Today we played Mammoth Dunes golf course. The logo is brill, as they say --
It was designed by one of the hot new(er) things in golf architecture, David McLay Kidd (famous for courses at Bandon Dunes, Oregon, see blog in 2021).
We were warned that it was named Mammoth both so they could use the logo, but also as a testament to its size.
The last green was the size of half a football field (yes, that's huge for a golf green).
I'm going with one picture so you can have an idea of the size of the place --
But it was crazy shit. When you are told "don't look at that flag, but look fifty yards left and hit it there because there's bank..." and, of course, our man Tim was right, but...
And putting. First, Tim said the greens were unfair today. The starter said they were at 12, which was faster than they wanted them, but they hadn't cooperated this spring. They were slicker than snot sometimes.
And you had to putt through the clown face. A lot. "Up this bank, down, and back..." Tim would say. "you can't go straight at it but you can bend it..."
It was either really fun (not really), or really ugly and frustrated (a bunch).
But I started with a winner -- I told the starter, Tim and RR the "tip the caddy" story from St. Andrews ten years ago. It is JBroLaw fav. 😂 The starter said he was going to laugh all afternoon about that one. 😂😂😂
We had a couple moments on the back nine. First, I used the bank on a short par 3 (#13) and hit the ball to 3 feet. And made the putt. After we both didn't birdie the driveable 14, RR nailed two shots on 15 and had 5 feet for eagle on the par 5. He didn't make it, but a tap in birdie was good. His first of the week (I should say "too" since that one on 13 was my first). But those were nice highlights.
On the next tee, Tim (our caddy, remember from two days ago?) says this is a bit confusing and he'd had one player stand looking the wrong way and Tim told him it was a long carry. 😂. Eventually he told the guy to turn around and "Oh!" Haha.
OC, I had to tell the story from February when our playing companion hit to the wrong hole from the fairway at Spanish Bay. Then I had to tell Tim the fuji-ki joke (RR said he'd heard it not too long ago), which he really liked. I told him if he used he owed me a dollar. He said next time he saw me he'd probably owe me 10 or 15 dollars. 😂
We finished 18, both old men still moving, without noticeable injuries, and having rather enjoyed ourselves for several days, despite the millions of steps.
Let's go back. We started the day by going next door and having breakfast at Romano's. (Let me say that it's sort of a Steve coda to not eat breakfast at a pizza place, but it was right next door...) We were literally literally (I had people like that one from the last blog 😁) the only people in the place. We sat at the bar and eventually a guy came out from the back to wait on us. He was about as Wisconsin sluggo as you could be -- ball cap, beard, Romano's tee, jeans that hung too low. And he was a winner for personality. "How you doing?" "Terrible. All this work to do..." and went in the back. RR told me to not try anymore repartee. 😂. "It seems somebody didn't show up." After grumpy had taken our orders, a woman came in, put her purse on the bar and looked through it, then went into the back and reappeared as our wait person. Ah, the missing person who was causing grumpy to deal with us, along with the many other onerous tasks of his life.
There breakfast was fine -- oversized -- and here's your prerequisite picture, my ham and cheese omelette.
Dinner was nachos (which were huge) over drinks after round. My phone was dead and RR's was in his golf bag, so no pic. ):
****
Yesterday started earlier than the other days -- we had a 1030 tee time. At Sedge Valley, so we all remember if any of us ever need to. They had "grab and go breakfast", so RR and I had breakfast sandwiches which were iffy. The "sauce" had something spicy in it, which I wasn't ready for. RR didn't eat half his because he doesn't like that much bread. (yeah, we're all funny). The best part might have been Ashley, the register person, telling us the ingredients of a Transfusion, a drink RR had never heard of till this trip. 🤷. I tried to get him to try one at the last snack shed today but he demurred. :)
The golf yesterday was okay. We both played a bit better, but one part of the big news was the weather. After a first day of winds (the weather app had swirlies for the first two hours) and overcast and chill, today the sun was out and there was no wind (which golfers pretty much love). Tim said Tuesday's wind of the usual here.
The other memorable thing was our playing partner. Youngish guy (remember I'm a septuagenarian) strolls up in Tom Cruise sunglasses and shorts and an untucked polo!!! It wasn't THAT warm. "where you from, bro?" "Alaska." 😂😂😂
Turns out Mike was originally from Crawfordsville and RR had his Wabash hat on and he said he grew up 3 blocks from campus. Old home week. We all said small world. His best friend in high school was the soon of a guy who played football when we were there and now works at the college, and, of course, RR knows. They talked about him for a few minutes.
He hit the ball with a grunt and he hit in high and we thought long, though he said he hit it quite a bit farther in high school, when he routinely hit it 300. But he struggled with his wedge game, which he admiteed and lamented. He was a wild ride to watch, going from easy-looking birdies to the one hole he played from the foliage into a large sand trap. We, meanwhile, pretty much stayed out of the foliage, but one way or another found the sand a lot. ):
We returned to our post game routine of beers and wings at the The Clubhouse (that is it's official name0 and rested and tried to figure out how our old bones had survived.
Our adventure post-golf was to go to the "big city" -- Wisconsin Rapids (you are forgiven if you've never heard of it and/or can't place in on a map). RR had never eaten at a Culver's (yes, they have them in Indy -- he doesn't get out much), so that was our goal. He loves cheese curds (in fairness, he just loves food), and I told him about them at Culver's.
He said they weren't much different than the ones at the restaurant the first night. :)
And then "home" to crash early.
Mammoth logo:
So, now, to bed and up "early" tomorrow and on the road back.
Great trip. Loved the facilities. Great company. RR has even pushed to return. A good sign.
Till next time...maybe during our beach trip next month.
Manana...
PS To the comment about pizza, the restaurant at Sand Valley does pizza. Always telling when their own wait staff tell you someplace else is better. :)
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