An Extravagant Wager
The beloved little muni course we play on has relatively slow greens.
Usually.
This summer, though, we're behind in rainfall, and the greens have dried out. They're much faster than normal.
As a result, the green on #14 has become a monster.
This green is steeply sloped from back to front. Even with regular green speeds, it's not easy to stop the ball on a downhill putt. Now, it's simply impossible. As soon as you get below the hole, the ball will roll another twenty-five feet and go right off the green.
Yesterday, I hit a shot to the green and was pin-high, thirty-five feet away.
"I'll give you a dollar if you keep that on the green," Eli 19.0 said. "And I'll give you twenty if you make it."
"Twenty dollars?"
"Yes." He laughed. "Safest bet I ever made."
I looked at the put. I was left of the hole, so it was a left to right break, and it was steep. I tried to visualize a line that would putt the ball in the hole.
I'm not good at that.
I settled on a line with over fifteen feet of break. To have any chance, I was going to have to hit the putt over fifty degrees above the straight line to the hole.
Impossible.
"I couldn't possibly make this putt, except you bet me," I said. "You know what happens when you bet me." I am notorious for hitting unbelievable shots, far beyond my skill level, when we have a bet.
"Not worried," he said. "I'll be impressed if you get the dollar."
I stepped up to the putt and looked at the line for a long time. Then I took a smooth swing and the ball took off.
I watched the ball curving as it rolled toward the hole. It was a great putt. I'd estimated too much break, but it was a great effort.
As it neared the hole, it started curving more sharply. It was going a little too fast, though, and there was no way it was going to stop.
Damn. That ball is going to roll right off the green, I thought.
And it was, until it hit the flagstick and dropped like a stone.
"No!" Eli said.
I raised my arms above my head and shouted.
"That did not just happen," he said. "That was going right off the green."
"Until it hit the flagstick dead center," I said, laughing. "I can replace my lost glove now, thanks to your generosity."
"Unbelievable," he said.
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