NOVEMBER ON THE AULD LINKS

First, look at the weather. No rain! Just sunshine and shadows. It's 68 degrees on November 2nd, and my turtle-neck shirt and sweater are too warm in the direct sunlight. I'm out with a "motley krew" of brothers trying to use up the last couple of weeks of the season at the little executive course where we gather every Monday. (OK, I know Monday was the 1st, but it rained an inch on Monday and we came instead on Tuesday!)

One thing about little digital cameras is that it's hard to get action shots. I took a dozen that had to be discarded before I got this one, and I wouldn't dare show you the shot of me at this tee looking like Moby Dick. Well, we play a casual variety of golf and all the running commentary is well taken since no one in this bunch is a professional. We hit 'em good, and we hit 'em sour. It's OK. Four ol' grandpas can have fun together and take turns on being the goat from hole to hole.

I took up the game again after a decade of inactivity, and immediately found that being ten years older and twenty pounds heavier keep my clubs from hitting as far or as accurately as they used to. I've taken to reading an illustrated "how-to" book and some of the former lore is slowly coming back to mind, but putting it back in practice is not as natural as it once was. Still, I'm two-putting many of the greens and I'm keeping my drives in the middle of the fairways.

My ironwork is something to be repaired, since the clubface doesn't swing to the same place each time. (And I'm topping the ball! Aaaargh!) The club I'm completely forgotten how to use is the pitching wedge. I can't pitch or chip worth a wet whistle. But Hey, look at the grin above, won't you? On the final hole, I drove onto the green and sunk the six foot putt for a perfect birdie, so the old man still has a bit of game left in him, Eh? So, are you a golfer too? Great! Get in shape and let's play a round next spring. I'm going to lose the twenty pounds, and I'm trying to figure how to get the last ten years back. I'll do my very best to give you a good round, OK?