Determined to take advantage of a mild winter day, I ignored my lingering case of bronchitis and drove the hour or so south to play the challenging The Home Course in Dupont, WA.  It was a bit of a frustrating round.  I played sixteen holes at bogey, three pars and three double bogeys.  However,  through the 5th and 6th holes I had a coughing fit and shortness of breath and struggled to consecutive triple-bogey scores, ending up with a 94. So although it was a disappointing score, the exercise ultimately seemed to help clear my lungs and it felt good to be outside for a few hours.

I rendezvoused with my golf partner Ron Hillis this morning at Mt. Si.  We braved the first tee temperature of 29 degrees, heavy frost and frozen greens.  With all that, it turned out to be a beautiful day with no wind and abundant sunshine.  I shot an acceptable 87, not bad given the difficulty of judging approach shots off frozen fairways to rock hard greens.

It was a glorious albeit nippy first morning of the new year and I started things off with eighteen holes at Mt. Si.  I played ok to record an 84 but did get my second eagle ever, a short chip in on the 520-yard par five 16th hole.  I had chipped in from off the green on hole 9 earlier and just missed a chip-in on 17 too, so it was a fun beginning to a new golf year.

Even though it’s Trisha’s birthday, she let me zip out this morning to get in a round of golf.  Looking at the extended weather forecast this might be the last outing for 2012.  I played yesterday in brisk, windy conditions and shot an OK 86.  I felt my swing was coming around some on the back nine so I was doubly anxious to squeeze in another eighteen holes.  It was windier than yesterday; gusts at around 30 mph, I estimate.  Nonetheless, I had a really solid first twelve holes, heading to number 13 just five over par off a rare birdie at the long par five 12th hole featuring a 200-plus yard approach shot to inside two feet.  I also finished the front nine with just 11 putts.

I didn’t hold things together over the final six holes, going +7 to end up with an 84.  But with leaves, twigs and pine cones flying around I was pleased enough. No balls in the woods or river, either.

After two trips to Texas and many rainy days I finally got in another round of golf.  It’s been thirty-five days since I last played and indeed I felt very rusty over the front nine.  Incredibly steady putting (23 putts for 18 holes) overcame my inconsistent ball-striking and I salvaged an 86 for the round.  I had just 10 putts on the front nine holes, 13 for the first twelve holes.

We are still enjoying unseasonably beautiful weather so one of my regular golf buddies -Ron Hillis- and I decided to get in some golf at the lovely Suncada resort just east of the mountains.  The weather was once again spectacular with the fall sun and shadows highlighting the wonderful wooded Prospector course.  We both struggled through a morning round having difficulty adjusting to the challenging and very fast greens.  The region has had virtually no measurable precipitation since June so the greens are absolutely rock hard. I ended up with a 99, my worst round at Prospector with a withering 42 putts.  That stat was caused in part by poor iron play that left me with initial putts of 24, 54, 65, 73, 53, 47 and 62 feet.

After lunch of a foot-long hot dog and root beer I managed a much more satisfying 87 on the afternoon round -my best round at Prospector- with a couple of birdies and 33 putts.

The challenging par 4 fifth hole. The tee box is over the water to the right of the tall evergreen tree.

Here are a few more photos of Suncadia.

Sometimes I am surprisingly reminded why I like golf so much.  Sometimes the score really doesn’t matter in spite of how much I want to play well.  Today was one of those days.  I rendezvoused with two golf buddies at the picturesque Druid’s Glen course and was greeted with a dramatic cloud-shrouded Mt. Rainier at sunrise.  These are the kinds of vistas that make Pacific Northwest golf special.

Second fairway at Druid’s Glen

Oh yes, my score. I was doing OK until my tee shot at number nine, denying all laws of physics, inexplicably rolled across the entire width of the fairway and trickled into the hazard.  Frustration got the best of me and I ballooned to a 102, one of my worst scores ever.