Tuesday, May 10, 2022 I scored 88* playing left-handed (putting right handed) but since I couldn't play #4 (par 3) as workers were on the green I gave myself my normal score, Bogey, which is included in the 88 which is why I use an asterisk. As a result I "shot my age or better" as I was 90 years old on that day. I played from the RED tees which had 91 par, 5,023 yards.

My back problem continued to degrade from 2000 on. It got so bad that I was only able to play about 6 months per year. Then, late in 2004 it became a constant problem, i.e. I couldn't play golf at all. Normally, prior to this time my back would recover and I would, within a few weeks to a few months, be able to play again. But the later summer of 2004 began a really serious problem, one that no doctor could diagnosis.

I saw my own physician, an orthopedics surgeon, physical therapist, a neurosurgeon, and a pain management specialist. None could help me except the pain management specialist when he prescribed Celebrex. This reduced the pain significantly, to the point where I was not thinking about it. But, even with the reduction in pain I could not make a golf swing.

After about a year of not playing golf I was about to resign our membership at Boscobel Golf club in Pendleton, SC. Then, one day while I was outside "walking the cats" I discovered that I could actually make a golf swing left-handed.

So, I bought a left-handed pitching wedge and went to the Boscobel practice area and tried it out. Needless to say I was terrible - if I managed to hit the ball it would only go about 10-20 yards and hardly leave the ground. Not only that but I was the direction was about 45 degrees to left! But I kept at it off and on for several months.

After four months I could hit a ball about 75 yards with the pitching wedge. By this time I was so encouraged that I bought a left-handed drive and a 5, 7, 9 irons, which I put together myself. The 5, 7, and 9 were all going about the same distance, some 75-100 yards and now they were straight. Rarely did I "shank" then to the left. Oh, sometime, I would come over the top" and pull the ball to the right. But at least I could play golf.

Although I could play golf once again I rarely played on Boscobel's holes. It was too discouraging to play a hole and score 3, 4, or 5 over par whereas previously, right-handed I was maybe two over par but more likely a par or bogey. I did, in November, 2005, play 9 holes twice and scored in the low 60s for each 9 holes. But this was from the senior tees which are nearly the same as the ladies tees. But it was a start.

2006 and 2007 saw improvement ... but not what I had hoped for. I occassionally played 6 - 9 holes, sometime with Don Dar, a very nice gentleman who plays from the forward tees as he cannot hit a ball more than 125 yards (he over 80 years old but someone I enjoy playing with) but seldom scored the way I wanted to. If I could make double bogey I was doing something right. I was trying too hard I guess as there were times with I could make a bogey or, on a rare day, a par. Almost all pars were on par 3 holes as I had a pretty good chance of reaching the green on my tee ball. Or, not being on the green, I could chip close and make a putt.

As 2008 began I discovered that my swing took the wrong path. I was not coming into the ball from the inside and, thus, would pull the ball right or slice it left. In two days of practice I began to hit the ball 'solid and straight'. (I am writing this on 1/1/08). I only hope this continues to work as I want desperately to get good enough so that I would not be embrassed to play with others. I have a friend who is a scratch golfer or better who I had played with for years prior to 2005. Somehow, playing against him I could always play better than I actually was so in match play I could beat him 3-5 times out of 10. I want to play against him soon. Maybe this year. We shall see.

I knew how to swing right handed but trying to take those 'pieces' over to left handed was extremely difficult. There were times when the 'pieces' would almost fit together and I could hit a ball straight and with good distance. But I just couldn't keep the pieces together all the time, e.g. one 'pieces' would come loose and my swing would produce a weak hit that could go just about anyplace. Needless to say this was very, very discouraging to say the least. Sometimes I wondered if I should just quit but, then, that was the easy way out.