First Time Out

Zack, my brother, had spring break this last week. I conned him into watching Triton Friday morning so that I could go golfing for the first time this year. My uncle and I always go at least 4 or 5 times a week on the average all summer. He had already been to Burley and a few other places before me, but his scores didn't sound all that imposing. I did however want to get out and see how I might do. The year before I did horrible my first few times out and was actually in a funk for about the first three months of the year. I wasn't hitting the ball at all good and wasn't getting any distance when I did hit it good. I took a lesson and that didn't help at all, something was wrong that even a club pro wasn't able to see. He said that my swing was good and gave me a couple of ideas of what to try, but they honestly didn't help. I surpised him on how good my swing was, but why wasn't I getting any distance? I don't know what I tried or ended up doing, but I was able to get everything together last year and won the first tournament I entered. It was in a division with other crappy golfers have you, but I still won. I actually golfed pretty crappy too, but still won. I still wasn't hitting the woods very good and when I did connect I wasn't getting any distance?
This year there is no such funk, knock on wood. I did have three horrible drives, but overall everything was pretty good. I shot an 84, which is lower than the scores that I shot to win my first tournament at the same course (Sage Lakes). I didn't get very good distance with the driver, but I hit it pretty good nonetheless. I kicked Henry's butt by 5 strokes, even though he scored his best round yet for the year. The first 7 holes I was 10 over par, the next 8 holes I played at one over par. I doubled 16 and bogeyed the last hole to shoot a 40 on the back nine. Henry and I had $150.00 worth of bets last year along with skins. He won $3.75 on the skins for the year, but with the other individual bets, I was up $70.00. I have not claimed that money and hope that he has forgotten about the bets because I don't want to take that much from him. Plus he and Barbara always watch Triton, and I am sure that Henry paid my way into State Championships (bowling) a few years back. We are only playing a dime a hole this year, because I am seriously doubting that he will beat me at all. I don't want to take that much from him, and even if I were to never lose, the most I think that he would owe me playing a dime a hole might be $20.00.
Speaking of bowling, State Championships for this year is already here. We bowl this Saturday in Burley. I am hoping to bowl average, but again like city, that won't be enough to cash. Averaging over a 200 and barely hitting average just doesn't pay, so wish me luck that I bowl really good. Not that I would win that much money anyways, I have placed first in doubles and team before and first place for doubles in the state was only $350.00. It was a lower division at the time we bowled it, but first place in division A last year was only $250.00. A lot of that had to do with the tournament being held in Coeur 'd Alene, not too many people wanted to travel that far to bowl. This year it is in Burley and should have more entries. Nationals however is a different story, if I were to bowl average there, I would make more than my money back. That is where I am hoping to finally bowl average. Nationals is in Vegas this year and the oil pattern on the lanes at Nationals is always tough and thus the reason that hitting average will make you money. We don't go to Vegas until July, going to suck being in Vegas in the middle of summer, but it was all that we were able to get. We will be down there during the World Series of Poker, of course I won't be playing in it, but it would be nice right? I did however split first place in a local poker tournament this past week. Profited $105.00, and gave the other person more of the prize pool because she had me out chipped. I am a nice person like that, and was happy with taking home $120.00. There might have been a chance that I could have come back from that 5 to 1 chip lead, but it was already late in the night and like I have said before I am unlucky. I was lucky one time and that was the reason that I even made the money. The final table consists of 6 people fighting it out for the top three spots. Only the top three places are paid. When it was down to 4, I was all in with an inferior hand, but won the hand to double up. I had to double up once more to get me in the money. As soon as the 3rd place guy dropped off collecting his $33.00 I suggested a split with of the rest of the prize money. I would have suggested a split with the three of us, but I forgot. Most of the time the blinds are too high to play much skillful poker at that time, so a split is a smart thing to do when finally in the money. Sorry Kevin for not thinking of splitting until you were out.