Another beautiful day. I got to the Big Rock Golf Course at around 10:30. Our tee time was for 10:50. It’s the last golf game of the year for the Robert and Arlene and Rudy team. And with the new grips on my (and one of Robert’s) wedges this should be a good day for golf.
And so it was. For the first time in all our games together, we got to celebrate a birdie (by Robert) with some birdie juice! The greens on this course are the fastest we’ve played, and most of the greens were sloped, if not undulating. And there’s water in play on about 14 of the holes. But the fairways are wide and most greens are not surrounded by huge bunkers.
After we’d finished the front nine, and just before Robert handed out ‘goodie bags’ with lunch (an act of kindness that’s been a highlight for me when golfing with the Dycks), Arlene reminded us that 2 years ago on this day, we played this very course. And on that day she announced that it was the one-year anniversary of her father’s death. So today is again, a day to remember; it’s been three years since Mr Coleman passed away.
By the time we were on hole 15 the light breeze we’d enjoyed for most of the day was picking up a bit. By the time I ‘fluked’ my last putt, hitting it into the cup in a long sweeping arc from just off the 18th green, the wind was blowing pretty good.
We packed our clubs back into our vehicles and headed for the ‘pub’ which is attached to the clubhouse. It was time for a celebratory drink.
The bar is decorated in rock and roll memorabilia, mostly autographed guitars and posters and paintings.
We snacked on nachos and talked about what’s next. Robert and Arlene are heading to Phoenix the day after tomorrow. I’m staying here for another four-and-a-half weeks and then I too will be moving to Phoenix, and we’ll likely pick up where we left off. It’s been a great month spending time with good friends here in Palm Desert. And while I very much look forward to having my kids join me here for the Christmas holidays, I’ll surely miss golfing with Robert and Arlene.