Diary of A Kansas Golf Fanatic:2014 Edition

Relatively mild weather got the 2014 golf year going in January. The 20th would mark the single largest highlight of the year, playing my 5,000the round of golf. The day was spent at the “Jewel of South Central Kansas,” Quail Ridge Golf Course. Over 90% of my rounds have been played at this great course. Sixty of my sixty-five first quarter rounds would be at Quail Ridge with only Newkirk and Elkhart also receiving play. The Newkirk rounds were uncomfortable as they only happened when Quail Ridge was closed due to weather. Only Newkirk, Springfield, Colorado, and Thousand Hills in Branson joined Quail Ridge as playing sites during the second quarter. The year was not overly artistic as April and June held the only two times I broke 40 for nine holes all year long. The loss of length (I was never more than average) has put a lot of pressure on the rest of my game so low scores became difficult and a distant memory in the past. Only Ark City’s Spring Hill and Kansas City’s Maple Park Course kept my play from being exclusively Quail Ridge during the third quarter. A new challenge emerged in August as I developed a sore hip, had three chiropractic treatments, and starting using a push cart to carry my clubs. My goal of 300 rounds looked distant at that point. The third quarter play also gave me some of the most fun for the year. Our church’s missionary to Scotland, Dan McCaskill, was home and we played five or six times. All of the golf wasn’t artistic (actually none of it was) but the fellowship on the course was great! Dan invited me to play golf in Scotland on December 2, but I dad to pass on the offer this time. Someday!!!!! I also had the privilege of playing nine with Rod Gregory and Ernie Kanitz. The memories of the day the course opened came back, but our games were much different 22 years later. Eighteen holes at Sim Golf Course in Wichita was my only departure from Quail Ridge during the last quarter of the year. It was nice to play once again where I had learned to play, but it made me appreciate what local golfers have. Our course is still an A+ course and Jeff Aldrich and his crew do an outstanding job caring for the course. Jim and Marcia Wheatcroft and staff are friendly and go out of their way to get us on the course for play. I once gave course availability a C, but would now give it an A. In the Summer earlier times would be nice, but I no longer believe more play would be accomplished. Golf play is down, unfortunately. 2014 ended up being a year of second bests. 332 rounds was second to 2012’s 346 and playing Quail Ridge 315 times was also second toe 324 times in 2012. 2014 activity did bring my three year total to 1,006 a level I will never again accomplish. My Quail Ridge total added up to 4,889 leaving me just 111 short of my goal of 5,000 times. The only downside to 2014 besides my sore hip was less times playing with the Grand kids. Girlfriends, boyfriends, cars, jobs, and school had lessened their availability. Only two golf goals for 2015: more rounds with the Grand kids and reaching 5,000 sometime in May. On to 2015!!!!!!