Mulligan

(In golf speak that means "do-over".)

Last night was like final exam time for golf lessons. Over the first two days the class was coached in hitting with irons, then chipping and pitching, and finally hitting with woods. We went over etiquette, safety, and general guidelines. Then they let us loose on the links.

We played scramble format. (From about.com: In a scramble, each player tees off on each hole. The best of the tee shots is selected and all players play their second shots from that spot. The best of the second shots is determined, then all play their third shots from that spot, and so on until the ball is holed.) The instructors stayed with us for the first hole, then wandered between groups. Some played only one hole. At about 8:45pm my group - cold, shivering, and laughing - finally headed for the clubhouse.

If you are thinking about taking golf lessons, I would highly recommend this program as a good place to start. I will probably return for another lesson at some point in the near future. For now I am confident enough to play on my own for a bit, and practice what I have learned.

Big thanks to Bob and Dylan at Lost Tracks for a great class!

p.s. Complete Ashland coverage is coming soon!