A Stormy Day for Tuesday Golf

It's getting hard to do anything these days without dodging rain showers.  Today's golf at Shawnee GC had about a 20 minute rain delay.  A storm came through when we were getting ready to tee off on hole #14 so we took refuge in a storm shelter.  It didn't last very long, but half the people in our league quit and went in to the clubhouse.  So, after we came in on 18 we were informed that our back nine didn't count.  They would only count the holes that everybody finished.  Seems to me they should have forfeited.

                                                              

This is the picture I took today of the same view I posted a couple of weeks ago.  I'll post the picture again below so that you can compare the two and see how much the course has recovered.  Not a whole lot, but it's making some progress.  A lot of the Bermuda Grass is starting to fill in because of all the hot weather, so there's more grass in the fairways you can find to sit your ball on.

This is the old picture.  You can tell the grass has grown in some, but still has a long way to go.

But, back to today's round.  It didn't take me long to blow my double bogey free round today.  I doubled the 2nd hole.  I've managed to stay pretty consistant, though.  I shot a 40 - 41 = 81 today. I've managed to stay around 80 my last 4 or 5 rounds.  The Senior Tees were moved back a little further today than normal.  I think they're getting ready for some type tournament and all the tees were back and most of the flags were on the back of the green.  So, with the rain delays and the tees further back, I'd say my 81 is acceptable.  I walked the 18 today and when I finished I was soaking wet.  And not from the rain. I can walk Shawnee in hot weather, but when it's in the 90's I've gotta ride at Iroquois GC.  Even flat, walking 18 at Shawnee takes a lot out of you in this heat.

Round 24 for the Year!

Rainy Days and Camping Trips Don't Mix!

Just got back from a trip to Mammoth Cave National Park.  Mary Lynn and I stayed in a Cottage, but Mark, Kim and the Girls and Grandpa Len decided to tent camp.  The rain  made a mess of that.  After the trip into the Cave today Mary Lynn and I headed home and the rest of the party decided to stick it out to see if was going to get any drier.  We'll see how that turns out.  But, Mary Lynn and I are home now and I'll post a bunch of pictures.

This was the little cottage Mary Lynn and I stayed in. And stayed dry in!  It was small but very cozy.  We were located about a 15 minute walk from where the rest of the family was camping.  We hiked over there to visit Friday night before our first cave tour.

When we got back from our Cave Tour Friday night these deer were grazing along the sidewalk leading to our cottage (upper right hand corner).  When we walked by them they just looked up and watched us as we passed.  They were very much used to people.

Here we were waiting for the tour to begin Friday evening.  It hadn't started raining yet and we were still hoping for a rain free Weekend.  However, when we exited from the cave Friday evening it was pouring down!  We had a pretty long walk uphill back to the Visitor Center in the rain.

Then Saturday morning, for the 8:45 tour, we were on the bus heading for the "Frozen Niagara" Cave Tour.  I took some pictures on the Friday night tour but they are not as pretty as the Saturday morning "Niagara" tour, so I'm just posting those cave pictures.  It was raining steadily at this time.

Mark, Mimi and Erin moving through one of the small walkways during this tour.  There were several places where it was narrow and several places you had to walk  stooped over so you wouldn't bump your head.  I learned to duck about 20 steps into the cave after bumping my head on a low ceiling.

On both sides  were beautiful stalactites and stalagmites formed over thousands of years by dripping water. They were amazing.

This was at the bottom of the "Frozen Niagara".  We had to walk down about 50 steps to the bottom.  I asked, but there was no elevator to go back up!  It was really neat down there, though.  I think Erin and Jillian were very impressed.

Erin and Jillian walking through the passways.  They didn't have to duck at the low ceilings like I did.  Go Figure!

All finished with the "Frozen Niagara" Tour and waiting for the bus to come get us.  We were all a little wet and it was raining.  And, Grandpa Len is really NOT giving the Heimlich Maneuver to Jill.

It was a fun time despite the rain.  I hope the campers can get a dry Saturday afternoon , and if they decide to stay another night, a dry night.  We had to resort to Plan 'B" for dinner Friday night and Breakfast Saturday morning.  Plan 'B' being dining in the Hotel Restaurant!  I don't think any of us were very impressed with the food.  I think our campfire cuisine would have been much better!  I think Erin and Jill were still having fun and they were the ones who voted to stay even though it was raining.  "You don't mind staying in the tent the whole time?" asked Kim.  Erin and Jill had no problem with that.  They said there were plenty of things to do in a tent! So, we'll see how that works out.

Poor Putting leads to an 80 in round 23 FTY

 My putter was broken today.  Two double bogeys today and both were 3 putts!  That along with a couple other 3 putts today and a good round turned into a so-so round.
I shot a 41 - 39 = 80.  Not a bad round at all.  But, it could have been a very good round if I putted decent.  I just didn't feel good over the putts today, no feel for the line or distance.  Sometimes you just get that way.  Several very makeable  par putts missed and 4 or 5 3-putts.
Once again, a pretty decent round, no money, and my handicap getting lower.  I'm down to an 11 on Thursdays now.

Jillian - You still keep cracking me up!

When the girls were in school we'd try to find one day a week we could pick them up.  We'd pick up Jill at 11:30 and Erin at 3:00.  Well, Jill would come back to the house for several hours before we would have to pick Erin up. 
It's been a tradition that they always get a snack to take with them when they leave our house. So, when we'd leave to get Erin we would fix two snack, one for Jill, one for Erin.  Well, Jill would like to make name tags to put on the baggies.  I found this in the car this morning.  One of Jill's name tags for her baggy.  Jill, Jillian, Jilli, Jillybean, Jill in cursive.  Now, this is a pre-schooler!  I wonder if Erin's name tag was the same way?

Round 22 FTY was 'almost' double bogey free

I played my usual Tuesday Golf at Shawnee GC today.  This was two weeks in a row now I've shot a 38 - 42 = 80.  I almost made it through the round without a double bogey, but it jumped up and bit me on hole #17.  Two poor fairway shots, after a decent drive, put me in the greenside bunker.  Blast out in four, miss the putt, tap in for a six.

It was a great day to play.  It sprinkled a little rain a couple of times on the front nine, but nothing to get an umbrella out for.  Then the rest of the round was cloudy and the temperature was in the mid-70's.  Walking 18 holes in weather like this on a flat course....I got home and wasn't exhausted. 
Once again I played well but not good enough to win any money.  If I'm gonna lower my handicap I should at least win a little money doing it!

A Great Sunday at Churchill and Willow Park

I really had a nice day yesterday with the Family.  We went to Churchill Downs, grilled a few hotdogs at the house afterwards, then ended the day at Willow Park dancing the night away!  Mary Lynn and I went to the track with Mark and Kim, Erin and Jill, and met Kevin there.  We had the Seelbach Hotel box seats.  We met Brian and Julie out there.  They had their own box seats from local Councilman Jim King.  We didn't win any money, but had a great time anyway.  This was Erin and Jill's first visit to Churchill Downs.  These are a few of my favorite pictures of the day.

After picking a 23-1 winner, Erin was like the old "E. F. Hutton" commercials.  When she made her picks, everybody listened!  The girls got to pick a horse each race and if either one of them won, they got a dollar to split. I should have just bet on Erin's picks and forgot about mine.

Erin and Jill visited the Paddock.  They loved watching up close 'Their' horse walk by.

My personal favorite of the day.  'My Girls' with the Twin Spires in the background.

Mimi brought her "BIG" sunglasses which the girls liked wearing.  I have several pictures of Erin and Jill wearing them, but I can't post EVERYTHING!

This was the very first time Mary Lynn was asked to dance by a stranger in the crowd.  She must have impressed him with her dancing skills.  But then too, this was the first time she wore her 'twirly' skirt!

Erin danced all night.  If she didn't have someone to dance with she was on the floor dancing by herself.  Here she's dancing with Daddy.  The more acrobatic the move, the better she likes it.

It was a long day for Jillian.  About a half hour before the band stopped she walked over, wrapped herself up in the blanket, and went to sleep.

 

Another Hot Round of Golf.....This time at Iroquois GC

My playing partners today wanted remain anonymous, so I had to disguise them.
This is Hole #3 at Iroquois GC, a par 3, and all four of us made par on this hole.  It plays 140 yard from that tee box.
I shot a 41 - 39 = 80 today, and I rode a cart all 18 holes, another hot day on the course.  This was another 'close' to being a good round.

 The last hole on each nine jumped up and bit me in the butt.  On #9 I topped my tee shot, then topped two straight 3 woods, and took a triple bogey 7!  Then on #18, a par 3, I hit my tee shot off the right side of the green, chipped up with a nice lob shot from well below the green.  But, then proceeded to 3 putt for a double bogey 5!  The only holes I had worse than bogey was 9 & 18.  I did have one birdie, hole #10. 
I left before the other groups got in so I don't know if I won any money today.  We're always the first group out and even waiting on the group in front of us on almost every hole, we finish at least a half hour ahead of the group behind us.  I don't know what they do.  So it's usually a good hour before the last of our four groups get in and I just hate waiting around that long. 
This was round 21 for the year.