Wilderness Golf League Season Starts

This is my 19th consecutive year playing in the Wilderness Golf League. We play at Campbell’s Scottish Highlands Golf Course in Salem, NH.

We started at the earliest point on the calendar we can. Some years we have been extended out due to weather conditions. This year was bright and sunny but awfully windy. Our first group started at 3:50 and it was about 44 degrees. We were the 3 rd group and when I finished it was 38 degrees.

At times while standing on the green you had to brace yourself from being pushed by the wind. I also had to switch hats from my golf hat to my winter knit hat to keep my ears warm. Decked out with a nice heavy sweater and an extra large wind breaker and walking the course I stayed fairly warm. I also used my winter golf gloves to keep my fingers from freezing.

I started off this year in the B division as I missed out the A division by .3 points. I played Bob Sasso and he fought me tooth and nail. We started on the back nine as we usually play the front nine on odd numbered days and the back nine on even days.

We halved the 10th hole with bogeys and the 11th, a par 3, Bob got closest to the pin and sank the birdie putt to go one up. We halved 12 and 13 and then my wheels fell off as I hit my tee shot out of bounds on 14 and re-teed and hit the next one out of bounds too. In our league, to speed up play you must take a drop from the point the ball went out of bounds and you are hitting 6. Bob drew his 5 wood around the corner and was in the fairway about 150 yards out. A great shot and his approach shot put him about 15 feet away as he made par. The kicker was I was giving him a shot. I know found myself two down on holes and 7 strokes down.

As we teed off in the gale winds on 15 we had to use 7 and 8 irons as opposed to 9 irons or wedges that we normally would use in warmer weather. I ended up parring the par 3 113 yard hole which play d more like 145 yards due to the gusty winds. Bob found the sand trap and struggled to get out as he proceeded to card an eight (snowman) on the par 3, luckily I was able to get back 5 strokes and finally win a hole.

I teed off on 16 with a 3 iron which normally I would use a 5 or 6 iron. Bob used a utility wood and was in good shape but his approach shot found the water short of the green. Bob double bogeyed and I parred and we were all square now in our match.

As we were standing on the 17th tee we decided we’d both hit driver and we laughed about it as the trouble areas are not grown in yet and we felt if our shots strayed we would be safe. My tee shot was pulled left and it hit the cart path and I got a lucky bounce as it almost reached the green. My approach chip shot came up shot and Bob also had a bad chip shot. We both lagged up our approach putts to within 6 feet for Bob and a bout 3 feet for me. Bob missed and I had a golden opportunity to win the hole but I pushed an easy uphill putt to the right and walked a way with a bogey.

We went to the 18th all square and a gale force wind pushing us off the tee. I was able to reach the green in regulation and Bob did too but Bob was out about 50-60 feet away and I was out about 8 feet. Bob’s approach putt left him past the hole by about 6-7 feet. My birdie putt was short by about a foot and Bob gave the par. Bob ended the match by pushing is par putt and I won the match 1up and by one stroke. A hard fought win.

It was great to be back on the golf course and to start a new golf season with great friends.