Golfing at Redwood Meadows with Colleen

It was a total surprise when Colleen phoned to say we have a tee time at 1:00 p.m. at Redwood Meadows TODAY!  For one thing Colleen is so busy that she doesn’t have time or doesn’t TAKE the time she has to go golfing. Secondly it is usually next to impossible to get a tee time unless you are a member at Redwood Meadows.  Colleen said she would pick me up in an hour, which she did, and we were on our way. 

Redwood Meadows Golf Club is owned and operated by Tuuit’ina National and plays from the Blacks 7095 yards and from the Reds 5722.  With slope and rating of 132 and 73 this is not an easy course for us to play.  

However, the course is so beautiful with wide fairways amid towering trees, large greens and in excellent condition.  There is only the last hole that is close to the highway so the rest of the course is so peaceful and quiet.

Colleen and I were paired with Jerry and Seth, two members who obviously played a lot of golf there as they were exceptionally good golfers. And knowledgeable about every inch of the course.

Once Colleen and I hit our drives I went over to the guys and said, “ If Colleen hasn’t already told you, I’ll tell you I’m 88 and I don’t hear so good and I don’t see so good either, so please watch where my ball goes.”  They were more than happy to oblige.

On the second hole Colleen sent a towering drive long and down the center of the fairway and Jerry and Seth cheered and clapped their hands.  “WOW” they both said.  We knew right then we would have a lot of fun golfing with these two!

We really enjoyed watching Jerry, who was a really good golfer and Seth, who was an outstanding golfer have “BIRDIE” opportunities on almost every hole.  And Colleen and I were playing OK golf too.  

By the time we got to Hole #6, a Par 3 over water, there had been only one “Birdie” so far by our group. By Jerry.  I was the last to tee off and I was getting nervous as my ball fell off theo tee and I had to re-tee it!  I was pretty sure my 5 HB would carry the water and was watching my ball closely.  However, it landed in front of the green and rolled up and around the bunker on the right side.  It stopped about 6’ above the pin on the collar of the green and was pin. high.  I took my 9 iron and closed the face a bit and…..chipped it right into the cup!  BIRDIE.  Seth was the first to come to give me a hug and Colleen and Jerry were close behind. How much fun was that?

When we were at the tee boxes at Hole #11 I told everyone I had golfed this hole with my grandson, Alexander (Colleen’s son) in 2009.

Alexander was working as an assistant Pro at Redwood Meadows Golf Course that summer.  He and I were golfing together, as we often did and we were just the two of us that day.  There are two bunkers on this dogleg, one on the left and one on the right some 200 or more yards from the tee.  The maintenance crew was finishing raking the left bunker and were waiting to rake the right bunker when we teed off.  Alexander was hitting from the tips (Black) and sent a towering drive high over the bunker on the right side of the dogleg.  I hit a good drive but certainly didn’t make it to a bunker but was good and in the fairway.  When I hit my second shot and we went down, way down, the fairway to Alexander’s ball the two fellows on the maintenance cart came to talk to us.

They said they had worked at Redwood Meadows for TEN years and had NEVER seen anyone hit a ball this far from the black tees.  Alexander and i thanked them and with a sand wedge Alexander hit his ball onto the green.  Easy Par.

This is Alexander now

The back nine seems longer but it really isn’t.  We all seemed to get into a bit of a problem with long grass and water.  I, for one, found playing in the afternoon is trying.  I’ve missed my nap!  But all in all it was a wonderful day.  We saw some really good golf and we hit some good shots. It was so great to see Colleen have such a good time.  

Thanks Colleen. 

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