Yesterday (Friday) was a long day, so I excused myself from blogging.  Thanks for your indulgence in checking back again.

The reason it was such a long day?  Office work in the morning.  Followed by a workout at the gym.  Followed hard on by a round of golf to prep for today's Audi Quattro Cup tournament. 

The format was 2 player, better ball.  Dan and I were a team, so the play went as follows:  Dan drove the ball.  Then I drove the ball.  Then we picked the ball with the best lie, that also provided the best opportunity for a good second shot.  Then we alternated hitting that ball until it went in the cup.

In some cases, we didn't pick the ball with the "best" lie but the ball with the least worst lie, as our playing partners for the day commented about one of their choices.  (He said, "Well, we've got bad and badder.")

We ended up scoring a gross 94 for a net 73, 1 over par.  If we'd scored the same as we did yesterday, we'd have tied for first in the tournament.  But yesterday, being as there was nothing on the line and we were playing with our friend, Renee'--well, let's just say conditions were better.

I've played in a few tournaments before but they've been pretty informal affairs--bank reunions, charity tournaments, etc.  This was an entirely different experience and I'm so glad we participated.  I learned a couple of important things:

1.  There's more strategy to golf than I usually consider in my own game.  That correlates with the fact that more experienced golfers will tend to save strokes with their brain by not assuming they can hit impossible shots.

2.  Even when you have a huge error, and even when that error costs you and your partner strokes--hang in the game.  That's easiest to do when your partner comes through with an excellent save, but it can also be done by putting the prior stroke behind you and accepting the shot you have rather than wishing for the shot you "should" have had.

3.  Practice is essential.  If we hadn't gone out and played (twice) under the same rules as the tournament, our score would have been much higher.

4.  It's harder to play when the stakes are high, even if you don't think you care about the stakes.

Overall, it was a success.  We finished in the top third of players, we enjoyed most of our day, we got a free shirt each...and (as Dan said) we're still married.

That's the best news of all.

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