MW Mobile Blog

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

14th approach shot

Drew thinks this is the toughest hole on the course.

He is on the green in regulation.

I miss the green in two, but chip it close.

That leaves only this 3 foot putt for a par on a very tough hole...

At the turn

Mike 52
Drew 42

Drew is not happy with his score.

He says it gets hilly on the back.

Not sure what I was huffing and puiffing while climbing on the front.

Drew's favorite hole

Par 3 Sixth
190 yards, uphill and into the wind.

Drew said "I always hit this green." Then he stepped up to the tee and did exactly that on the way to a par. An impressive spit in the eye of the golf gods.

I also had a good hole, hitting my favorite shot of the day. Uphill and into a stiff wind, I figured this hole played 215 yards with a lot of trouble short. If I had my regular clubs in SF I would have used my hybrid, which I can hit 205 on a good day. But here I had my old clubs, and nothing between the the 3-1ron (185 yards) and the driver (245 if I hit it right). I took note of the 12 foot grey rock wall backstop behind the hole and called my shot "I'm using my driver, off the backstop and on to the green." Drew gave me a puzzled look.

I stepped up and hit a rifle shot, right over the pin and squarely into the rock wall behind. It caught a funny angle and didn't quite make it back to the green, rolling just short on the fringe. Drew said "I thought it was going in the hole." As a guest on a course, it is fun to impress a member. He'd never seen that hole played that way. Two putt from the fringe for a par. If I ever get back to Greywalls, I'll play this hole exactly the same way.

Putting for my double bogey

Not.

Teeing off on 5

Into the grey rock wall on the left

I am playing with Drew

They paired me with a member since the rest of my foursome was a no-show.

Drew is a six handicap. I'm not.

This is the par 3 3rd. Drew hit it to eight feet.

I didn't.

Live blogging Greywalls

Not sure what happened to the rest of my usual foursome. I even sent them an e-mail with the tee-time and detailed directions:

mw,
I can't play Palo Alto but will play Greywalls if somebody else will drive. Hope you have an early tee time so we can make it back home before dark.

Don
----

Date: Thu, 28 May 2009 12:51:40 -0700

From: mw
To: Rick
CC: Don, Dan, Bob, Roy
Subject: Re: Golf at Palo Alto May 30, 7:36am

Thanks, Rick. I can't play Saturday, but I did get us an 8:00 AM Tuesday tee time at Greywalls - selected by Golf Week as one of the top 100 course in the country. There are 3 spots available. I've included directions from Rick's place. It is a little out of the way from there, but it'll be easy for you guys to hook up and park and drive together. I know it is a work day, but you do not want to miss playing this course. - mw

1. Head north on Laurel Ave toward Okeefe St - 377 ft
2. Turn left at Okeefe St - 0.2 mi
3. Turn right at CA-114/Willow Rd - 0.4 mi
4. Merge onto US-101 N via the ramp to San Francisco - 28.6 mi
5. Continue on I-80 E Partial toll road - 81.4 mi
6. Take the exit onto I-80 E toward Reno Passing through Nevada Entering Utah - 654 mi
7. Take exit 304 to merge onto I-80 E toward Cheyenne Passing through Wyoming, Nebraska Entering Iowa - 1,053 mi
8. Continue on I-235 E (signs for W Des Moines/I-235/Des Moines) - 14.6 mi
9. Continue on I-35 N Entering Minnesota - 220 mi
10. Take the exit onto I-35E N toward St Paul - 10.8 mi
11. Take exit 99A&B to merge onto I-494 E - 12.8 mi
12. Take exit 58B to merge onto I-94 E/US-12 E toward Madison Continue to follow I-94 E Entering Wisconsin - 61.8 mi
13. Take exit 52 for WI-29/US-12 toward WI-40/Chippewa Falls/Green Bay - 0.3 mi
14. Keep right at the fork, follow signs for Colfax/Elk Mound and merge onto US-12/WI-29 Continue to follow WI-29 - 105 mi
15. Continue on WI-52 - 0.2 mi
16. Turn left to merge onto US-51 N toward Merrill - 42.1 mi
17. Take the US-8 ramp to Prentice/Rhinelander - 0.4 mi
18. Turn right at US-8 - 14.2 m
19. Turn right at US-8/WI-47 - 3.0 mi
20. Turn left at WI-17 N - 6.9 mi
21. Turn left to stay on WI-17 N - 14.8 mi
22. Turn right at WI-17/WI-70 W - 2.0 mi
23. Turn left at US-45/WI-17/WI-32 Continue to follow US-45 Entering Michigan - 41.1 mi
24. Turn right at Himanka Hill - 3.1 mi
25. Continue on S Paynesville Rd - 0.5 mi
26. Turn right at Short Cut - 0.8 mi
27. Turn right at MI-28 - 32.2 mi
28. Turn right at MI-28/US-41 - 53.7 mi
29. Turn right at S McClellan Ave - 0.5 mi
30. Turn right at Grove St - 0.3 mi

Arrive at: 1075 Grove St, Marquette, MI 49855

Disappointingly unreliable. I guess they must have hit traffic in Omaha.

First light

Heading to the Marquette Golf Club to test part 2 of the MK hypothesis.

Monday, June 1, 2009

Scenes from a forest

On a Walkabout

New growth - Maples

The trail into our forties:

Norway pine plantation

Pond behind the beaver dam

The "40" Camp - Once a logginge camp, it is still used for hunting

White Pine just outside of our property

Some of the corner markers:

Flora:

Violet -As identified by The Reader in comments

Canadian Violet - As identified by Ken

Fern growth exploding

Saw many of these as-yet-unidentifed young ferns with almost black leaves

Raspberries taking over in opened areas

Yellow birch growing out of old giant stump

Big fungus

Guided Forestry Tour:

Among the maples

Poplar growth in '94 clear cut area of the southern section.

Ken riding the trails

Old logging equipment scuff damage

Finding corners.

This yet-to-be-identified bird was really unhappy about us being in the particular location we were standing and talking. She flew very close to us - landing on a branch as close as one foot of MK to yell at him -

Mad Bird 1

Mad Bird 2

Mad Bird 3

One of many very large old stumps near the beaver dam

Interesting lichen growing on the stump

"I see a burger and beer in your future."

That was what Ken said when he heard our plan was to head out to lil' camp for some cutting and clearing after our long walk on the forties.

He was almost right.

Pizza and beer at The Congress Lounge and Pizza in Ishpeming was our next and last stop before home. I had not been there in decades. We had onion, pepperoni, and cudaghi toppings. It was great.