Day 141 - 9.6.10 - Six Feet Uunder @ Maple Meadows

Headed out to Addison today with long time good friend Doug and his brother Dan to hit the links at Maple Meadows. The golf was decent, the weather was blustery, and a good prep round was had by all (Saturday we'll have a go at the challenging Harborside International Golf Center for Part One of Doug's Bachelor Party). As we waited for the group ahead of us to clear the green, I spotted this lone tree that reminded me of the one that appears in the opening credits of Six Feet Under. Man, I miss that show...

Day 112 - 8.8.10 - Bayside Ain't Just a Fictional High School in California

Bayside Resort Golf Course rests along the marshy edges of the Assawoman Bay (seriously) in Fenwick Island, Delaware. Blayne and I teed it up early in the morning and did our best to beat par on each of Jack Nicklaus' expertly designed holes. Jack bested us more often than not. Water, wetlands, traps, and forest awaited us on every hole. Landing areas were present, but narrowed and became more treacherous with distance. Wisely, the drivers stayed in the bag, and we attempted to stay on the short grass as much as possible. It was a beautiful round on a beautiful day, the kind of round that makes you want to grab a quick bite for lunch and knock out another eighteen holes... and go another 36 the next day.

Day Fifty-Five - 6.13.10 - Golf & Family

Today the rains held of long enough for me to walk 18 holes at a local golf course with some friends. It was an enjoyable round, and mentally I did my best to focus as if I were in full on competition mode. In ten days, I'll depart for Elmira, New York, to play in a 4 day golf tournament with my Uncle Mike. Elmira is the town in which my Uncles Mike and David, Aunt Annie Pie, and my father grew up. This tournament, which takes place at the Elmira Country Club, has a distinct place in the history of my family. For years, my late father and my Uncle Mike competed on the sloped fairways and fast greens of this beautiful and challenging track.

As for Elmira itself, I unfortunately recall very little of my past visits, most of which occurred as a young boy. My most recent visits, and consequently the most vivid in my memory, were for the funerals of my grandmother and my Uncle David. As much as I am looking forward to four days of golf, I'm looking forward to reconnecting with the Grady side of my family (Aunt Annie Pie still lives there) and to exploring and forming fond new memories of the city where my father, his brothers, and his sister were raised by Grandpa Thom and Grandma Marg.