Last things first- Today's Rainy Round

The DeLa DGC got in the Sentinel again today, for the second time in a couple weeks. This time it was a mis-characterization of our position on paid parking during last night's SC city council meeting. For a recap of the Sentinel story and our effort to set the record straight, click here: http://www.delaveagadiscgolf.com/index.php?option=com_joomlaboard&Itemid=153&func=view&id=3700&catid=12#3700.

So after dealing (as DDGC VP) with the fallout of the story, I was ready to hit the course for a reminder of why it's all worth it. And although the rain fell steadily from beginning to end, DeLa didn't disappoint. I forced my last round (-7 with only one bogey on I-5) out of my mind and took the approach from hole #1 that I'd play it safe, keep it in the big part of the fairway and simply try to par every hole. I try to be aware of my limitations, and today's round was full of 'em:

• Whether it's raining or not, my reliance on firm footing for my drives means that wet teepads really changes what I'm able to do
• Whenever it's actually raining during a round, one must deal with a host of additional complications besides discs that can never be completely dry and clean. You've got the extra effort it takes to try to dry your discs, the whole umbrella thing, wet hands, bulky raingear, and even a different terrain (my disc skipped twice off the wet ground when I didn't expect it, to my detriment).
• Add to all that the fact that I played with half the amount of discs I normally carry. No rollers, and only one of the 4 putters normally in my bag. I wanted to go 'light'.

It would be easy to do the woulda/coulda thing (and I will, a little) but all in all I'm pleased that I for the most part accomplished what I set out to do: I shot a +1 with two bogeys, and one birdie, and twenty-five pars. Most were routine, in fact so routine that I didn't make one putt longer than 22 feet today. But a few times, I pulled out pars after drives slipped errantly from my hand and save shots were required. Like hole 7, when my drive went right and didn't make it past the early trees on the right. My desperation forehand roller ended up 12 feet from the hole. And 18, where I slammed the early trees on the left and kicked right.

But in the woulda/coulda category, I had great chances for birdies that didn't happen on 6, 12, 15, 20, 23, 24, 26a and 27 . . . and cashed in on none of 'em. Oh well, I can always fall back on he aesthetics. There were only two other cars in the lot, and I only saw one other group on the course. They played six in front of me, then headed back to the lot, and after that, I didn't see a soul. Just me and the course, with the rain falling steadily and a heavy mist hanging on the surrounding slopes. Yeah, it's all worth it. For sure.