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Series:
Diary of A Golf College Student
Article 14: Arizona
by
Jonathan Gibbins
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Desert
Trip- Part One
The summer
is just around the corner now and two good things have happened-
we have finished studies till September and the golf team have qualified
for the Division II Championships which has made our coach feel
the year was worthwhile after all.
The Championships
are being played in Phoenix, Arizona, which is far enough away for
us to have a decent chance of flying there like most other golf
teams. However, our budget has already been used up by flying to
the first three events back in October and we are to make our way
there by driving the (I looked up) 2,100 miles over a few days.
Me and two mates
decide to set off a few days in advance to see some sights along
the way. We hire a sturdy station wagon (!),set off and the experience
goes like this:
You spend the
first few hours looking out the window realising how big America
is. Then you look at the map several hours later to discover you’ve
moved about 2 inches. On the second day you discover that most American
states have nothing in them except trees, bush and desert. Then
finally, after many days of crushed legs, bad country music and
I spy (there is no pub cricket) you get the reality that you are
only half through your trip.
Pine Bluff Country
Club is right in the middle of the desert and looks very fake. The
lush green fairways look like giant carpets laid out on cactus country
and in reflection, that’s not far from the truth. The tournament
is four rounds and we have a day to stretch, practice and prepare.
I speak to a
local member in the clubhouse and he describes the course as a "go
for green" course and I can see why. If you don’t land in green
you are in rock, cactus and snake territory. The existence of rocks
just off the fairway or green makes for some freaky bounces that
can be entertaining to say the least, and a local rule allows a
free drop if a cactus is a danger. This can happen because some
of them are twelve feet tall with thorns like snooker cues.
The rest of
the team arrive later in the afternoon and we check into our hotel.
After three days on the road, a lovely feeling of stability washes
over me and I sleep for a personal record of seventeen hours.
Come back to the
site next week and read the next installation
of life on a golf scholarship!
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