Apparently you turn your pasture into a "Driving Range!" I have a bit of a confession. I went out Tuesday a week ago on the pretext of having to "check out" a couple of things. A couple of kennels for Buddy for when we take our trip and apparently the driving range in Mars Hill which would be the closest to where we live. With as many golf courses we have around here, golf practice facilities are surprisingly rare. So I stumbled on this gem google searching for a driving range in this area. I punched "Mars Hill driving range" into google maps on my phone and it gave me a location only 9 miles from the house. I hit "Navigate" and took off in my truck with my clubs tucked safely into the back seat. When I arrived at my destination there were nothing but barns and pastureland. I drove back and forth a bit then finally pulled over and instead of using the range name in google maps to locate the range I input the address shown on the google search. It turned out to still be three miles away. Apparently I was closer than that on the right side of the freeway but this was yet another place that "you can't get there from here!" There are quite a few places like that here in the mountains with winding dead end roads that lead into small private enclaves. Anyway, I drove back over the freeway, wound around, passed under the freeway and arrived at the destination address very close to where I had been and found...mobile homes, barns and pastureland. I was afraid that there was no driving range to be found. But then I saw the yardage signs.
After driving a ways to find a place to turn around I tracked back down the hill and found the "club house" for lack of a better term. The one car you see in the picture is taking up the (one) parking space. I had to park in front of the barn across the street. I approached the "club house" only to find it completely open but empty. I finally found an attendant and he informed me (in your best southern drawl) to "put yer' money in da bucket". An if'n you need some change ther's some fivers in the bucket." The "bucket" was a small metal file card box on the shelf beside the baskets of golf balls and the "bucket" indeed had a number of $5 bills that had been left unattended. Can you imagine? In California there would be a number of kids waiting to take turns taking the money out of the "bucket" as fast as the patrons put it in.
I put my money in the "bucket", picked out a bucket of range balls, got my golf clubs and went out to the hitting area. Big surprise! It was clay with marginally mowed grass, just like a cow pasture, except in the flat areas which were bare because of the previous golfers. So unless you're ok hitting off the uneven areas or clumpy grass, you are hitting off almost bare clay. I had already paid so I struggled through a bucket of range balls, never really getting comfortable with my rusty swing. A couple of days later I was complaining to Maureen about being sore and I couldn't figure out what I had lifted or moved that could be responsible. When I finally connected the dots I still didn't confess about my golf outing.
About the honor system in play when paying at the range. Back in September of last year, after we had moved into our new home but before I owned a lawn mower, I introduced myself to a man mowing one of my neighbor's lawns. We negotiated a price for him to hit my lawn one time, I gave him the cash and drove away. When I came home my lawn was done. We are leaving for Ireland and Scotland at the end of April so when I saw the lawn guy again, I stopped my truck, entered into my familiar negotiation with him, gave him some cash, shook his hand and drove away. I'll let you know how it went when I return but I love being able to do business on a handshake. We should all be able to do more business on a handshake or be able to leave an unattended "bucket" of cash without concern. I just love it here!
Last, I've started some basic training with Buddy. All of the dogs I've had for the last 30 years I've taken the time to train and they've all been great canine companions. I've been a bit at a disadvantage with Buddy because of our move and setting up our new home and I have a hundred other excuses for starting this late. It's not like he has been running a muck the whole time, he knows his "place", he's learned about the invisible fence, and he generally minds well, but now we've started his schooling in earnest. Buddy has been pretty quick with "sit", "touch", "free", and "place." I'll keep you up to date as we make progress. Here is where Buddy currently is with "fetch!"
We hope everyone is having a great spring!
Your friend,
Rick
