June 13, 2021 Golfing in the rain

The air was thick and the darkening sky glowered ominously overhead. The pervading smell of moisture greeted Barrman as he stepped out the door with his daughter Mia. It was a Sunday in the Okanagan and some much-needed rain threatened to dampen the day. He smiled at the odour that wafted in the breeze. ‘I love the smell of fresh rain.’

The fifty-ish-year-old man dropped his kid at her job and returned home. Through the rain-spattered windshield, he stared at the sky. The showers appeared to have stopped and the world calmed to a standstill. In that moment Barrman felt a warm glow and he acted on impulse. He drove up the front road looking at the brightness to the west. The impulse surged into his hands and he googled the number.

He stopped the truck and pressed send.

“Two Eagles Golf Course, please press one for the pro shop.” An automated voice answered on the other end of the call.

The wanna-be golfer pressed 1 and waited for the transfer. Why is everything automated these days? Barrman thought to himself. He’d way rather talk to a human voice.

The line rang, once, twice, three times. Barrman felt his patience slipping and his impulse began to die…

“Hello, Two Eagles.” An accented voice cracked on the line just as he reached to push end-call. “Hello?”

“Hi, ya, um, have you had any last-minute cancellations today?” Barrman asked half expecting a no. Apparently, it is hard to get T-Times these days – Covid has caused a rush on recreational activities.

“Sure do mate. When did you want to go out?” The man seemed quite friendly and a little eager.

“What times ya got?” 

“12:50 and 1:30.” came a quick reply.

Before he could change his mind Barrman blurted out his answer. “We’ll take the 1:30.”

“There ya go, you are in. Will that be four or two?” 

“Just two, I’ll let you know if we find another couple.” And just like that Barrman was taking K-Dee golfing for the first time this year. They called one pair of friends to see if they could come but with only an hour until t-off he thought maybe they could just be alone. It had been a long time coming that the pair actually got out and onto the links for some connection time on their own.

“Honey let’s just go, the two of us.” They both spoke at the same time and smiled. It was settled and they got ready to head out the door Two Eagles was only a short drive away and they had plenty of time to prepare.

K-Dee stepped out the front door and headed for her red Subaru. Splashes of water dotted the windshield and she paused to look back at the sky. “You did say they forecast mostly sunny this afternoon?” The petite brunette turned and looked at her husband with a trace of dismay and doubt.

“I looked at the forecast… but you know the experts are guessing at things as usual.” Barrman jumped in the passenger seat. “We might as well go and see – I am tired of taking shelter from storms.”

A drizzle of rain began again and dampened the windshield of their car. It was not enough to dampen their spirits.

They drove to the course and commented on how the traffic is getting worse all the time. Checked in and ready to go they elected to only pay for the front nine. The option to play the back nine was left to the weather. More rain began to fall and the two duffers looked west and hoped for a break in the clouds.

When they got to the first hole T-box, a mother and son duo were there as well. So much for playing just the two of them. Tish and Patrick introduced themselves. 

“I was still in my PJ’s at 12:50 and we decided to get outside for a walk. It just happened the walk was with a ball and some clubs.” Tish chuckled and fist-bumped K-Dee. 

At least they weren’t the only spontaneous fools that elected to go get rained on and chase a little ball across a field. Would it be a field of dreams? Or a nightmare…

Barrman struck his first ball solid and the day began. Golf can be a game that rewards and punishes both good and bad. K-Dee nailed a shot from the T on a par three that stopped within six feet of the pin. It was rather exciting watching her shot roll closer and Barrman willed it to sink. It was not meant to be and K-Dee missed the birdie putt. so close and yet… 

It is amazing how well the pros do and how they can keep nerves of steel. Barrman kept hitting a good shot then screwing it all up with a bad one. “Ffff, I hate this game” he muttered. Still, they kept on. The good shots giving just enough incentive to keep playing.

On the seventh hole, the pair of wanna-be golfers even managed to both par the same hole. It was a victory. The rain had died out a while ago. The air thickened up with humidity and the two golfers made the choice to play on and try the back nine. 

Tish and Patrick wished them well and quit the course after the ninth hole.

The sun even peeked out to wave at the duffing duo. That nice weather would all change.

By the time the pair of golfers were driving their cart up to the 18th tee the rain had increased. 

“Hey, sweetie do you want to quit? It’s really starting to come down now.” Barrman looked over at K-Dee and shrugged.

“No hon, let’s finish, it’s one last hole.” K-Dee smiled at her husband.

Barrman grabbed his driver and teed up his ball for one last smack up the fairway. ‘I hope I hit this one good,’ he thought to himself. His coat was beginning to soak through and the rain began to intensify. 

This is it, redemption time…. the duffers stopped keeping score around the thirteenth hole and now it was a matter of playing for each shot.

Golf can be a very fickle game.

He approached the ball, took a practice swing, moved over the line and looked up. He looked back down at his ball, head down, nice and easy.

Smack.

Barrman looked up and watched his ball as it sailed up, it curved right and went straight out of play into the driving range. So much for redemption. ‘Ffff I hate this game…’ He quickly dropped his second ball, swung, and hit a low flying drive straight up the fairway. It wasn’t long but at least it was in play.

Frustrated and tired he jumped back into the cart and the pair drove up to the ladies’ t-box. 

K-Dee grabbed her driver, walked up, took a quick practice swing, stepped forward.

And nailed it. Her ball sailed forward and true and past the little white ball sitting on the fairway.

The diminutive woman grinned widely and walked back to the cart, seemingly oblivious to the falling raindrops. 

“Nice drive Hon. Now, let’s finish this and get out of the rain.” Barrman did his best to sound positive. Somehow it didn’t seem that positive.

K-Dee finished the final hole with a bogey and jumped back into the cart. Meanwhile, Barrman played a game of army golf, going from the left to the right and back again. His frustration level was increasing as he went from the sand trap across the green and chipped it back and away by the hole. At least no one was on the patio to watch his pathetic display. 

K-Dee sat in the cart out of the rain as Barrman putted his last shot into the hole. It was a small redemption as the putt sank from twenty feet out. He understood why she left him on his own on the last hole – she was taking shelter from the storm. 

With that, the two duffers drove the cart back to the car and unloaded. It was a good day in spite of the rain and they were grateful to spend four hours together.

Sometimes it’s good to brave the storm to find a rare connection in this chaotic world.