The First Round of the 2010 Campaign

Spring finally arrived in Michigan this past weekend as temperatures soared into the sixties and the last of the snowmen suffered a well-deserved death under a torrent of rain.  I’ve been chomping at the bits for several days, and had even gone so far as to put my clubs and cart back in the Subaru. Prospects for a round, however, were dim: Saturday and Sunday were booked with my second job as “Dad, the Chauffeur”, Monday was Cub Scout and Boy Scout Night; and Tuesday was our 19th Wedding Anniversary. My best chance likely would be Thursday.

But on Tuesday morning, I got a text message on my BlackBerry from Mrs. GolfBlogger: Taking Boys To Zap Zone and dinner after school. Go Play Golf.

What a woman!

I thought briefly about protesting that we should be going out on the town, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned in 19 years, it’s that Mrs. Golfblogger doesn’t say something unless she means it. And she wanted me to play golf.

The sky was a brilliant blue as I teed off at Green Oaks golf course in Ypsilanti. There are a lot of courses open right now, but Green Oaks long has had a reputation as one of the best draining tracks in the area. The rumor is that it was built atop a sand pit. As expected, I found it to be in terrific condition for this time of year.

My first two shots were well short of the plan, but I had a nice chip and putt for a par. The rest of the round didn’t go as well—bogey golf, mostly—but it really didn’t matter. The temperature was perfect for shirt-sleeves and long-pants, the sun was out, and signs of spring all over. There were Mallard couples on the ponds; the grass showed flashes of green. Just walking the fairways was a joy.

What a great Anniversary present from Mrs. GolfBlogger!