCC’s dining room

where we were the only guests.

Not a bad afternoon for this son and dad.

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Walter Hagen I Am Not

Lately I’ve been reading just about every book I can about golf in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.

Today I took the next step.

My respect for players of Hagen's era turned to awe after playing a few holes with hickory-shafted clubs.

Thanks to the generosity of one of Sand Point’s assistant greens keepers, I had a go at golf with hickory shafted clubs. It was not easy. Chipping and putting was not terribly difficult, but getting to the green was another story. Off the tee I was a disaster — that guys used to hit it 300 yards with hickory drivers is quite remarkable. I hit it maybe 150 sideways. My irons weren’t too bad — I actually hit a 7 iron on 9 to about twenty feet. I would not have been mistaken for John Daly, however.

I ended up playing holes 1, 2, 8 and 9 at Sand Point. Made double bogey, bogey, par and par although, on No. 8 I made a forty footer for five. Not bad, but I don’t think anyone will accuse me of being Walter Hagen reincarnated.

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A New Speed Golf PR

This morning I set my new PR for 18 holes. 1:08 — no cart, of course. I teed off at Sand Point at 6:57 and finished at 8:05. I shot 89 — a far cry from the 79 Tim Scott shot at Bandon Dunes in 55 minutes in 2003 (more).

Not a great round as far as speed golf goes, but a new PR by a long shot, and a heck of a lot better than most people shot before 8:30 am today.

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Joining Sand Point

Since I left Sahalee roughly eight years ago, I’ve been reluctant to join another country club. Although I eat, breath and drink golf, country clubs cost a lot of dough and I can’t say I feel uncomfortable at the blue-collar confines of West Seattle Golf Course.

But five-hour rounds have worn on me over the years and with kids, I really couldn’t justify the 6-7 hour commitment to hit the links any more than once a week. I was beginning to think it was time to either join another club or put my clubs on the shelf for the next several years.

My new golf home.

The latter wasn’t going to happen.

So it was with great pleasure that I learned upon returning from New York that the family Jenkins was accepted for membership at Sand Point Country Club. Membership was at what I’m told was an all-time low, so I decided to take the plunge. At SPCC I’ll be able to play a 18 holes door to door in under four hours. On many days the kids will hardly know I was gone. And as they get older they’ll be able to participate in SPCC’s swim team, which I’m told is one of the city’s best.

All this costs money, of course, which isn’t something I’m exactly rolling in right now. On the other hand, we’re only going around once. The clock’s ticking, and I just can’t take many more five-hour rounds.

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