I enjoy winter golf in Whatcom County; the wide open parking lots (I do suffer from parking issues bordering on OCD), the pace of play, the look on pro shop staff faces when I walk in with an equally crazy buddy and a hopeful look of anticipation that the course is even open. Oh, and winter rules… I don’t know how many strokes the “embedded ball” rule saves me when the fairways get soggy and balls get sucked into the vortex of muckdom. (I hope it’s a real rule and not just something Mr. Mudd made up.)
But even I have to admit that the thought of playing in temperatures above 36º (and dare I say in slightly drier conditions) does sound appealing. In fact for a few years, my friend Buz and I would head to Palm Springs or San Diego or Tucson or Hawaii about this time of year just to get dried out and warmed up. Last year, Mr. Mudd and I went to Mesquite and had a whale of a time. OK, there were high winds a couple of days, but the temperature was in the low 70s so overall it served its purpose quite well. (Tip: Put Wolf Creek on your bucket list.)
Traveling is not in the cards for me this spring so I’m focusing on my plan of attack for our amazing Whatcom County courses. Last year, I went in geographic order from the upper left corner in Point Roberts (that included an awesome flight from B-ham International to a grass runway near the course) and worked my way down to the lower right corner at Sudden Valley. However, for a variety of scheduling conflicts, I did not make it to the little Dakota Creek course out in Custer so that will be first on my list this year. It has been a few years since I’ve been out there so it’s a round that is long over due.
After that “make up” round, I’ll go alphabetical so hope my friend Tyler Byrd will invite me to play the Bellingham Golf & Country Club again this year since that’s the first course up in alpha order. I stunk it up badly last time so would hope for some redemption… but alas, golf rarely works that way. Tyler… call me… please.
Since there’s been so much space in the parking lots, I can only assume that many of you have a bad habit of laying off for the winter. But it’s spring, so your excuses are gone. This is your official heads up to pull your clubs out of the basement, knock off the cobwebs and give them a loving bath; oh, and treat yourself to some new grips. If you’re like 90% of the golfing community out there, you need them.
We are so very lucky to have no fewer than a dozen really, really good courses here in Whatcom County so get out there and clog up some parking lots!
Go. Play. Golf.
