Have you ever wondered about how we golfers tend to celebrate individual golf shots? A hole-in-one, closest to the hole, longest putt, etc. And, at least for those of us of a certain age, shooting our age (meaningful to be sure, but as much about our ages as our scores). Check out the Unforgettable Feats page: you’ll see aces, age shooters and double eagles (a combination of two great individual shots).
But where are the tributes for simply shooting a great gross score? Eighteen consecutive holes of excellent golf, with no handicapping or netting, just a great gross score. Something that’s definitely harder to do than making a single great shot– but maybe not celebrated enough.
So, here’s to an awesome round of golf played by five-year member Randy Krivo! On September 3, Randy fired a scintillating 71, playing from the D tees in Thursday League. With his handicap hovering right around 8, that translated into a net 66, blowing away the first flight field on a net score basis. But, as impressive as that was, this tribute is about his gross score: one under par– a big deal in just about anybody’s book. By the way, Randy turns 71 in November so, as he puts it, he either missed shooting his age by one stroke or two months.
It’s true of course that many of us know (or know of) some of our traveling team players or participants in Wednesday League who can break par– and their uber low handicaps demonstrate the likelihood that they can do it.
But what about the guys just looking to break 80 and maintain a single-digit handicap? Take Randy: a solid single digit player, cards his fair share of birdies, and plays regularly in the Club Championship—but (if we could hazard a guess) probably did not wake up on September 3 contemplating a sub-par round of golf. A round that featured three birdies, two bogeys and 13 pars: 71 dream-like strokes.
Isn’t that worth celebrating every bit as much as any single shot?
Congrats, Randy, on a terrific round of golf (which of course will be murder on your handicap)!
Dick Helde
Editor, The Virtual 19th Hole
helde.richard@gmail.com
612-306-3590
