What's up Wood?!

Charles T. Myers 7/12/10

My boy Joey and I went out for our weekly round. Charles T. Myers is a decent course in east Charlotte off of Harrisburg road. It was built on a landfill like the Renaissance Park course. We bought our rounds on EZ links for $20 a piece. Good deal. We headed to the back nine, and this random guy pulled up behind us. He started talking about which tees to play from, and then shook our hands and introduced himself. “Well, I guess he's playing with us,” I thought to myself. Not that I minded. I just didn't know. He introduced himself as Wood. He was a about my height and lanky. He wore a brown tee shirt, jean shorts, and sandals with a blue tooth ear piece. Joey has his days from the tee, but usually he plays his irons well. Wood had a decent swing that produced a low ball flight. I crushed my first tee shot down the middle about 260 yards. I had about 80 yards to the green, but no worries, I shanked it well right. I never start well. It has become a mental hang up that I have to overcome as I improve. Joey was consistent as usual. He shoots around 90 regularly and with better drives, he might be in the 80's regularly. Wood wasn't hitting his drives far or high, but they where straight. He got a phone call on the 12^th or 13^th hole and played while talking on his blue tooth. We didn't mind, but it was funny to watch this lanky fellow in jean shorts and sandals hitting low line drives while talking about insurance on an earpiece. I think he got par on the par 5 13^th while talking. I got a bogey. Wood told us that he was in town on business from California. He rented some clubs and they sent him out with us. On the par 3 14^th he put two balls in the water before finally getting across, but well short of the green. He realized he was using a lob wedge. He had read the club upside down, and apparently the pro shop had too because there was no 7 iron in his bag. He was pissed. Wood only played nine holes with us because he had a meeting to attend, but he was a cool dude, and probably shot lower than either of us. The rest of the day I shot progressively worse as usual, and Joey beat me as usual. I've got to make some changes, but golf is a hard sport in which to instruct yourself. We finished just before a storm let loose on the east side of town. We drove to lunch in a torrential downpour. Storms seem to keep chasing me off the course. Oh well, it was fun. I'm off to the range. Hit em good!