my friends...

…kick ass. Now I realize that most people might have that opinion of their chosen compatriots, however, in my case it is more than just opinion it is fact. Now ‘why,’ you might be asking yourself ‘would Dave be posting about his friends while he is kicking it solo in Costa Rica?’ It is pretty simple really…

A few weeks ago I was IM’ing my friend Kelly Ivan Hildt about my desire to play golf. Now normally wanting to play golf in December isn’t really an issue. My home state of Utah is often too cold and occasionally buried in too much snow to worry about it. Winter is time to think about golf but no real option to get out for 18 holes. It is a completely different story when you’re melting away in the sweltering heat of Central America and every resort billboard features a gorgeous photograph of an ocean side course. One of the goals I had before leaving on my trip was to get my handicap back down where I felt like I was a decent player. Saving money for Expedition Americas and playing enough golf to achieve that goal was a challenge but not only did I lower it but managed to set a personal best 6.4. Yep that is a pat on my own back and one of the main reasons I have been dying to play golf. Unfortunately, there is one major problem with all the advertising; the courses are outrageously expensive. Hildt and I discussed a way to fund, or more precisely, justify the funds for a round of golf. In jest I suggested an email to my golfing clique begging for money. He approved of the idea and the email was sent. Within a day or two more than half of the outrageous green fee had been donated to my cause.

Money in hand (or in the paypal account)I set up a tee time at the Marriott Los Suenos resort. Why the Marriott? When Ben and I were in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua eating lunch I asked the guy about his Bridgestone Golf (my preferred ball is the B330) hat and if he was a player. More than a player he traveled the mini-tours for a while back in the late 80s and he had recommended the course. A cursory review of a few websites confirmed the course as ‘the best in Central America.’ So off I went to Playa Herradurra. The $10 a night hotel a block away was filthy, hot, unclean, unsafe and dirty. Did I mention it wasn’t clean? I celebrated Christmas Eve with a pint of Haagen Daaz and an amazing sunset. Santa brought me some ideal weather and an wonderful course. Even more surprisingly in my stocking I found a decent round. Slope 132, fairly short at 6400 yards from the blue tees, yet narrow with uneven lies and quite a few creeks to negotiate. I managed a 39 on the front while playing solo and a 42 on the back after joining a twosome, then another single. 4 hour round but obviously it wasn’t evenly balanced. I hit the ball okay but truth be told I made 8 putts of 6 feet for more. So the round was more like and 85 but I’ll take it. I finished the round with an extremely long hot shower in the club house, which may seem irrelevant, but it was the first one I had had in over a week. It was a great way to spend my Christmas and I can’t tell you how cool my friends are for stepping up and making it happen. So thanks fellas.

More ramblings from the last two weeks lie ahead.