Best Golf Trip Ever?

Warning: grammer and spelling may be horrible. No time to edit.


You better believe it. Sorry to my boys who attended the Arizona golf trip of 2007, but for golfing purposes, this last trip to tiny Holyoke Colorado and Mullen Nebraska was by far the best trip I've ever been on. Getting a chance to play Ballyneal and Sand Hills was amazing. I don't have the ability, or time, to do a full crazy write up of the courses. That is best left to Jim C at wegoblogger #31 which is linked in my sidebar for Ballyneal, and Check on Matt B at Now on the Tee in a few days when he posts some of the 700+ pictures he took of sand hills and does one of those crazy long posts over the course of 3 weeks.

I'll sum it all up right here. BEST GOLF COURSE EVER IS SAND HILLS. Sorry Jim if you're reading this, but it just was. Don't get me wrong, I loved every second I spent at ballyneal, loved the course, and would love to get back one day and play in different conditions, but Sand Hills was something on another level. Ballyneal would be the very best top course outside of Sand Hills.

AS for the golf, I actually played rather well for the 11 rounds over 4 days, which was almost to much golf but not really.

Matches between matt and I went 36 holes each day and we played for dinner each time. As some may know, and as Matt would point out to anyone listening, our last golf vacation didn't go so well for me. I ended up buying dinner every single night. This trip, I was determined to make a change.

The first day didn't go so well. Maybe due to about 3 hours of sleep, or the excitement of where I was, I couldn't put it together. Matt would win the first day of golf I think by a few holes. He was treated to a steak dinner and drinks.

The second day would prove to be the best of all in match play terms. After a much better sleep and a solid breakfast I was set to challenge my nemesis once again. Today we would be paired up with Matt S, a member at Ballyneal and participant in the group of 14 or so we had on the trip, and our caddies. Mine on the day was a kid named Andy who had been looping there for 3 years and was a welcome change from the guy i had a day earlier on his first ever loop. That turned out interesting have 2 guys go around the course for the first time ever, talk about the blind leading the blind.

Anyways, back to THE match. Things would go ok for the first few holes. Lots of trash talking, lots a great shots. Both Matt's were getting in on it against me and my caddy and by the 7th hole I had enough. I was i believe 1 down to Matt B and decided I would open my mouth, "I'll take on both you guys no problem." Oh shit, did I just say that? Im going to have to back this up. Next thing I know we are walking down the 7th fairway and I'm playing against 2 guys straight up. I've got my work cut out for me.

We played a lot of golf so I can't really remember the whole round. I do remember the last few holes. Going into 15 I would find myself 1 down. Matt B was on the green, I was just right of the green, and Matt S was in some junk. After our second shots, I was about 35 feet away and matt S was just in front of me by about 5 feet. Matt B had about 6 feet for par. Matt S went to line his putt up but changed his mind and used some gamesmanship to mess with my head and picked up in an effort to avoid showing me a line. Smart move you sly fox. Everyone including myself found this to be awesome with even some high fives between the Matts. I'd end up missing the putt and falling behind by 2 with 3 to play.

16 a long par 5 was reachable all week for me. I'd get up to the easier Green side bunker this time and give myself a makable birdie putt from about 9 feet, but it wasn't meant to be. Luckily Matt was putting like it was his first time ever to play golf and easily missed his birdie putt. 2 down 2 to play.

17 was a long par 4 dead into a violent wind. I found myself about 220 out and looking at a sucker pin tucked behind one of the ugliest bunkers you've ever seen. I went at it anyways. I hit my 2 iron rescue but skipped it off the mound about 10 feet in front of me, it would shoot way up in the air and I lost sight of it. My caddy said it landed up near the green but wasn't sure where it ended up. As we all climbed up to the green one ball was about 6 inches from the cup. YUP, it was the titliest 2 with an Orange dot. Tap in, 1 down with 1 to play.

This was only a 18 hole match, so a tie would be considered a victory against 2 guys. Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be. I would have a 15 footer for birdie that would have given me the tie, but it couldn't make it and ended up losing 10 a piece to the Matts. great round none the less. More importantly, I was even with Matt B on the 36 hole match.

Again, unsure of the details of the whole match. Lets jump ahead to the most important part and the drama part, the 15th. I'm standing on the 15th tee down 3 with 4 to play. I tell Andy (he was sticking this marathon out with me) i need 2 birdies in the next 3 holes to have a chance at this. We played a little forward on 15 and I hit an ok shot on the green but left myself 40 feet for birdie. Matt would chip on the green and have a makable (for most people, not matt since he couldn't putt worth shit at this point of the trip) par putt from about 6 feet. I read mine about 6 inches outside the cup. Stroked a perfect putt and it drops for a birdie and I'm 2 down.

Back to the long 16. I would find myself about 210 out after the drive. Matt and our other playing partner Andrew would layup. I didn't have that luxury, I blasted on towards the green. It was looking perfect in the air but came up a little short and went into the treacherous front bunker. This brought out a fist pump and and "AWESOME" from matt as he was in there earlier in the day an knew how brutal is was. To his dismay, I would get up to the bunker and play it perfectly to 3 feet. Of course Matt missed his 7 footer for birdie leaving me a chance. Of course I put mine in, 1 down 2 to play.

17 wasn't playing as tough as the wind dies down for the afternoon round. I was in the exact same spot as I was early in the day and hit a weak 4 iron that came up short. Luckily Matt was hacking it along the right hand side through the Yucca but found the green on his 4th and had a 4 footer for bogey. I didn't hit the best chip and left myself about 25 feet for par. I'd end up draining my putt just before I walked up blowing out the flames on my putter to emphasize the ridiculousness that I just through down on matt the last 3 holes. All square heading into 18.

Our tee shots on 18 would be side by side with Matt hitting his approach first. I'm not sure what went wrong, I'm assuming the pressure just got to him, but matt shanked it slightly to a tough lie just off the left of the green. I smoothed yet another 8 iron to about 10 feet claiming "It's over" before the ball even landed. An uneventful end saw me missing the birdie putt by about 3 inches, and matt blowing his 5 footer for par for me to take the match 1 up. Andy and I attempted the awkward Tiger/Steve high five, shook Matts hand and walked off with my 2 over 73 and victory. Sweet, sweet victory.

Ridiculous match. Most fun I've ever had on the course. Couldn't have been a better day.

After that we for some reason decided to walk another 18 holes to make it 54 on the day. That was cool yet a mistake. I was in some severe pain 3.5 hours later. I won't be doing that again.

That's it for now. Maybe I'll do something on Sand Hills, but for now I'll leave you with this was the best golf ever for 4 days.