Chapter 20: On The Road Again

Dave woke early, this time without the alarm; it was just after six-thirty. He quietly packed his clothes then went for a shower. As the water cascaded over his head, he thought about his up-coming round at Buzzard's Bluff, QAI's hardest golf course; he began getting himself psyched for a good round. He also thought about leaving for North Carolina. It was going to be a long two days: golfing, then immediately driving for twenty-four hours; but he was really looking forward to testing himself against the US golfers. He had seen the draw for the Merit Tour at Buzzard's Bluff the previous day in the newspaper and knew he was in the second group at ten-ten. He wanted to get to the course no later than nine so he could practice for at least an hour. That meant he had to leave before eight-thirty.

He exited the shower and took his breakfast outside. His friend the squirrel was nowhere in sight so Dave ate a solitary and peaceful meal as the campground began to wake up.

He looked at his watch and realized an hour had passed since he awoke; he was getting anxious to leave for the golf course but he had promised Jennifer he would wait to say goodbye to her.

His father strolled out of the trailer and asked, "Ready for a big day?"

Dave smiled and replied, "Definitely; and I'm really excited about the trip."

Just then Jennifer walked around the corner of the trailer and joined Dave and his father. Dave asked his father, "Are you going to drive me to the course then pick me up when I'm done or what is the plan?"

Jennifer cut in, "I could drive you to the golf course if you wanted."

Dave and his father nodded agreement as that arrangement gave Roger additional time to pack the car and finish his last minute tasks before picking Dave up at the course. He thanked Jennifer, "That would work out perfectly, Jennifer, thank you. Are you sure you can get a vehicle?"

She replied, "I actually thought of it last night and asked Dad for the car. He already approved."

Dave chatted with Jennifer and his father for about a half-hour before he went into the trailer and carried out the bag he had packed for his trip. He put the bag in his father's car then went back into the trailer and took out his golf clubs. He asked Jennifer if she was ready and she nodded so they walked to her trailer.

Dave placed his clubs in her dad's trunk and then climbed in the passenger door. Jennifer started the car and pulled away from the trailer. The drive to Buzzard's Bluff was filled with plans of what they would do the following week when Dave got back from the States. Dave decided having Jennifer for a chauffer was infinitely better than having Raymond and the Rolls

As they pulled up to the clubhouse, Jennifer asked meekly, "Do you mind if I follow you around today?"

Dave smiled as he replied, "Not at all; but you have to promise me that you won't talk to me unless I walk up to you and talk to you first. It is very important that I stay focused while on the course."

She looked very excited and kissed him softly, "I promise."

Dave put on his golf shoes and left his sneakers in Jennifer's car. He climbed from the car and got his clubs out of the trunk before Jennifer drove to the parking lot several hundred yards away. She walked back to the clubhouse where she found Dave was already on the driving range hitting balls. She sat in a chair by the clubhouse and looked over the practice green towards the driving range. She watched Dave hit balls for almost an hour before he picked up his clubs and walked to the practice putting green.

He waved to her as he began working on his putting. He looked at the green and thought how greens on different golf courses are often different speeds. Buzzard's Bluff was a newer course and its greens were all bent-grass sand-based greens. A lot of older courses had poa greens over more of a clay base. Poa anna, as the perennial grass is actually called, is really a weed in most places. It is slow to grow in the early spring but when the heat comes it grows really well.

The speed of greens is often different between courses even if they have the same type of grass - how a green is cut and how short it is cut also affect the speed of the greens. Another major factor is whether a green has been rolled. Nicer golf courses often have roller machines that look like a chair with an engine between the four legs and four old-style washing machine wringer-rollers on the bottom. The operator sits in the seat and the rollers glide over the green to press it flat. Greens are normally only rolled once every few weeks because it tends to make them very fast. Most average golfers don't like excessively fast greens because they can end up as far past the hole as they were before putting.

The greens at Buzzard's Bluff were relatively fast and very smooth. The other thing a roller does is smooth out small bumps on the greens, which can often cause a ball to bounce as it rolls towards its target. Dave spent twenty minutes putting and was confident he had the speed of the greens down nicely when he finished. He strolled up to Jennifer who was still quietly sitting in a chair and he kissed her softly. Her soft lips parted for a quick dart of his tongue.

He glanced over at the first tee and noticed that the first group of the day was just teeing off. He took his clubs and walked to the first tee with Jennifer under his arm. He was happy to have her close to him.

After the first group had teed off, and had reached the first green, Dave's group was called to the tee. Dave again explained to Jennifer, "Please walk about twenty yards behind us and to the side while we're playing. I'll come over and talk to you between holes whenever I can but during the hole I need to focus on my game." She nodded understandingly and watched as he walked forward to the tee.

Dave hit second in his group and his drive up to the first hole was perfect and very long. They had teed off the blue tees and Dave's drive was well beyond the one hundred yard marker. The last two players in his group hit and he strolled up the fairway with his clubs on his back. Jennifer followed close behind, respecting Dave's request. The other three golfers had all hit shorter drives than Dave and, when it was finally his turn, he only had about eighty-five yards to the green. He remembered how, before he went to England, he hated shots inside one hundred and ten yards because he wasn't comfortable hitting shots that weren't at least a full sixty degree wedge; but now he could gauge and control the distance of his pitching wedge much better.

He pulled out that pitching wedge and hit a perfect shot after taking the club head back to about ten o'clock on his newly learned distance gauge. The ball hit exactly where he aimed, about ten feet short of the hole, bounced once, and then rolled to three feet from the cup. Dave was very happy with the result as he put his club back in his bag and strolled to the green.

He marked his ball and waited for the other golfers to putt before it was his turn. When it was finally his turn, he lined up the putt and got comfortable over the ball. He then stroked it dead centre and retrieved the ball for his first birdie of the day. When the rest of his group was finished on the green, Dave put the pin back in the hole and walked off the green. He picked up his clubs and strolled over to Jennifer. He put his arm around her and kissed her on the cheek but didn't say anything.

The rest of the round continued very well for Dave. He hit the ball the best he could ever remember and he putted quite well also. As he strolled up the long eighteenth hole he was seven under par. He had had only one bogey to go with eight birdies. His drive was well up the fairway and, as usual in this round, he had to wait for his three playing partners to hit their second shots before he reached his ball.

He was just inside the one hundred and fifty yard marker with a slight headwind so he chose his nine-iron. He looked at the green and briefly noticed his father standing there watching. Dave settled over the ball and hit a good shot but it landed slightly past the hole leaving him a fifteen-foot putt for birdie.

As Dave walked up the fairway he noticed Jennifer trot ahead and stand with his father. Dave walked onto the green and marked his ball; his playing partners either marked their balls or prepared to chip onto the green.

Dave looked at the line of his putt from every angle while the other players either chipped or putted longer putts. One player had hit a shot closer than Dave so he was also circling the green looking at the break.

When it was Dave's turn, he settled over his putt and made a good stroke. The ball was heading directly for the right lip and Dave was leaning left, trying against all the laws of physics to get the ball to bend the small amount he thought it needed. The ball rolled over the right lip but didn't even look at the bottom of the hole; it stopped six inches past the hole. Dave walked up to his ball and lined it up again before he tapped in the short par putt.

When the other players finished, they all shook hands. The other players congratulated Dave on his fabulous round of sixty-five. Dave thanked them and congratulated them as well. Dave then walked to his father and Jennifer; he kissed her softly as he heard his father say, "You shot sixty-five? That's a remarkable score on this tough course."

Dave smiled, "I'm really pumped for this trip. I want to earn a scholarship and I treated this round as my first round for qualifying. I was completely focused all day."

Roger put a hand on his son's shoulder, "Great job, Dave. But we should get going - it's going to be long drive."

Dave nodded, "Just let me get my card signed off then I'll meet you two in the parking lot."

Roger offered to take his clubs to the car, so Dave passed them to him before he walked over to his three playing partners huddled behind the green. Dave passed one player his signed card and then signed his own card. He asked them to hand in his card for him, as he had to leave immediately. He had told them where he was going and they all wished him luck as he walked towards the parking lot.

His father was sitting in the car waiting as Dave strolled into the parking lot. He took his sneakers from Jennifer's car and pulled them on before placing his golf shoes in his father's fairly full trunk. He took Jennifer into his arms and said, "Thanks for being a cheering section for me today. I enjoyed having you follow me."

She replied, "I would have cheered a lot more if you had let me - but I knew you didn't want any distractions. I'll miss you while you're gone; go and get that scholarship you want and deserve. I'll be waiting for you when you return."

Dave kissed her lovingly and whispered, "I love you, and I'll see you real soon. Goodbye."

Dave settled into the front passenger seat next to his father and they were soon pulling out of Buzzard's Bluff headed for the bridge. Jennifer trailed close behind until she reached the turnoff for North Beach; when Dave heard a horn honk he turned and waved goodbye to her.

He and his father talked about the upcoming tournament and about their plans for the rest of the summer. They listened to the radio for a while and the miles and cities seemed to pass by quickly. It was just past seven o'clock when they crossed the border at Calais, Maine and gained an hour of time. They decided to stop for supper.

After eating, Roger continued to drive as they proceeded across Highway Nine in Maine; the route is also referred to as the Airline Road because of its hilly, winding contours. They arrived in Bangor at eight o'clock Maine time and, after filling up with gas, switched drivers.

Dave enjoyed driving on the beautiful Interstate-95 as they headed south towards Boston. After Dave had driven for a time, he asked his father if he knew any ways to get less sensitive to distractions while playing competitive golf. Roger replied that the question reminded him of the Texan who always fired off his big revolver when his competitors were addressing their first ball of the day - the idea was that they would be forever flinching and wondering if the gun would go off again. Roger noted that could be true or just another golf legend.

"Seriously," said Roger, "I'll bet there are people who know how to get you desensitized; maybe we should look for one. I know for a fact that Lorie Kane the LPGA star who played her junior golf at Hornsby had a sport psychologist who helped her when she first started playing competitively. I know her father well and I will call him when we get home. I'm sure he can recommend someone or he can ask Lorie."

Dave nodded agreement and he began dreaming about golf again. He drove for about two and half hours to Portsmouth before he stopped. They filled up with gas and Roger took over at the wheel.

Roger drove south until they picked up a by-pass around Boston where they turned onto Interstate-84 west. They drove for several more hours until they reached Waterbury, Connecticut which seemed to have become their normal stop-over location.

It was early in the morning and, after checking into their room, both Roger and Dave just crashed on their beds. They both slept soundly until the wakeup call rang at eight o'clock. They got up, showered, and then enjoyed the continental breakfast that was included with the room. They hit the highway by nine o'clock.

They carried on west on Interstate-84 until they reached Newburgh where they turned south past New York. After they got past the hustle and bustle of New York, Dave asked his father about his grandfather. Dave had always known that his grandfather had passed away when his Dad was young and his father had always talked about him as if he were a legend; Dave wanted to use this private time to get more information about him.

As they cruised down the New Jersey Turnpike, Dave asked, "Dad, tell me what you remember about Grandpa MacDonald; I know he was an accountant, but not much more."

Roger replied, "To tell you the truth, I don't have as many memories of your grandfather as I would like. As you know, I was only thirteen when he died and a lot of the memories have faded over time. I always felt a little cheated to not have had more time with him but the memories I do have are very special. Some of the memories are silly little images. Dad used to have false upper teeth and he had a bald spot on the left side of his head. He grew his hair long on the right side and combed the long hair over the bald spot. I remember he used to make a funny face where he would drop his long hair over his face and push his top teeth out. I still laugh when I vividly picture that face.

"I also remember his black horn-rimmed glasses and how they always used to be filthy. Mom would always growl at him and ask him how he could read the numbers when he couldn't even see through the lenses. I kept an old pair of his glasses and still have them home in my dresser. I also remember going to the beach and the drive-in with him. He would load up the old station wagon we had and there would be at least a dozen kids from the neighbourhood in the car. We would go to Brackley Beach which used to be deserted then, even though it is now one of the most popular beaches on the island. I remember Dad would say "Buddy up. If you lose your buddy, don't bother coming back." We always laughed at that but I think how, if a father tried that in this day and age he would be arrested, but thirty years ago people weren't as paranoid as they are now. We would wonder off and search the sand dunes while Dad sat on the beach and read old western novels.

"The drive-in was another adventure. The old drive-in had speakers on the poles, not like the radio they use now, and we would unload out of the car near the back and take up three four spaces with our lawn chairs and sleeping bags. We would burn these round spiral incense coils made by Off to keep mosquitoes away. All the kids in the neighbourhood were included no matter how much money they did or didn't have."

"Another vivid memory I have is a game Dad played with me and a childhood friend of mine named Tom Peterson. It was a form of hide-and-seek but the difference was Tom and I would go down to our basement. We always played at night and we would setup booby-traps for my father to fall over and then we'd hide in the dark. Dad would come down the stairs singing the "I've been working on the railroad." song and pretend to fall over all of our traps. He never got hurt but as children we thought that it was the greatest fun. You know, whenever Tom and I get together even now we almost always reminisce about that game."

Roger turned a little more solemn as he continued, "I remember the day he died very vividly. That night will forever be imprinted in my mind. He died of a heart attack just before midnight and I can remember his doctor, who was also his best friend, coming to the house late that night. I met him at the door and I had this silly notion that I should be a man and not cry over my father's death. I was fine until I saw Dr. Jones. I got very upset and I remember I ran to my room because I didn't want anyone to see me cry. I quickly emerged from my room and found Dr. Jones consoling my mother. She was obviously devastated."

Roger looked at his son with tears in his eyes as he remembered the still painful memories, "Dave, if you only ever listen to one thing I tell you, let it be this; please don't ever be afraid to show your emotions. I felt guilty for years and years that I hadn't shown what I thought was an appropriate amount of grief for my father's loss and it took several very emotional conversations with your mother to realize that I had nothing to feel guilty about. Dave, real men do cry."

Dave looked very seriously at his father and replied, "I promise, Dad." After a pregnant pause he asked, "Why do you think grandpa died so young? He was only in his early fifties, I think."

Roger wiped the tears from his eyes as he spoke with a bit of a raspy voice, "Dad was a mammoth of a man. That must be where you get your size. He was six-foot six-inches and weighted well over three hundred pounds." Roger chuckled, "That reminds me that some of my friends used to suggest he should become a wrestler. Andre the Giant was wrestling in the Atlantic Grand Prix then and my friends thought that Dad was easily as big as him. They thought that until Dad took us to see the wrestlers one summer when they came to the local hockey rink. I still remember Dad standing beside Andre the Giant to get an autograph on those pictures they sold. Dad, surprisingly, looked like a boy next to the Giant - Andre was truly huge.

"I remember some of the other wrestlers like the Cuban Assassins - two guys with slightly dark complexions and long bushy hair. They always seemed to use brass knuckles. There was also Killer Carl Krup. Do you know another wrestler that started out here and made it really big was Randy "The Macho Man" Savage? It seems so funny to remember the old wrestling matches and the fake blood - God, it was entertaining.

"Anyway, Dad was big and he wasn't in the fittest of condition. He also placed himself under a lot of stress with his work and his finances. I don't want you to ever repeat this but, when your grandfather died, he owed a lot of money. He made good money but he made sure that I and my brothers and sister never went without and he often lived beyond his means. The stress and his poor health lead to several heart attacks until the last one finally took his life."

Dave looked seriously at his father and asked, "Was grandpa a good accountant?"

Roger returned the serious look, "My mother, who is a very smart lady, said she had never met anyone as smart with numbers as your grandfather. I know Mom was biased but I was told the same thing by one of his former clients many years after Dad died. I was nineteen and working at a service station pumping gas. There used to be a lot of regular customers at this service station and one in particular told me my father had done his books before Dad died. He said that, the second year my Dad did his books, he had bought a new adding machine. My dad was adding a row of number in his head while this customer was using the machine. The customer said there was a stack of six numbers with five digits in each number. He explained that my father simply started at the top and quickly tapped his pencil beside each row then wrote the total down all at once at the bottom. The customer had only entered the second line into the machine when my father wrote down the total. He said he couldn't believe my father could have gotten the right answer so he quickly finished adding with the machine and Dad was perfectly correct. He said he put the machine away and never brought it out again while my father was there.