Chapter 45

During practice I learned several important lessons about the course, the first was on the eighth hole, you had better be on the right side of the green or you were looking at a bogey.

I came into the left of the pin and when I putted, the ball which was supposed to gently roll into the cup kept picking up speed as it went, causing it to drift away from the cup and roll right off the green.

The wind on fifteen was blowing across the course and what would’ve been a drive to the middle of the fairway ended up in the rough to the right. I recovered for the par, but this hole if played correctly would be a chance for a birdie.

I would have to watch the wind closely on fourteen and fifteen and whichever had the crosswind, hit a low shot, sacrificing distance for accuracy.

The last five holes were known as “Murderers Row,” they would destroy an otherwise good score. The eighteenth had a little valley or swale to the right of the green known as, ‘Death Valley.’ It was where many good golf rounds went to die. I kept out of it on the practice round, but it seemed to be lurking there waiting to grab a careless shot.

After practice, I dropped my gear off at the tent and went in search of Mr. King. He wasn’t hard to find as he was at the tournament official’s pavilion. They had a pavilion as opposed to our tents. It was much fancier, white with doors and windows.

I waited until he was finished talking to someone and approached him. He stood up quickly and offered his hand.

After shaking hands, I told him I would be delighted to join his family for dinner this evening.

He asked me, “Rick do you have a coat and tie with you?”

“No sir I don’t, I was planning to buy what I need at the pro shop.”

“Rick now I feel like a fool again. It will cost you over one hundred dollars to buy your clothes in the pro shop. I wanted to reward you in a nice way for saving my daughter and here I’m going to cost you a lot of money.”

“Sir that is okay, I have the money on me and can afford it, besides I need a new jacket and pants, I have outgrown all my clothes recently.”

“You certainly are tall,” replied the six-footer.

“I have just got my growth this summer and then again in the last couple of weeks. I don’t even know if I’ve finished growing yet.”

“Time will tell, in the meantime let me go shopping with you, I can get a discount as the club I belong to is reciprocal with Inverness.”

“I would appreciate that.”

He helped me pick out a pair of grey slacks and a dark blue blazer. He assured me that they would be appropriate for almost any occasion. These with a button-down collar white shirt and a tie with red and black regimental stripes made me look sharp.

When it came time to pay Mr. King took the clerk aside and talked to him. He came back to me and told me he had got a seventy-five percent discount for me.

I knew that he told the clerk he would pay the difference, but I didn’t want to argue about it. The clothes still cost me twenty-seven dollars.

I was wearing my ostrich cowboy boots. Mr. King asked me about them. I told him that I had bought them on a trip out west last year. He suggested that I have them cleaned by one of the valets in the clubhouse.”

We aren’t allowed in there.”

“Come with me, young man.”

I dutifully followed him into the men’s locker room. They had a regular shoe shine chair there. He had “Thomas” polish my boots. Thomas told me he hadn’t seen as nice a pair of boots as mine for a long time.

I told him I had bought them at Sheplers in Dallas.

Thomas asked, “What were you doing in Dallas.”

Now I hadn’t told Mr. King the whole story about why I had my boots, but I figured I had better come clean because it would come out anyway.

“I was there for a rodeo.”

“Were you in the rodeo, or watching it?’

“Okay you are not going to quit till I tell all; I was in the rodeo, riding Brahma bulls. Last year I was the National Champion bull rider for my age group.”

“Whoa, a young man that is pretty impressive.”

I replied, “Thank you.”

I was really watching to see what Mr. King’s reaction would be. You could see that he was trying to remember something but couldn’t quite bring it to mind. You also could see when he did remember.

“Rick was it you and your family I read about in the Sunday supplement a few weeks ago.”

“Probably sir,” I replied.

“Oh lord, I’m in for it now.”

“Why is that?”

“I jokingly told Judy that you were the sort of guy she should marry.”

“How did she respond?”

“You are in trouble; she told me she would marry you in a heartbeat.”

“But I’m only fifteen.”

“I met her mother when she was fifteen. I never had a chance.”

I started to say something smart-mouthed but stopped.

“You know there could be worse ways to go, but I think this is getting way ahead of ourselves; probably five or ten years.”

You could see the relief in the young lady’s father’s face.

He muttered, “Now if only she looks at it that way.”

Mr. King paid and tipped for my shine, and I left to change into my new duds.