MEDITERRA HOSTS TENNIS PRO GOLF TOUR

Additional photos available here

Ok, so the title is misleading, but it makes these Sunday outings a bit more fun for me. I can call a friendly game of golf every week or two at a different venue a "Tour" can't I? Heck, if I want to, I can call it the "Shankapotomus Cup" or maybe the "Yips Trophy" or some such thing...

Prototype SadExCup Trophy

Oh, I got it! How about the "SadExCup" because it's so sad that we are all wanna be golfers, but are stuck playing just a few months in the summer, because tennis season is from October through April...Heck I could even keep score unofficially and crown the SadExCup Champion at the end of the summer. Ah but I digress...

If you like sports talk radio, then I’m sure you are familiar 

Mike & Mike

with the Mike & Mike show. Well how about Mike, and Mike, and Mike, and Mike, and…well, you get my drift. This past Sunday (6/22), Mike Baldwin organized five groups for a golf outing at The Club at Mediterra and I think there must have

Mike Baldwin strikes a pose

been at least one Mike in each group…Ok, ok, so it was actually just four of five groups…and that’s only because one group had two Mikes.

The interesting thing is that it really was all about the Mikes as far as the competition went. Mike Curran claimed the top prize, Mike Lawver took second, and Mike Barnes was third! Nobody, including Mike Baldwin, told me it was gonna be “Mike Day,” or I might have stayed home!

Mike "Curr Dawg" Curran flexing his winning  muscles

Nah, the day was far too much fun and the venue was spectacular, so despite my meltdown on Hole No.17, had I known it was “Mike Day” I still would have made it. Fortunately, the loot was distributed to the top five finishers, so John Ramsey (4^th) and Pete Minarich (5^th) sneaked in there to break up the Mike thing.

Mike Lawver's hip-saving swing

Somebody must have forgotten to inform Mike Stevens of the special occasion, because he didn’t finish in the money…and he usually strokes a pretty nice ball. What happened Mike? I guess host Mike Baldwin, being the gracious guy that he is, decided that enough was enough, and he stayed out of the money.

Mike Barnes out-driving me with his 3-metal

Now I could offer up the story of how Mike Barnes (How many birdies was that Mike?) and Fernando Maynetto toyed with Chris Capps and me, draining 50 footers, and saving pars after scratchy tee shots and from ridiculous lies.

Chris tries to figure things out while Fernando watches

 I could tell the tale of our pathetic putting, and my psychotic swoon on the tee box of the par-5 17^th, only to bounce back with a bird on 18…but who cares about all that?

The bottom line is that the Tom Fazio-designed North Course at The Club at Mediterra was a snazzy track to play for a group of tennis pros who love the game of golf. We played the white tees, 

Dave Townsley, John Ramsey, Hernan Nunez,
& Mike Baldwin

and I think they tried to make it as easy as they could for us (after all we’re just tennis pros), because the par-4s seemed to be driver or 3-wood off the tee, then a choice of 8-iron or pitching wedge…at least for me. I’m sure the big hitters were probably hitting something like 4-iron, then wedge.

Mike Barnes showing his skilz

Be that as it may, the course was in excellent shape. The greens rolled smooth and true, but slower than the practice green. Maybe I can blame my poor putting on that? Nah, it’s been at least three consecutive rounds or so of poor putting for me, and Barnes and Maynetto lit up the greens, so it couldn’t be that!

Regardless, the beauty of Mediterra, the graciousness of the staff, and the fact that Steph was there to digitally record it (yes, even my meltdown) 

Steph the photographer

far outweighed my back-9 woes (41 on the front ain’t bad for me). Thanks for putting the show together Mike, uh, Baldwin that is, and share the gratitude with the Mediterra staff for us as well.

Don the starter

And so, the second stop of the “Summer Tennis Pro Golf Tour,” (AKA the "SadExCup") at Mediterra concluded with everyone being “Miked up” for the occasion. Shoot! From what I hear, the next stop on tour will be on Curran’s (yeah, Mike) home turf. I think we need Dekeersmaker (uh that’s “Dave” winner of the first tour stop at Miromar) back in the game! Whadda ya say Dave? 

FORE! I’m out. T. A.