Bens Not Too Deep Thoughts: Golfing at the TPC

For the holidays we have some family visiting from the Great White North (Canada), and the other day I was lucky enough to be invited to go golfing with them and my dad, at the freakin’ TPC! I was not feeling too hot, but am I going to say no to playing at the TPC? Are you kidding? I did not care if I puked right on the green at hole #16, I am playin! Not to mention the fact that they paid about $250 for me to play… I still cannot believe them.

So we get up to Scottsdale and we drive up and three guys take our stuff out and set us up. We have about 15 minutes till our tee time and they tell us that if we would like to warm-up we can go hit a few. So he introduces us to our CADDY Sergio, (that’s right, we get a caddy), and we hit a few. So I am warming up with my dad, my Uncle Joe, and my cousin Brandon. After a few minutes I realize that I am in way over my head… Now, I have never claimed to be a very good golfer. I sometimes do ok, but I often slice the ball enough to swing back around and hit me on the back of the head. I have actually thrown clubs farther than my ball went! Ah… the memories! My dad is a pretty decent golfer, Uncle Joe is actually pretty good, and Brandon… well he is a freak. I have found out the kid typically hits 300 yard + drives! HOLY CRAP! I realized that I was there for one reason only, the comic relief. Who cares, I was playing a round at TPC.

Another cool thing about the course that day was the fact that they were in the process of setting up for the FBR Open for the PGA. So while we played they were constructing bleachers and prepping the course for the big boys. It made the day even more memorable. Throughout the round Sergio (our Caddy), helps us out on where to hit, the yardage, reading the greens, as well as cleaning our clubs and balls (it was a little embarrassing since everyone had nice Callaway’s and TaylorMade’s while my stuff was not quite as nice). I don’t understand why he kept giving me information that I really could not use all day. Our typical exchange went like this;

“Hey Ben, you got 185 yards to the center of green”. To which I reply,

“Uh ok”. Then I proceed to aim about 45 degrees to the left of the green because I hope that my slice will bring the ball right back on target, then the ball goes about 20 yards, and I throw my club!

Brandon was the winner of the day. On a professional course, which he was playing for the first time, he shot an 84. Not to mention the fact that on hole #9, a 350 yard par 4 he got the ball on the green off the tee! Crazy! I had a lot of fun, despite the golf. I have no idea what my score was, and I do not want to know since it will only humiliate me more, but hey… it was the TPC.