Played each of the last 2 Saturday mornings. Let’s go to the tape:
Played 8/10 at Falls Road. On a rare Saturday morning that was crisp, cool and felt like a taste of fall, I had my lowest score in over 3 years, posting a 77 that could and should have been lower. Falls Road is a course that still holds up as a decent challenge despite lacking length. I remember playing a golf league there through a former employer and having many happy 9-hole rounds during summer evenings.
The course, like pretty much everyone, has taken a beating from our two-month long heat wave with several holes having burned out spots that were spongy with rain from storms. Greens were in decent shape for the most part. I played with a couple solid citizens who were Pushcart Mafia members. Great guys. My knee, ankle and hip problems have made walking a non-starter, but I’ve got all day for Pushcart Mafia members. You’re always aces in my book. Falls Road is not a crusher walk-wise. The only change of note is that the tennis club that was near the 10th-11th-12th holes is gone. Looks like home construction but couldn’t confirm anything. 10 and 12 were cart path only (luckily my tee shot on 12 was pretty close to the path so I didn’t have to repel down to the fairway.
Played 8/17 at Poolesville.
If you discount that Google Maps can’t seem to find the goddamn place much less get me back home coupled with having to run to the first tee to make my time (I hit my tee shot on #1 with my shoes untied), getting lost on the way home because Google Maps seemed to think I wanted to go home by taking my car through Virginia (talk about going around your elbow to get to your asshole), it wasn’t bad, I guess.
Unlike the previous Saturday it was hot, humid and buggy. Very humid. I finished the round a quart low, if you will. So if you play Poolesville, bring bug spray. They have water stations but the water wasn’t exactly ice cold and refreshing. More like tap water, which is frankly a million miles better than nothing, but still. Honestly the Outbreak hazmat suit might not be a bad option. I used bug spray and still got a few bites so be warned. The greens were in good shape (not exactly lightning fast, but they rolled true). Some of the tee boxes were pretty beat up, which I’d attribute to the weather. You water to keep the grass from dying, and naturally you get thunderstorms which turns the burnt-out turf into swampy marsh.
The layout is, with one exception (#11) all out in front of you. No blind shots. Fairways were a bit furry which I’d attribute to not wanting them to burn out. They tend to be narrow; most holes are tree-lined with fairly wide roughs before hitting the tree line.
Work commitments will keep me away next weekend so Labor Day weekend will be the next time I tee it up. Hopefully we will get a long-term break from the heat and have an early start to fall. Please.
I will probably miss most of the final rounds of the Tour Championship, which is fine given that the format is asinine. As I noted previously, I’m looking forward to the team with the best record in the Super Bowl getting a 2-touchdown lead, and the team with the best record in the World Series getting five outs in the first three innings.
Hit ’em straight.
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