This time of year I feel like a guy with 8 wives. I’m sure there are some jaded old timers sweating at the thought of trying to avoid 8 different women, so maybe it makes more sense to say that I feel like a guy with 8 girlfriends.
They have all been gone for months and now they are dropping in to town and calling me up asking what my plans are for the weekend.
What to do? What to do? I’m torn like an old sweater.
Bay Harbor is stunning. A world-renowned supermodel living on the coast. I often find myself losing sight of the task at hand, entranced by her beauty. She floats through wardrobes with aplomb- Preserve, Links or Quarry. People respond with oohs and aahs when they hear that I have been spending time with her.
“What’s she like? I’ve seen pictures. Lucky dog.”
If you get past all the glamour, you find a course that is very approachable and forgiving of clumsiness.
Crooked Tree is the little sister living in Bay Harbor’s shadow. If people take their eyes off the famous stunner long enough to look across the street they will find Crooked Tree to be a real find. Coastal good looks and a personality all her own.
The Heather is probably my first true love. Timeless. Elegant. Beautiful. If I had to commit to just one course for the rest of my life, it would probably be her. White picket fences and long walks together- it’s the American Dream.
The Moor is staid, friendly and straight forward (in spite of the doglegs). Like Crooked Tree, her charms are sometimes overshadowed by her nearby sisters’ star power. If she were out on her own, the world would put her name in lights and beat a path to her door.
The Ross Memorial is an old soul, classy and from good breeding. I enjoy the riddles she poses and the conversations she evokes.
The Hills is a statuesque beauty. She is the product of Bay Harbor’s DNA in a mountainous setting. The embodiment of golf on a grand scale, she inspires heroic antics, but punishes fools who put on airs. (hint: play from appropriate tees for your ability.) When I relax and act myself we get along famously.
The Alpine is unassuming and classic. A farmer’s daughter, she is naturally beautiful. Her understated features belie a quiet sophistication. She reveals her mischievous side in subtly deceptive greens.
The Monument and I share a tempestuous relationship. Throughout the round she sends mixed signals- all too often I read a break and the ball falls exactly the opposite way. At last, her island at the 18th leaves no doubt whether I am up to her standards at the given moment. She is thrilling and unforgettable.
With only 14 hours of sunlight on any given day, what is a guy to do?
Maybe you can help a brother out and keep a couple of them occupied for a while?
You can reach them at 800.GO.BOYNE.
Be careful though, you just might fall in love.
In the meanwhile I'll hope the trout streams don’t call. If they do, I’ll have to let them go straight to voice mail…for now.
-JJ
