49

Yesterday I took the day off work and went golfing for the first time this season.

Yep, I went golfing.

In gale-force winds.

The sun came out and the temperature reached the high 60's. But, hey, who ordered the constant 30 mile per hour wind with gusts up to 40?

The course I played is a local 3-par, French Lake. 9 holes, no frills, no water, no sand, but a great little place to work on your short game (along with two holes that let you open up your driver a little bit).

Here's an example of how strong the wind was. 6th hole. 153 yards. Wind at my back. Took out my pitching wedge (typically hit 120-130 yards). Yeah, the ball landed a good 20 yards past the green. 170 yard pitching wedge?

Wind. Go figure.

During the warm-up on the driving range and even the nine holes, no whiffs. Topped a couple of balls, but overall a pretty good first round for me. Par is 29. I scored a 49.

I'll get better. And next time, keep the wind at home, whoever you are.