Since the young age of 8 golf has been a part of my life. Starting with the basic swing, chip shot and putting stroke at my local municipal golf course, all the way to becoming a PGA professional, it has been quite the journey. The taste of competitive golf came when I walked onto Sonoma State’s first golf team in 2004 thus changing what was once a hobby to something more. This taste made me want a career in golf after college however my game was not to the level of the tour. In 2007 I was given the opportunity to move to the mountains and join a team of professionals to open a new golf course at Gray’s Crossing in Truckee. That experience gave me the drive to become better at the game I love and encouraged me to play Gray’s Crossing as much as possible. During that first year at Gray’s I must have played the course100 times. I played it so much I felt like I could play it blindfolded and it showed in my scores. Every golf course holds a course record from the farthest back tee box. Since Gray’s Crossing was a new course it did not have an established record yet, however on opening day one of our caddies played from the back tee box and shot a 72, even par. So the benchmark was set.
“I do set a goal every May when the golf courses in the area open to beat my 70 score at Gray’s…”
Ever since I learned about course records I have wanted to hold one. Call it a bucket list item. The 72 held for all of 2007. In 2008 I was determined to work on my game and beat that even par score. Sure enough, around mid season, I was able to put together a round when I was 4 under par going into hole 17. I could not help but think today was the day I beat that 72. I ended up bogeying 17 and 18 to shoot a 70. I was a little bummed at letting those 2 shots get away from me but was so happy to obtain my goal of holding a course record. It was short lived, three days after I shot my 70 another professional came to Gray’s and shot a bogey free 65. This record still stands today.
It is now 2018, ten years later and I have since changed careers. My golf practicing is a thing of the past. I still live in Tahoe and play golf occasionally at Gray’s Crossing. I rarely play the back tees anymore and don’t have the daily drive to obtain that course record. With that said, I do set a goal every May when the golf courses in the area open to beat my 70 score at Gray’s, with the season coming to a close in late October I have managed to squeak out a 73. I don’t know if I will be able to get there this season. However in the back of my mind, on my bucket list, is to have the round of my life and get that course record back at my favorite course, Gray’s Crossing.
