The Relatives Came to Visit

It's all about fun ... real fun. Five brothers and sisters, all their spouses, and 14 cousins ... all withing eight years of age! When you put that many family together, something is bound to happen.

We were a motley crew for golfers. Harley was a trow-back for the ages wearing his 1970's cut-off jeans and flip flops. DJ was 16 with a mop of thick, curly brown hair tossing in the wind. He was full of energy and life. Dan, the Italian Stallion, was the man in khaki pants and Dockside shoes. He was the preacher in the bunch. Last there was me, just out to have a great time and create memories.

Standing on the 4th tee box, it was time to pull out the driver. The four of us hit our tee shots; two in the water, two on the fairway. We laughed and joked as we walked to our next shot. While looking his ball Harley found another four. He never did find his original shot, but that didn't matter, he was still three balls ahead.

Eventually it was time to approach the green. Each of us took our turn. Of the first three shots, one of us made the green. Last to shoot was DJ.

Now Dj was a bit excited and a bit cocky. He thought he could hit the ball the necessary 170 yards to the pin in one swing. He was even willing to put money on it but no one took up his offer. As I watched him line up his shot, I noticed that he was aimed a bit to the left. Directly in front of him was a small creek and to the left of the fairway, all the way to the hole, was a long narrow pond. DJ took a firm grip on his club. He looked up, he looked own. Then he looked up again, and lloked down. He waggled, and then he drew his club back.

His body recoiled and then he let fly with his swing. As he pulled the club down the wind whistled in the air, it was as if he pulled the trigger on a gun. As he hit the ball it took off screaming through the air.

The trajectory was perfect, he had hit the ball perfectly! It was gone! Suddenly, the sounds around us went deftly quiet. The whisper coming off his lips could be heard, "Oh No!" We watched as the ball took off over the pond, it seemed to travel for hours, yet it was only seconds. I was frozen in time, I watched ... and then I ran. Then DJ ran. We ran as fast as we could. Within seconds people were after us for DJ's ball had flown ... into a house! Fortunately it had missed the windows and hit the siding.

We were able to hide and get away from the people, but as DJ said later on, "It was the scaredest he had ever been in his life." I doubt that we will play golf on that course again. However, it did leave us with a memory we will never forget!