I recently played Olivas Links, which conjured up a lot of memories. This golf course was completely redesigned a few years ago, leaving nothing from the prior Olivas Park Golf course. Although the new golf course is better, the bulldozing of the old took a lot of my youth history with it as OPGC was the site of my first ever 18 hole golf round, and my single greatest athletic achievement.
My first full round was played when I was 9 years old and my father made me count every shot on my way to a 72-72, 144 total score. Fifteen years later I invited my father to play the same course (on the same calendar day). We talked jokingly about how it would be great if I could shoot a 36-36, for 72 to exactly halve my first round. A slow start and 39 on the front killed my chances for that, but I got red hot on the back nine and came into the tough 17th par 3 into a strong wind. I hit a five iron to two feet and all of a sudden was 3 under on the back, only needing to par the easy par 5 18th to shoot 72, record my lowest 9 hole score ever, and complete a memorable day.
After a loose approach shot put me on the right fringe of the 18th green, I smoked my 30 foot putt a good 8 feet by the hole and I was so nervous standing over the next putt my hands were sweating and I had to back away twice. To this day, I can't remember ever feeling more pressure over any sporting moment in my life. Long story short, my putt curled into the corner of the cup and I felt like I had won the Masters. Looking up and seeing the pride in my father's eyes was very special and I felt like I had accomplished something for both of us.
Due to various reasons, my father and I only played a handful of golf rounds after that, and with my father recently deceased, this will always go down as a favorite sporting memory for me, now made more mysterious as it was done on a course that no longer exists in that form.
My first full round was played when I was 9 years old and my father made me count every shot on my way to a 72-72, 144 total score. Fifteen years later I invited my father to play the same course (on the same calendar day). We talked jokingly about how it would be great if I could shoot a 36-36, for 72 to exactly halve my first round. A slow start and 39 on the front killed my chances for that, but I got red hot on the back nine and came into the tough 17th par 3 into a strong wind. I hit a five iron to two feet and all of a sudden was 3 under on the back, only needing to par the easy par 5 18th to shoot 72, record my lowest 9 hole score ever, and complete a memorable day.
After a loose approach shot put me on the right fringe of the 18th green, I smoked my 30 foot putt a good 8 feet by the hole and I was so nervous standing over the next putt my hands were sweating and I had to back away twice. To this day, I can't remember ever feeling more pressure over any sporting moment in my life. Long story short, my putt curled into the corner of the cup and I felt like I had won the Masters. Looking up and seeing the pride in my father's eyes was very special and I felt like I had accomplished something for both of us.
Due to various reasons, my father and I only played a handful of golf rounds after that, and with my father recently deceased, this will always go down as a favorite sporting memory for me, now made more mysterious as it was done on a course that no longer exists in that form.
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