A Stroke of Luck

I'll venture to say there's never been a golfing day quite like the one I had today.

It started with a drive to Crab Apple Ridge, where I had heard good reviews of the course but when I arrived, it was packed to the gills. There was no chance I was getting on today. There had to be a league holding the course hostage. I got out of there quickly in hopes I could find another course.

The GPS told me there was another just two miles away. But to my disappointment, it was a tiny par 3 course and the attendant wasn't even there! According to the mother sitting at the picnic table, he had left to move his car and wouldn't be back for a while. She also informed the course was closed on Tuesdays for the Boy Scouts. Stinkin' kids.

I was down 0-2 in the count but knew I had old reliable just down the road: Orchard Ponds. Usually it's quiet there and there is never a wait to tee off. Until tonight. It too was busy. I thought maybe I could wait it out but when I tried to pay, the girl behind the counter said, "Um, are you part of the league?" UGGGGH!

When did Tuesday become National Golf League Day on every course in America?

Three strikes and I was out. The great thing about Erie is that there is no shortage of courses but I was tired of getting my clubs out, putting my shoes on and then putting my clubs right back in and taking my shoes right back off. But for some reason I turned toward Erie Golf Club, which I had heard was closed a while back. But hey, at least if it was closed there wouldn't be a league playing.

I arrived at the course and there were two cars in the parking lot but there was a big sign on the clubhouse that said in big, bold, red letters, CLOSED. However, there was a man chipping in the first fairway and I asked him if it was closed up for good. He said there were no flags, but it is kept mowed and that any one that wants to can play as long as they don't mind not having pins.

Of course at this point, I could care less if there were tree branches sticking out of the greens. I just wanted to play. And I did just that. I set out on No. 10 and played the back nine, hitting two and three shots into each green, working on my short game and not seeing soul until I walked up No. 14. That fellow also got turned away at Crab Apple Ridge. Another man was working on his approach shots on an adjacent fairway as I got to No. 16, and it was obvious to me that he was a frequenter of the closed-up course.

By the time I finished, I had easily played 18 holes worth of golf and getting PLENTY of practice on my short game. There were seven or eight cars in the lot by now. A couple of fellows were actually walking the holes, a few others staked out some greens and were working on particular shots. It was like a little club that gathered to play golf for free. And you know what? I'm going to be a part of that club for now on!

I am not sure why the course was ever closed because it was really great layout. Huge bunkers, hilly, challenging from tee to green and some rolling greens. It really is a shame because the greens were obviously very slow and soft because of the lack of maintenance. But the tee boxes and the greens were recently trimmed. The course, despite not having a regular grounds keeper, was in better shape than many of the public courses back home.

So after three tries at paying to play, I finally played...for free! Which brings me to today's lesson, kids. What's the best kind of golf? Free golf!