The Curve

Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Sloooooooooooooooooooooooooooowwwwww play day

Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Coyote Crazy!

I know you must have seen the dead coyote on the shoulder before you entered the course yesterday. I bet you thought the same thing I did: it was The Gal. It was a depressing thought, but the body was so near where she had been last week on the first tee I figured it had to be her. I had brought a generous tub of last night’s corned beef for her and was about to dump it out on the hole when I decided maybe I was being premature. On the 10th tee, where I had originally met her, I scanned the area around the hole for any sign. Nothing. I was recalling her visits and her growing trust over the last two years, bringing her closer and closer with every donation Coach or I made. On a lark, I gave it my best Bronx whistle and stared. Nothing.

But on my second whistle … oh, my! She darted out from some 300 yards away and came running as she always had. She circled me as she always does, then waited for my contribution. The corned beef disappeared quickly. She seemed a bit wary on this occasion, and didn't come as close as usual (three or four feet). I believe it was the smile on my face that kept her suspicious; the game, after all, elicits more frowns than wide grins. She clearly had doubts about this fresh face. She followed me for a hole or two, and, while her presence didn't improve the state of my game, it elevated the cheeks on my face.

"Stop smiling, Raggio—you're frightening me!" ~ Lyle

Monday, April 23, 2018

4/23/18 Swings:Lyle, Raggio and Joe

Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Who is this man??

Hint: sometimes he plays the red tees.

Yep, air guitarist extraordinaire, John "Zorro" Wade at his wedding to Bambi!

Friday, April 13, 2018

Any Way the Wind Blows

There are four of us in the car driving to the course; Coach is piloting and displaying how he could let the car crash but doesn’t, and shows how (in real time and action) he stopped the car from a rear-end crash just in the nick of time. The Honda in front of us has wet himself, and Coach explains that it’s good for a car/man to “know his limitations” (too much Dirty Harry if you ask me). Sam is talking about the book he’s reading (I don’t even read instructions—why would I read something with more than one page?!). Fred is talking about the weather and how cool the temperature will be compared to previous days. I’m experiencing involuntary sphincter spasms as Coach is going through the litany of safety options he’s discovered on his Rav 4. Sam and Fred look up only when g-forces are pressuring their seat belts. Coach says, “Now, I’ve discovered if I let the wheel go completely …”

Arriving at the course we all exit, kiss the ground, and notice that Fred was correct about his assessment of the temperature and we’re all going semi-Sherpa once again. The foursome in the car is the foursome on the course. On the first tee, Fred decides to add a caveat to his forecast: “Winds are predicted up to 30 mph today!” We begin examining the wind on the treetops and shrug, as it seems that, while there is wind, the course is “playable.”

Four holes later

Learning to lean and place your ball on a tee that is in fact at a 15-degree angle towards the wind to allow the ball to remain on the tee is interesting, but gets old quickly. It’s like watching someone play with Lincoln Logs—poorly. I watch Fred tee his ball up carefully and then watch his hat fly off his head as though it had been shot off by a sniper. I wait a moment after he hits his ball and say, “Nice drive—too bad it didn’t go as far as your hat; I’m sure someone in Clovis will turn it in!”

Some portions of this dialogue contain exaggeration.