Frankly, I’m having trouble handling 80-degree days in March. I have no clue on how to dress when I head for the golf course.
Tradition around our house is for the BW to pack up all my golf shorts and my short-sleeved shirts sometime around early October. She has to do that to make room in the closets and the drawers for the long stuff, you know.
Then, sometime around early April, the time Tiger Woods is winning another Masters, the BW pulls out the boxes and switches everything around. The woman is a miracle-maker. No matter what I need to wear, it just seems to magically appear right where and when I need it.
But this year even the rock-steady BW is developing a few nervous twitches. She Who Knows the Right Time to do Everything, actually seems just a tad confused.
After all, guys at my club were wearing shorts and bright golf shirts in January. February, known for its vicious winter bite, hardly even showed its teeth.
March, famous for its wintry roar, hasn’t even snarled. OK, so there has been a little wind, but it’s really felt good what with me dressed in all those sweaters and long pants on these balmy days.
Did I do something really dumb this year, like maybe sleeping through the winter? I mean, if this is hibernation, I can handle being a bear.
Golf courses have to be loving this weather — probably almost as much as all the fuel oil distributors are hating it. And wonder what all those guys who spent the late summer chopping up firewood are doing with it? Haven’t seen a pickup load of firewood delivered in my neighborhood this year.
I’m sure there are probably as many negatives concerning the warm weather as there are positives. You can bet the insects are going to be out in droves this summer. But that’s OK, I’ll swat the bugs when they come to me.
Right now I’m trying to figure some nice way to say to the BW, “Honey, it’s time to break out the short stuff.”
Yeah, I’m sure come about mid-August I’ll be sweating and longing for some October cool, but that bill doesn’t come due for a couple of months. So I’m just going to enjoy it while it’s perfect and smile all the way to the first tee.
Can you believe all that green grass in the fairways? Where are we, Augusta? Forgive me, but my eyes are watering. Must be the pollen.
The scary truth is that we’re almost ready for another Masters tournament. Seems like a couple of weeks ago that Tiger was winning his fourth Green Jacket. And my bet is that come the middle of April, he’ll be half way to owning as many jackets as Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus won together.
Let’s see, Tiger won his fourth Masters at the age of 29. This will be his 10th visit to Augusta National since turning pro, and I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t take home his fifth jacket.
I keep trying to think of some player who could deny Tiger another title there, but the only one I can come up with is Tiger. If the guy is on, he’s unbeatable.
OK, so maybe Chris DiMarco can provide a little defense. I doubt it, but his game does seem suited to the course. Ernie Els should have the game to be a strong competitor at Augusta National every year, but he keeps letting another one slip away. (See Greg Norman.)
Phil Mickelson obviously has enough game to win on any golf course. Unfortunately, Lefty too often doesn’t display the mental proficiency to capitalize.
As for Vijay Singh, I figure he’s got some good golf left, but I think he’s beginning to slip.
There are another dozen players, particularly among the foreign stars on Tour, who can win at Augusta. But there’s a lot more to beat in the Masters than just the course.
