THE SUB PAR TRIO

 

Pam Harrell, Letty Watt, Terri Street, the Sub Par Trio

Angst
Anxiety
Tension
Expectations
Drama
All words to describe playing in a golf tournament when my game is up to the 90's (not good) !
All words to describe putting on a five minute skit in front of my peers.
All words to describe being a local chair person of a state women's golf championship.

May 20,21 were the due dates. Dawn and I were co-chairs for the Women's Oklahoma Golf Association's Senior Championship to be held those two days at the Trails Golf Course in Norman.

We were prepared, our ducks were lined up, even though they were everywhere on the golf course.

My two singing friends and I had prepared for the greatest debut in golf to be held this close to the Canadian River.

My golf game had not improved this spring, but I held high hopes that my game would show up for the tournament and allow me to win the Super Senior Championship ( remember this song...She had high hopes ) BUT

On Sunday, May 19 the  National Weather Service predicted that Monday would be a level 4 danger for tornadoes and dastardly storms, SO we postponed this thrilling championship until June 24-25, and of course, the rains didn't let up for a month.

ANXIETY
FRUSTRATIONS
TENSION
begin to build...

Another month goes by with preparations ready, lists and volunteers ready, The Sub Par Trio ready, but Not my golf game. The rains stopped, the sun came out, the temperatures were in the 80's, and we played our first round of golf on June 24.

Lynn Ballard, Lee Ann Fairlie, Dawn Stork

This year we added a featured called "The Tin Cup Challenge" a simply 50-60 yard chip shot over water in front of people watching. For a mere $10 a lady could take two chances of getting closest to the hole and winning money with half of the money going to our junior girls scholarship fund. You could either laugh or cry at the shots taken that day. We choose laughter and memories. 


With a touch of Tim Conway humor (click link to watch  Dorf on Golf with Tim Conway)  playing on the television in the grill after our first round of golf, and while we were piling our plates with food from the buffet we watched and laughed at some old golf humor, after all we are all Seniors.  With dinner nearly over, the golfers were restless, and the show was ready to go.  With Pam Harrell on the piano, Terri Street lead singer and comedian, and support provided by Letty Watt the show began.

As a tribute to Mabel Hotz, Hall of Fame Oklahoma lady golfer and mother of the Oklahoma Junior Girls State Championship (1950's, 1960's), we sang a rendition of "Oklahoma", and "Oh, What a Beautiful Day" combining her rendition and mine.

Imagine, in nearly perfect harmony as we sang "Oklahoma":

Oklahoma, where the women golfers love to play
And we sure have fun, beneath the sun,
Even though it rains most every day.....

Pam Harrell, Letty Watt

A creative refrain from "Oh, What a Beautiful Day";

Oh, what a difficult golf game, Oh, what a fabulous shot.
I sank a long putt on eleven, everything's going my way.......

Terri topped off the night with her lyrics, adapted from "It's Ruff Being a Dog" by Phyllis Wolfe:

Camera please......

From the last refrain:  But still it's...
Rough, rough, rough out on the course
When the Golfing gods turn mean.
Your ball goes in the bunker
And can just barely be seen.
Yes, it's rough, rough, rough, rough out on the course
When your round proves to be a test.
But either way -- a good or bad
This game is simply the Best!

At the end of day two we proved the lyrics and the poetry to be correct.

Fun
Fulfilling
Friendships
Gratifying
Relief
All words to describe a round of golf, when the score does not reflect who we are.
All words to describe the Tin Cup Challenge, and  a skit on golf filled with laughter and memories.
All words to describe the smiles and thanks from women golfers.

Judy Sapp and Cathy Scott

Tammy Higginbotham, Linda Maddox

Marna Raburn, Lee Ann Fairlie, Medalist and Senior Champion

Thanks to all of the staff at the Trails Golf Course, all of our volunteers, and especially to the ladies of WOGA for making this Senior Championship a success. 

Younger Longer: Baby Those Feet

Hole 18  at the Trails in Norman with a newly created water hole in the middle of the fairway.

The Fitbit clicked 10,000 steps as I stepped onto the 10th tee. (I did take the dog for a short walk before playing golf that day, so perhaps I should rethink my daily habits.)  Staring at nine more wet holes of cart path only golf,  I looked at my feet and sang, "Baby the rain must fall, baby the wind must blow, wherever my shot leads me, that's where I must go..." I don't imagine that Glenn Yarbrough would be too pleased with my rendition of his song  Baby the Rain Must Fall (click here for the original song), but I enjoying singing while playing golf so that my brain relaxes, and I don't think about my tired feet.

AND BABY THE RAINS HAVE BEEN FALLING

Normally, riding a golf cart and walking on a dry day relates to about 7,000 steps, but for the last month we've been experiencing a tremendous amount of rain, and our golf courses are feeling the effects, and so are our feet, knees, and hips. Obviously, many of us are not in shape for playing walking sloshing golf that the Fitbit says is 14,000+ steps.

Since I know my feet are going to be tired, even though I wear inserts,  I am learning to care for my feet in the evenings by soaking them in Epsom salts. My feet begin to tickle and giggle when the aches wash away. Perhaps the most important step I take is to roll my feet every morning and often at night. The rolling gives me the chance for a free foot massage and to actually release some of the tight knots that build up with lactic acid and inflammation.

First, select the level of pain you want experience, or the level of comfort that your souls want to feel.

The golf ball is the hardest, but will cut into a pained knot or plantar fasciitis quickly. 

The pink ball is a racquetball size and the in between for soft exterior and firm inside.

I prefer the softer rubber ball or tennis ball because of the texture and relief.  

If I stand to roll my feet I make sure I am holding a door frame or chair, so that balance does not become an issue. Most often I sit and bend forward so I can put more weight on my foot when needed. I start on the top inside of my right foot, rolling is back and forth downward toward my heel, then around the heel and back up the other side.

 If I feel a sore place then I stop and concentrate on that one place by applying more pressure and rolling it slightly back and forth.

Another explanation can be found on the following websites:

Foot Rolling

The MELT method is the most detailed





Our feet play a vital role in the overall health of our body, and need to be treated like other muscles in our body--warm up the ankles and feet by rolling in circles before even getting out of bed.  Stretch them along with the calf or hamstring stretches before and after walking.

You may have noticed that my big toe has begun to move inward forcing the 2nd toe to cross it. It is commonly called 'hammer toes' and can be quite painful. That's one reason I wear professionally built inserts and toe spacers.  While writing this and researching foot rolling, I discovered this video on relaxing and stretching the toes. She's correct, I can barely get my fingers between my toes, but oh baby, did it feet good.   I can hardly wait to relax outside tonight by skipping barefoot through the wet grasses and then while sitting on the patio I will put my fingers between the toes to stretch and relax them.

It's almost like the care we give babies to hear them giggle and wiggle their bare feet.  Unlike babies we are now totally responsible for taking care of ourselves, so start soaking those feet and priming them for the next walk in the park.