See me in SI

SO back to La Jolla, home of Torrey Pines Municipal Golf Course, home of TW's Buick Open, and host of this year's USGA US Open Championship; where San Diego residents can golf after 4pm for 20 bucks, or something ridiculous like that.

Can you say excited? The third time is a charm. It was my third visit to San Diego...my third visit to Torrey Pines. The first two times included photo ops and shopping, lots of shopping, in the pro shop. I have spent so much money there, I could pay for a round of golf! Wait a minute!

So my third visit to San Diego included Torrey Pines Golf School: a 3 hour lesson with a pro, and nine holes of golf with the pro, followed by the remaining 9 holes of golf- on the South Course at Torrey Pines.

I walked up to the desk and announced my arrival. Trumpets did not sound..but the guy behind the desk wondered who I would be working with. "Jordan..she's yours!" Great....thank goodness Jordan was Jordan and not the obnoxious, annoying pro with the southern accent. I took off my sunglasses and met the golf pro with whom I would be spending the better part of my day. Tall, dark and obviously a good golfer, right? Oh, did I say young? And tall. And very nice.

Let me just say the total experience was worth every dime. This was one adventure where the totality definitely outweighed the sum of its parts. The day was glorious and sunny, the pro was attentive, charming AND a good teacher. I hit balls on the range, he videotaped me, and analysed my set up and my swing. He instructed, I hit some more balls, then we went to the lodge for lunch. Then we practiced putting. He liked my putter. I like my putter, too.

Then it was time to tee off. "I'll be right back." a few minutes later..." I had to do some damage control.They had you going out on the back 9 with two Korean guys. Who speak no English. But we're going out with these two other guys from Golf School and their pro will stay with them for a few holes."

On the first tee Jordan suddenly looked at me from across the Tee box and said,"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have assumed you didn't speak Japanese..or Korean. Do you?"

"No, Jordan, I do not."

"Alright then, let's go!" The two gentlemen who joined us were from Arkansas, and their pro was from somewhere south as well. I could have cared less. Jordan and I decided to walk...and I decided not to keep score. Why ruin a perfectly good walk? I hit the ball, it landed in the thick rough, I found my ball, Jordan gave me a really good lie, and I hit it again. Such a simple game, really. Everyone should get to play with their own pro.

The view was fantastic..The first hole heads out toward the ocean, then the second hole heads to the left and parallels the ocean and the third hole-the famous par 3-heads out toward a cliff.
Jordan took my picture on the championship tee box with his 9 iron. Or maybe it was his wedge. I really don't know and I don't care. What a blast.

As we approached the 4th hole, there was a threesome already on the tee box. "Don't mind us, we're not cutting in front of you or anything, we're taking photos for a magazine."
"Can I be in your magazine?"I asked. An older African American gentleman dressed in a blue golf shirt with a navy golf cap was sitting in a golf cart, the photographer was in front of the tee box, and another gentleman was walking back toward the cart. "Do you know who this is? This is Lee Elder!"
"And that' s the weatherman from Channel 9. The guy who always wears the bow tie," Lee Elder said. Who is Lee Elder?
"We're shooting for a Sports Illustrated article." Who is Lee Elder? Nobody I was with knew who he was..but he was obviously somebody we should have known about. The threesome shot their photos and scooted off in front of us out of sight. Throughout the day, the SI photographer could be seen darting about the course, ladder on his golf cart, on the back 9 catching the sun setting over the 16th and 17th holes.

Jordan left me after the 9th hole, with a folder of photos, a list of recommended courses, and a warm handshake,"I really had fun today."

I finished the back 9 with the Arkansas boys, finally approaching the fountain on the 18th hole as the sun went down. What a day.

Oh, and Lee Elder? Look for him in Sports Illustrated. He was the first African American to play at Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Master's Championship.