“MAYBE WE SHOULD JUST SKIP GOING TO DICK’S…” My 21 year old son Ben and I are motoring out of Bloomington—home of Indiana University and where Ben is in his senior year at the Kelley Business School—and heading up to Indianapolis to play Pete Dye’s Brickyard Crossing Golf Club, which is located adjacent to the International Motor Speedway, home to the Indy 500 and numerous other races. We were unable to get a tee time on the IU course, which has just re-opened after a years worth of upgrades and which Ben has deemed, “hard as hell.”. We played Cascades, a local muni yesterday and both shot 39 on the back 9. We were excited, as BCGC has been ranked in the “Top 100 public courses” in the U.S. Ben needed balls, but this* would’ve cut our warmup time to zero, and its become a peeve of mine to always have some time preceding a round of golf to loosen up, and prep. Especially when playing an unknown course. Anyway, the audible was called and we headed north in our cars with sunny dispositions, matching the blue sky and bright sun outside. Ben had become passionate about golf this past summer, playing with his friends all over the place, and, as well, at our home club Chicago Highlands. I introduced the game to him as a kid, and he played 4 years at his high school, Oak Park River Forest. Unfortunately, that experience had been marred by a vindictive, and unhappy man who had somehow convinced the school he was a “coach.” I still regret not being more proactive with my concerns and chagrin, as this guy had NO fans among the kids. Never mind his actual talent re: teaching the game of golf. I digress—all past history. We were now full speed ahead into the unknown, and another try at what I term “the Infinite Humbling” or, what many of said before, The greatest game of all.

heard the course is in really good shape…”  We grab a small bucket of balls and head out to the range.  Over on the putting green we notice some uniformed young ladies warming up for a match.  They appear to be college age from the Indianapolis area, although we cannot make out wherefrom.  Our tee time is at 3:00 and we have about 20 mins.  The cart now complete, bags, clubs, drinks, speaker… Almost immediately upon hitting a few balls we hear a voice behind us, “Where’s 3 ‘Clock?”… I look back, “You 3 O’Clock?”. “We are.”  An ederly gentleman is peering at me, “You’re next on the tee!... haven’t seen the other guys… who makes a tee time these days and doesn’t show up?!”.  I smile as the starter pulls away.  We finish the bucket and head over to the first tee.  No sign of the absentee golfers, and ben and I smile at one another.  Decent, no distractions.  Golf is that rarest of games that is often, played with strangers.  And truth be told, 98% of the time the experience is positive, joyful even.  For there is an unspoken understanding amongst players-- this game is frightfully hard.  To encounter a single digit handicapper on a public course is an anomaly.  Most recreational golfers are just out for fun, often with buddies, getting some fresh air and exercise, swinging sticks and chasing a little white ball.  Drinking. Kind of crazy actually.  Nonetheless, occasionally on a crowded Friday afternoon you find yourself alone with a partner,  and a space can be developed in which to go “deep”, and test yourself again.

We tee off from the Blue tees (6621yds) and manage to both find the fairway.  We’re off, and I’ve decided to spin a mix from the esteemed metal label, Relapse. Ha. Heavy music calms me down, especially on the golf course (sidebar: the previous November Ben was home on break for Thanksgiving and we had ‘witnessed’ two great bands, High on Fire and Power Trip at Chicago’s intimate Cabaret Metro (capacity 900, sold out), basically both blew the roof off the joint.  The stage diving during the Power Trip set was mind blowing). I hit the green with my 9iron and two putt for par.  Ben makes bogey from the back of the green but makes good strokes.  Hole 2 is a par 5 and we both make par.  On Hole 3, a short par 4 protected by a hillock on the left and a tucked pin in the front left corner, I make birdie and Ben par, and the vibes are good.  The greens are fast (medium) and smooth, and the fairways in terrific shape.  Hole #4 is a 190 yard par 3, over water (?name of creek), with a green moving further away to the left.  We both bail right on our tee shots, consequently carding bogeys for both of us.  Ben, however, makes a really good two putt as we head over to the blue tee for hole #5, which is to the right of the fairway, and a feature of the course.  Pretty cool.  Hitting fairways from an angle puts a premium on the tee shot.  I feel free and hit my fourth in five fairways, and have a wedge into a middle pin, boom, pin high and 8’ underneath the pin.  Ben is right of the pin, a little further away.  He just misses, good par.  I roll my putt up, and in! -2 in the first five holes.  Unusual.