Trip #14, can you believe that ...

Well, I am now rested up from our most recent "Man Trip."  This is the 14th trip we have done; not all with the same guys -- some have died, some are too old, some have abandoned their golf game, COVID has put some on the bench -- but 14 years none the less.

Team Picture from 2021 (Trip #14)

 

We did a marathon this year, playing 27 holes three days in a row and then 18 on the last day!! Pros don't even do that much, or at least at our age.  Most of the players are now in their late 60s or early-to-mid-70s, and that's not their score.  As has been the case for the past few years, we played a nice course at Mt. Pilot, NC (not too far from Pilot Mountain and Mt. Airy) called Pilot Knob.  As is also a tradition, we finished the trip with a team picture.  Check out this group of par busters above.

Don't know how many more years these trips will continue -- might try for 20!  Group is already committed to next year's trip.  Pretty hard core.

Now that this year is over, I think of all the guys who have been on one of these.  My thoughts always go back to the first groups, especially Dave, Chuck, and Dave.  Yep -- that was a good group.

FYI -- here are two of the earliest pictures from the very beginning.  

The very first trip, 2007, checking in at front desk (l-r) Chuck, me, Dave.

Getting ready to tee off on first hole, 2008 (l-r) me, Dave M., Dave B., Chuck.

 

Just a side note -- the two Daves are both left-handers, so Chuck and I had to go get some mental counseling after playing with them.  They were never on the same side of the fairway as we were, and sometimes not even in the same fairway.  Challenging, but great fun and lots of laughs.

These golf trips are kinda like class reunions.  Nobody quite looks the same as they did when we started them, or even like they did on the last trip, but the fact that we are there is all that matters.  We swap new and old stories, probably eat and drink too much, but nobody cares. Our golf isn't that great, but nobody cares about that either. It all boils down to having 12 friends getting together to play a game.  You don't hear of that very often anymore, especially doing it for a whole week.  

I look forward to this every year.  We used to play in March, but the weather and the courses were not very hospitable then, especially as we got up in age. So, we switched to the fall and really enjoy the NC climate then. I guess now you could call us "The boys of Fall."

Looking forward to next year.  Hope everyone stays healthy.

From exercise keen, from strength active and bold,
We traverse the green, and forget to grow old...
("The Golfer's Garland" of the Blackheath Golf Club, 1700s)

Hooah