The weather was right Thursday to start the golf season in the Syracuse area. After a winter of waiting, I was more than pleased when the trip 25 or so miles east of Syracuse to Kanon Valley Country Club took me out of my car to find KP and Tater and sun and ever-warming temperatures.
KP and Tater warm up a half-hour before our 10 a.m. tee time.
The coupon pass and $25 cart fee at this pretty private course went smoothly, and the pro was friendly and happy we were playing after receiving the special in February at the Syracuse Golf Show. He said we could head to the first tee. No need to wait for our officially booked tee time of 10.
KP drives on the first hole.
Tater drives on Hole 1.
I finish my drive at the first.
The action was considerable from our first shots through the 18 holes. Tater was the winner for the day in skins. KP won stroke play on the front, but Tater took the back nine and overall. I won bupkus. As KP said somewhere along the way, first man to use our very familiar saying this year: “It’s only April.”
In other words, there’s plenty of season left to get the game in gear, straighten the drives, air out the irons, pin-point the wedges, center-cup the putts. Sure.
(Later, much later this season, I will be saying after I fail to do one and all of the above, “It’s only August.)
My best line for this day, though: I hit four good shots out of the sand. My other 100 or so, not so good.
I had one par. Enough said. KP had five! Tater had two, but also notched a lot of great bogeys on tough holes.
Like I said, there was much action.
So I offer you this gallery of our golf in motion, round one, 2015.
Click on any photo for a description. Click on the bottom right photo and hold for an enlarged slide show.
Have you enjoyed a four-hour block of time outdoors yet this spring, and if so, what activity did you partake in? If you’ve golfed, are you best at driving, iron pay, chipping or putting? Which photo is your favorite, and why?
Mark Bialczak 
Well done. Interesting. Your friends have interesting names, eh.
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On the golf course we use our nicknames. They all me Beels. Keeps it zippy, yes, this tradition, badfish.
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Beels, a good one. I guess if I played a round with you guys, I’d be “Baad” or “Fish” or “Stinky”??
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Scaly? Bones? It would depend on your personality, too. There has to be a match there as well.
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Ha! Bones…I like it. Or Gills. Or Nose Breather.
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See. Get your sticks out and come over to the ‘Cuse. We could use a fourth, Finnie.
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Good to see y’all enjoying the weather and the golf course, Chum! It was a lovely day here with some blue skies finally. Went strawberry picking and found some delicious ones to bring home. About 10 pounds worth…I’m gonna be busy. 🙂
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Blue skies and bright red strawberries. Now that’s a Sunday fun day, Red. Short cake, please! Yum. Ten pounds of happy.
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I don’t have any golf talk Mark. But that sky…..just look at that sky. 😀
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I know, right, MBC?!
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😀 So right!!!!
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fav is KP in the bunker – and I like the saying “It’s only April”
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I caught the ball in mid-flight in that one, Y. I’m getting good at that with my iPhone 6. Turn the sound off, step out of the line of sight of the golfer, push-push-push the shutter button through contact. Thank you. And that saying of ours is so transferable in life. We do, too, to many situations. 🙂
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glad you step out of the line of sight – ha! and how fun to hear how you get the photos –
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Yeah, KP and Tater are rather sensitive about me spoiling their shots for them, Y. Why would that be? 🙂
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ha! well I hope you do not mind me sharing one more picture in your comment section – but this one just fits right in here – I am sure you remember it – but it is a fav… it is that golf shot “from the blooms” from last year ‘s masters
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I never mind, Y. My house is your house, my dear friend.
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🙂 –
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You look so cute in your golfing uniform, Mark! 🙂
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I’m glad to give you a good look with my uni, Rachel. 😉
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Watching my son play lacrosse has been my longest block of time outdoors this spring–and it’s ranged from winter coat and stadium blanket to light jacket in the sunshine:). Am looking forward to the latter more and more . . . the golf course is food for the soul, isn’t it? 🙂
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Yes, golf is a great excuse for being outside in a green haven for a solid stretch, Kay. As is watching your son play lacrosse. I hope you get your warmth in the Midwest soon. Our forecast for this coming week calls for a dip back down to the 50s and lower at night, unfortunately, but I know the season is here. 🙂
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Great pictures, Mark! The photos remind me of the beautiful golf course in the university where I finished my Bachelors degree.
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Did you ever play a round of golf on that course at your university, Lilly? Where was that? I’m intrigued.
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Golf is just an excuse to be outside. I hope I’ll get to enjoy the great oudoors soon myself.
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I hope you do, too, Jay. Bring on the great outdoors to the Big North.
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I picture your smiling and not being able to wipe the grin off of your face, Mark!
Felicia and I met this morning, walked at a place called, “Highbanks Park,” which was about 3 miles loop. Had coffee and split a salad at Panera. I will be posting in a minute or two, well I have to write a post but needed to visit a few folks, like you! Hope it will be a fantastic weekend for you and the Mrs. ha ha!
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I hope it will be a fantastic weekend for you, Robin! Great start with that walk on the loop with your beautiful daughter Felicia. 🙂
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Yay! You’re back doing what you love Mark! From snow to golf in shorts, must feel like paradise to you. ❤
Diana xo
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It does feel like a whole different world in the snap of the fingers, Diana. I know you’ve experienced that weather changeover, too. Snap-spring-almost-summerlike.
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Yeah, then we got snow and now it’s warm again and the grass is really green haha. We’re coming into hail season in the next few months. Did you know that Alberta is the hail capital of the world? Seriously, there are scientists from all over the world that study it here!
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Hail, no, how was I supposed to know that, Diana? Stay out of the path of the frozen cubes from the sky, my dear. ❤
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Very nice! I am so happy you and your friends got to get out and play golf. WhooHooo!
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It was great weather, PJ. Mid-April isn’t that bad of a start around these parts. Maybe three weeks later than the earliest, two weeks later than average. Thanks for your cheer!
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it looks like a great day for all of you, just sharing the space in the great outdoors and spending time together and doing something you all love. it’s one of your friendship rituals and glad you got the party started. i went to one of my fav local parks yesterday and loved walking and exploring – made me feel sure that spring was really here, and not just a tease ) i liked the ‘tater recovering from the putt’ shot, with the tree and water in the background. –
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I’m glad you got to cement your relationship with spring out there in AA, Beth. Yay for us. That Tater shot made me happy, too, what with the great natural background the course provided. Thanks, my friend.
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I’m not much of a golfer, but anything that incorporates getting out in the first warm spring weather, without involving yard work, is a winner in my book.
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We call our golfing “communing with nature,” this group of three, Scott. It makes us feel good about ourselves. 🙂
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Very nice Mark. Great that you guys got out on the course.
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No wet carts, Paul. Knock on wood!
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There were a lot of best lines here, Mark.
I’ve enjoyed blocks of times walking, walking, walking outside, now that the weather is nicer.
There are some good lines about golf and walks — like “Golf is a good walk spoiled” — and I just found this one: “Golf: A five-mile walk punctuated by disappointments.”
What’s your favorite best line about golf, Mark?
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My favorite line about golf, Ann, is, “I have two free passes, do you want to play tomorrow?” 🙂 Thanks, my friend. Your two are famous and fantastic.
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