It’s been more than a month than we’ve left Alaska and it’s been a whirlwind tour of towns and cities in the Northwest that we hope to land in.
Also, for some reason, all this moving around and uncertainty has been good for my golf game. I’ve played twice since moving south and had relatively good rounds both times out.
On an easier old city course in Portland, I shot an 82 that could have easily been lower. And then at the Oregon coast on a tougher course that I had never played, I shot an 86, even with a triple and two double bogeys.
The first round in Portland I hit the first five greens in regulation despite not swinging a club in more than a month, but couldn’t put. I hit nearly every fairway and only three putted once on each nine. I had two bad holes - I hit a drive out of bounds on the front and hit it in the water on the second nine - but other than that played solidly.
In fact, going into the 17th hole, I had about a 15 footer for birdie. And if I would have made that and a par on 18 I would have broken 80!
Instead, I hit the birdie putt too far past and lipped out the return shot, then chunked my second shot on 18 to finish bogey, bogey.
I played Gearhart in Seaside, Oregon a few days later and played a completely different game. I hit the ball poorly off the tee, but putted really well and chipped close to the hole all day. Most of my poor shots had a lot to do with lack of local knowledge. I hit a lot of pure irons, for instance, that found a hidden bunker, or flew throught the fairway. On 18, I hit a perfect nine-iron into the green only to see it hit a mound and bounce out of bounds.
I didn’t three putt all day, which was a first for the year and really scrambled well.
Breaking 80 is just around the corner. I can feel it.


