Tonight, we should be sitting inside the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
I had missed several chances to watch him play in-person. "There will be plenty of time," I told myself. After all, the man was in his prime. Years have passed since.
Friday, March 27, 2020
Saturday, March 21, 2020
Baby Ace
What the heck is a baby ace - you might ask.
I suppose it could be a poker reference. For a starting hand that includes an ace and a low second card. If the two cards are suited, maybe we can start calling it a toddler ace?
I suppose it could be a poker reference. For a starting hand that includes an ace and a low second card. If the two cards are suited, maybe we can start calling it a toddler ace?
Friday, December 22, 2017
The 7,000 Yard Challenge
While on vacation, I played a round at the La Reunion Golf Resort which annually hosts the PGA Latinoamérica Tour's Guatemala Stella Artois Open.
I decided to play from the championship tees and try to break 100. In the pro shop, I requested a caddie that spoke some English and they accommodated me.
I started out well by hitting the fairway and the green on the first hole. Unfortunately I three putted for a bogey. The second hole was a long 200 yard par 3 with an elevated green. I ended up with a five. I bogeyed the third hole and got my first par on the fourth that was a par 3.
The next hole was the hardest, a par 4 measuring 460 yards. I earned my bogey. The sixth had a blind tee shot. I ended up hitting a straight drive but it landed in the adjacent fairway. My second shot was a solid 3-wood. I didn't reach the green and had a subpar chip. The scorecard was marked with a double bogey.
Hole 7 was a long par 4. I had a good drive and then a second shot with the 3-wood. I ended up just short off the green and three putted from there for a bogey. The next hole ended up being my first bad hole. It was a double bogey but my drive was way right, the second shot wasn't good, and neither way my third. I finally got on the green with my 4th shot from 80 yards out.
To end the front nine, I battled the 510 yard uphill par 5. My drive ended up five yards left from the fairway and it just got more difficult from there. I recorded a triple bogey. I was +8 thru seven which was pretty good, but the last two holes pushed my score to 49. I was on pace to break 100 but felt a bit disappointed based on how I finished the front nine.
It didn't get any easier on the back. The 10th, a 427 dogleg to the right, was the toughest hole in my opinion. The tee shot was downhill with a narrow landing area. I managed to hit the fairway but from there it was all uphill literally and metaphorically speaking. The second and third shots were poor. After getting on the green, I three putted and a snowman (8) made it onto the scorecard. That was my worst hole of the day.
I double bogeyed the next two holes. One of them was a 219 par 3. It was not looking good. But I turned it around a bit by parring the par 5 12th. The next hole was my best. I hit the fairway and had a blind shot to the green. It landed near the green but with all the mounds around, somehow the golf ball rolled down to the center off the green! With the caddie's help, I sank the birdie putt. Then I parred the next hole.
The 16th was the signature hole. It was a par 5, 682 yard. I hit the fairway and had a good second shot. From there, it could have been better. My chip was not good and I three putted.
17th was a short par 3 and I hit it ten yards left off the green and got a bogey. The last hole was a downhill par 4, 491 yards. And wouldn't you know it, I pulled my drive way left and out of bounds. I added a penalty stroke and teed it up again. It was a straight shot. I missed the green and two putted for a seven.
When the dust settled, my score came out to 98. I did it, I broke 100 on a semi-pro course. I played 15 holes at bogey golf but butchered the other three resulting in a +10. But the only ten that really mattered was the 10 out of 10 golf experience.
The PGA Latinoamérica is one of several third-tier tours. It is a level below the Web.com Tour which directly feeds players into the PGA Tour. From the championship tees the course plays 7,275 yards with a course rating of 75.4 and a slope rating of 150. Typically, the courses I play are around 6,000 yards, rating below 70, and slope between 110 and 125.
It was a really nice course. It was not cheap. A round with a cart, plus rental clubs, and a caddie came out to $200. The price was quickly forgotten as I stepped onto the manicured fairways surrounded by three volcanoes! The 75F temperature didn't hurt either.
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| Fuego Maya course scorecard |
It was a really nice course. It was not cheap. A round with a cart, plus rental clubs, and a caddie came out to $200. The price was quickly forgotten as I stepped onto the manicured fairways surrounded by three volcanoes! The 75F temperature didn't hurt either.
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| Clouds hiding the volcano peak |
I decided to play from the championship tees and try to break 100. In the pro shop, I requested a caddie that spoke some English and they accommodated me.
I started out well by hitting the fairway and the green on the first hole. Unfortunately I three putted for a bogey. The second hole was a long 200 yard par 3 with an elevated green. I ended up with a five. I bogeyed the third hole and got my first par on the fourth that was a par 3.
The next hole was the hardest, a par 4 measuring 460 yards. I earned my bogey. The sixth had a blind tee shot. I ended up hitting a straight drive but it landed in the adjacent fairway. My second shot was a solid 3-wood. I didn't reach the green and had a subpar chip. The scorecard was marked with a double bogey.
Hole 7 was a long par 4. I had a good drive and then a second shot with the 3-wood. I ended up just short off the green and three putted from there for a bogey. The next hole ended up being my first bad hole. It was a double bogey but my drive was way right, the second shot wasn't good, and neither way my third. I finally got on the green with my 4th shot from 80 yards out.
To end the front nine, I battled the 510 yard uphill par 5. My drive ended up five yards left from the fairway and it just got more difficult from there. I recorded a triple bogey. I was +8 thru seven which was pretty good, but the last two holes pushed my score to 49. I was on pace to break 100 but felt a bit disappointed based on how I finished the front nine.
It didn't get any easier on the back. The 10th, a 427 dogleg to the right, was the toughest hole in my opinion. The tee shot was downhill with a narrow landing area. I managed to hit the fairway but from there it was all uphill literally and metaphorically speaking. The second and third shots were poor. After getting on the green, I three putted and a snowman (8) made it onto the scorecard. That was my worst hole of the day.
I double bogeyed the next two holes. One of them was a 219 par 3. It was not looking good. But I turned it around a bit by parring the par 5 12th. The next hole was my best. I hit the fairway and had a blind shot to the green. It landed near the green but with all the mounds around, somehow the golf ball rolled down to the center off the green! With the caddie's help, I sank the birdie putt. Then I parred the next hole.
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| Made this birdie putt |
The 16th was the signature hole. It was a par 5, 682 yard. I hit the fairway and had a good second shot. From there, it could have been better. My chip was not good and I three putted.
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| Paradise |
17th was a short par 3 and I hit it ten yards left off the green and got a bogey. The last hole was a downhill par 4, 491 yards. And wouldn't you know it, I pulled my drive way left and out of bounds. I added a penalty stroke and teed it up again. It was a straight shot. I missed the green and two putted for a seven.
When the dust settled, my score came out to 98. I did it, I broke 100 on a semi-pro course. I played 15 holes at bogey golf but butchered the other three resulting in a +10. But the only ten that really mattered was the 10 out of 10 golf experience.
Friday, July 21, 2017
Miami Weekend
DC temperatures have been reaching mid 90s daily. The lady and I decided to head to the beach for the weekend. She was unable to go to Mexico City because of work, so we booked a short weekend trip to Miami.
We left DCA Saturday morning. A friend picked us up from the airport and we all went to Versailles, a well known Cuban restaurant, for lunch. After lunch we were dropped off at our hotel on South Beach. By early afternoon, we were catching some sun rays and swimming in the warm ocean.
People watching was also fun.
After the beach, we went to an outdoor bar on Ocean Drive and had two cocktails for ONLY $48! What a steal, not.
In the evening, we went to Bunbury restaurant with our friend and her boyfriend. Bunbury's empanadas each have a different filling and they were all delicious. Afterwards we headed over to Lagniappe house/wine bar. We had some drinks in the garden until a typical Miami rain shower made everyone run for the canapé covering the outdoor bar.
Sunday we started the day with another trip to the beach. Cooling off in the water while small fish swim around you is as good as it gets. At one point, few silver fish with yellow tails jumped above the water.
In the afternoon we went to downtown Miami for a stroll around the Bayside Marketplace. It's an interesting place with a lot of bars, restaurants and people walking around the marina.
In the evening, we joined our friends at the Lido Bar at the Standard Hotel in Miami Beach. The atmosphere was good but the view was even better.
We left DCA Saturday morning. A friend picked us up from the airport and we all went to Versailles, a well known Cuban restaurant, for lunch. After lunch we were dropped off at our hotel on South Beach. By early afternoon, we were catching some sun rays and swimming in the warm ocean.
People watching was also fun.
In the evening, we went to Bunbury restaurant with our friend and her boyfriend. Bunbury's empanadas each have a different filling and they were all delicious. Afterwards we headed over to Lagniappe house/wine bar. We had some drinks in the garden until a typical Miami rain shower made everyone run for the canapé covering the outdoor bar.
Sunday we started the day with another trip to the beach. Cooling off in the water while small fish swim around you is as good as it gets. At one point, few silver fish with yellow tails jumped above the water.
In the afternoon we went to downtown Miami for a stroll around the Bayside Marketplace. It's an interesting place with a lot of bars, restaurants and people walking around the marina.
In the evening, we joined our friends at the Lido Bar at the Standard Hotel in Miami Beach. The atmosphere was good but the view was even better.
Tuesday, July 11, 2017
Independence Day Weekend
I spent five days in Mexico City over the Independence Day weekend. The overall trip was a success. There were few minor issues but I'm glad I went. Instead of writing a detailed trip report, I thought I'd let the photos do the talking. Enjoy.
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| National Palace |
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| Metropolitan Cathedral |
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| Palace of Fine Arts |
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| Paseo de la Reforma and the Angel of Independence |
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| Chapultepec Castle |
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| Chapultepec Castle Garden |
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| Old Playing Cards |
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| Street Performers |
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| Pyramid of the Moon |
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| Soumaya Museum |
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| Bicycle Festival |
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| View from the Monument to the Revolution |
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