Two days before the great mid-Atlantic blizzard of '16 would arrive, I made it out for one last round.
I called up the course, they said, "Yes it's open, but it's cart path only, and there's snow on some of the greens." No buts, you had me at "yes" dammit.
Course looks pretty actually, all these patches of the pure white stuff everywhere.
I've said it before, winter golf is sort of like wilderness golf.
Okay, here's a birdie putt on the 2nd hole. This is where it gets interesting. Since I've always believed that winter rules are totally gay and that the standard Rules of Golf are perfectly fine in all four seasons, no choice but to try and get it there. Figure out how much gas the ball needs to get across the ice and give it a go. These conditions are rare, and as such they're kind of fun to play on. Same game we always love but with an added dimension. Of course none of that philosophical crap meant much to me after four-putting.
Out on the sunny side of the course, things look pretty dang normal.
Well, that's not very normal.
In brutal conditions who can be bothered to fumble around in their pocket for a ball marker? I use the putter. This is Rules of Golf compliant, folks. Sure it is explicitly not recommended within same said rules, but fuck them. Their recommendations. They don't know what it's like out here! Anyways this is a legal, effective, minimalist solution. Use it!
One of the best views at Silver Lake is from the 7th tee. So much so that it's almost the norm for people otherwise playing blue tees to drive up here to the blacks for the privilege of launching one from the vista point.
I should send this shot to National Geographic.
Talk about living on the edge. The most unreceptive green in the tri-state area and I managed to get one to stick on a day like this. Feeling good. No, feeling great. So it's a little chilly. I am playing totally unimpeded golf at a speed approaching 9 holes per hour. People should envy me.
When water becomes a loose impediment.
Here I am around 200 yards out even after a good drive. Ball's not going anywhere today.
All kinds of weirdness going on here. Was lucky to chip this one close and avoid having to putt.
Crew was hard at work on some sort of drainage installation project. Think I even spotted the golf course prez out there supervising. Respect.
There was a big goose party here earlier evidently. Lots of fun was had I'm sure.
I made the putt.
Shit got crazy on the 15th green. Somehow I two-putted.
Really good tee shot to reach the green here, over 200 yards. By far the iciest green on the course.
This left for par, I missed.
I carved out an 86. I liked it. Fewer than 48 hours later, the blizzard would arrive, suspending all outdoor golf activities, indefinitely. So if this ends up being my last round for a long time, it was a nice sendoff, a happy memory with which to enter into the deep, dark winter wasteland the world would soon become.
Nice shot of the bird in flight. I have tried to capture in flight the Red Tailed Hawks that frequent our courses. Never quite managed it.
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