Shattered Dreams

When you’re out for a round of golf, it is inevitable that you will get annoyed with the group ahead of you (“What the hell is he waiting for?  Does he think he can reach the green from THERE?!?”), group behind you (“Jesus Christ, do they not see us??”), or even your fellow playing partners (Is he seriously still looking for that ball he hit 100 yards into the woods?).  I’m pretty sure this has happened every time I’ve played, and thus, my dream of having a golf course all to myself was born.  No need to wait on others, no one hitting into you, and no one not playing ready golf.

Well ladies and gentlemen, this morning I thought my dream had finally come true.

After checking out the forecast, I decided I would get out to play 9 holes this morning before my workday started.  I showed up unannounced at my new home course that I just joined, Thomson Country Club in North Reading, around 6:45am.  (Quick background for you that aren’t familiar with Thomson - which is everyone who reads this blog except one person - it is set in a condo community, with multi-unit condos and single family homes lining the fairways.  Picture a combination of New England Country Club/Norton Country Club layout in Myrtle Beach (because of the houses along the course)). 

Back to the story.  As I pull into the parking lot, I noticed there is not a SINGLE CAR in the lot.  Awesome, I’m thinking (while a part of me also wonders 'am I here too early?').  Maybe I can even get 18 in this morning before work if I take a cart.  As I walk up to the pro shop, there isn’t anyone inside and the doors are locked.  Ok, I guess I’ll be walking this morning.  There were grounds crew members working on the course, so at least there were people around.  As I wonder to myself if I should head out to 1 to tee off, I’m thinking, “hey I’m a member now, I can just go off and play whenever I want”.

Sounds good enough to me.  I got the golf course all to myself, just like I’ve always wanted.  This is GREAT.

I tee up my ProV and stripe a drive down the middle.  This is good news, since I’ve been struggling mightily with the big stick lately.  I walk to my ball drinking my large iced coffee from Dunks.  This could be a bitch to walk 9 with all this stuff, I think.  Whatever, it’s so nice out, it’ll be good to get some exercise.

After a few errant shots (hey I'm still waking up), I am on the green in 4 (it’s a par 5).  As I am about to line up my putt for par, a truck pulls up alongside the green (there are roads that go through the course, as it is a condo community like I previously mentioned).

“Course looks great this early”, I say to the man who turns out is the course superintendent and is curiously staring at me.

“Yeah, but I don’t know if you should be out here this early”, the big hoss replies, in a polite manner.

I think to myself, “This early?  Isn’t this golf where you get up at the ass crack of dawn to play? I know it’s September but it’s supposed to be 90 out today, what the F”

In reality, I am now worried about getting in trouble at the private course I just joined.  I say, “Oh no?  Is the course not open yet?  I got here about 20 minutes ago and no one was in the pro shop so I figured I’d try to get 9 in before work.  I just joined the club last week so I don’t know all the hours and regulations”.

Turns out, there is some sort of agreement between the course and the homeowners about early play.  They don’t want scoundrels walking around the grounds too early and have some restrictions in place.  I was out too early.

So now I’m thinking, damn, my dream of literally having the entire course to myself just went down the drain and maybe I won’t even be able to play today.

I say my apologies and there’s no harm done with the superintendent.  Whew. 

I walk back to the pro shop and tell them the story.  Luckily, they are cool with it and tell me during the week the earliest tee time is 7:50am.  They then allow me to get out in about 20 minutes as the first one out.

All in all, I got my 9 holes in, hit some decent shots and scored well.  Even though I didn’t have the course entirely to myself, it was close enough.