The Daily Updates are set up to show the most recent first except before August 17(my departure from home). Everything before August 17 is in chronological order. Also note that the website program only allows one photo per update. To see additional photos of each day, click on the “Gallery” tab above.
October 12, 2021 … California…50 ROUNDS IN 50 STATES IN 50 DAYS! COMPLETE
POST #141… My wild, exhausting, fun, tedious, sleepless, exhilarating, lonely, blessed and beautiful ride is over!
My final round was played at the lovely Singing Hills Golf Resort in El Cajon. You’d think I’d have a great advantage at my home course, but I suspect the excitement, fatigue and the gallery/media had their effect. It reminds me anew how amazing those PGA touring pros really are. They play under the glare of thousands, I freeze up under the scrutiny of a dozen. I shot a 39/44 for an 83. I got to play with four golfing buddies (in the photo left to right): Dave, Jeff, Pete and Dick. So much fun playing with them.
I was humbled to have representatives attend from both Charities: Adam Edgerly (Project Blue) and Avis/Jeff (Water 1st International).
At the end of the round, Al Vallecorsa, Singing Hills Director of Golf, generously presented a check to Water 1st International for $2500! Wow! I am SO glad they didn’t base the amount on the quality of my play on the back nine but rather on the degree of gracious concern that Singing Hills and the Sycuan Resort and Casino has for those in need of easy access to clean water. THANK YOU!!
Then a group of about 80 friends gathered at Community Covenant Church of El Cajon where I had the opportunity to express my deep, deep gratitude for their support and constant encouragement. And there was great Mexican food!
Upcoming posts will NOT be daily.They will acknowledge the people that made this happen.I will announce all the contest winners, will summarize the golf courses and will provide some observations about what I think I’ve learned through this adventure.I will also update you on how we’re doing on the fundraising. Stay tuned. The past 57 days are a blur to me right now but I’m hoping that after a few days of waking up to a day where every hour is not already spoken for, it’ll all become clearer.
October 11, 2021 … Nevada (via Zion!)…DAY 49 OF 50!!!
POST #140… Kevin and I woke before 5 am to take an interesting hike in the morning. Then we played moderately interesting golf course in the afternoon.
Tomorrow: H O M E !
October 10, 2021 … Utah…Round #48 of 50!
POST #139… Due to a crazy thing that Kevin and I are going to squeeze in tomorrow before our Nevada round of golf (see tomorrow’s posting), I only have time to say that Sand Hollow (Utah) was a wonderful track, particularly holes 12 – 15 which were perched atop and among red-stoned cliffs. Amazing! Maybe not good for my golf score, but amazing nonetheless. In spite of a spate of double bogeys (I guess a “spate” equals 4, all on the back nine), I shot a respectable 81. Even better than the course was getting to play with yet another person who read the UT article and wanted to play with me, Jim. He is part of a fraternity of avid golfers who play big: he’s played EVERY course in Utah, he’s played golf in every state and he is in the process of playing Golf Digest’s top 100 courses in the U.S. I am glad to become a member of this order through the 50in50in50 gig. Kevin and I delighted in talking golf with Jim. In addition, I’m convinced he is the reason I shot a 37 on the front 9. His relaxed but committed swing was a model of what I would like my tempo to be all the time.
Today is the 44th anniversary of my first day of work at California State Parks. I was a Jr. Landscape Architect, I weighed somewhere under 130 lbs and I had hair on my head and no hair on my face.
October 9, 2021 … Arizona via Monument Valley; Round 47 with only 3 TO GO!!!!
POST #138… You may note that I haven’t talked much about my lodging; that’s because there hasn’t been much to talk about. It been mostly a collection of whatever-name generic brand that stayed within my budget and had a greater than “4.0” rating on Google. Some of the best places have been the NON brand ones (so have some of the worst). One of the best was last night: Retro Inn in Cortez, CO. Clean, comfortable rooms, each with a different inobtrusive “theme” (room 1961 is the Flintstones…Kevin’s room 1963 was Barbie). Included with the room is a friendly staff, fun grounds (play giant chess) and a great breakfast with what appear to be homemade frozen green chile tamales! Keeping with the “retro” theme, they also had Hostess cupcakes available for breakfast. These always appeal to my eye and I have to eat one once every few years to remind myself of how sickening and gross they actually are. Anyway, Retro Inn is a keeper!
In an attempt to resolve the unknowable issues of the cosmos, Scientists have carefully studied the effects of too much golf over an extended period of time and have determined that too much golf begets bad golf and temporary insanity which begets more bad golf. In just 3 days, I will be freed from this laboratory experiment! I shot a 90 today in perfect conditions on a spectacular course (Lake Powell National).
Or maybe I just don’t play well on days after I have an incredible drive through amazing settings. This morning, Kevin and I drove from Cortez, CO to Page, AZ via Canyon of the Ancients NM and Monument Valley. I’ll let the photos speak for themselves except to say, there is no other place like this on earth; “stunning” is too small a word. [Note that we were able to fit in two golf bags, two adults (one large, one small) and all their stuff. So, Audi, where’s the love and the corporate sponsorship for 50in50in50?!]
October 8, 2021 … Colorado; Round 46 Only 4 to go.
POST #137… Ron and I had a special drive from Taos to Pagosa Springs. We left before the sun rose in order to stay on schedule. Dawn slowly revealed that Highway 64 is a special route, especially this time of year. Before the sun crept over the horizon, we found ourselves in a magical aspen forest of bright yellows and deep greens, cruising at a high speed along a perfectly meandering road…and the road was ours alone. It was a holy moment as we quietly soaked in the experience. Little discussion, just a few soft gasps and “wows”. Road trips may have no better natural venue than Highway 64 between Taos and Tierra Amarila.
I am chafing at the bit. I’m mostly trying to play good golf so I can get done with the round faster (fewer shots) and get closer to home. I played bad golf on a pretty easy course today; a terrible combination.
At the Durango Airport, I dropped off Ron (THANK YOU RON, I really enjoy our time together!) and picked up Kevin, my golfing buddy from Nashville who will play the next 3 rounds and join me in the drive back to San Diego. Kevin has very little experience with the American Southwest, so golf is almost taking a backseat to squeezing in sightseeing the next few days. We started this afternoon by taking a long detour into Mesa Verde NP. The ancient cliff dwellings, the landscape, even the park admin buildings, are amazing. Tomorrow: Monument Valley and the next day: Zion. Kevin’s pretty excited and so am I.
If you’ve thought about making a donation but haven’t yet, please consider doing so.I can’t express strongly enough the comprehensive changes easy access to clean water makes on families and communities.Every recipient that I met in Honduras was a model of self-sufficiency and joy.Please see my Posts from July 5-8 & July 10-12 here
October 7, 2021 … New Mexico…Round 45, only 5 to go!
POST #136… I write this from Taos NM; what a great state!
I have 3 favorite trees: Giant Sequoia, most Oaks and the Aspen. As Ron and I drove to Taos for today’s round, IT WAS GLORIOUS with Aspen trees! Huge swaths of mountain slopes a canvas of mottled colors: bright yellow Aspens that have turned next to light green aspens that are still wearing their summer attire, framed by permanently dark green conifers, blue sky and the rich brown prairie. Oh my. And what a great contrast with the seemingly endlessly flat prairie in which we spent the first half of our long morning drive.
To start the day, we visited Whataburger and feasted on Ron’s only demand of the entire trip: a Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit. When I first got mine, I reacted with some concern about whether this little breakfast sandwich could satisfy a manly man like me. I soon found that this is something NASA should be using for long space flights. I’m not sure if I’ve ever eaten anything that starts so small yet magically explodes to three times its size once in your belly. Beware! By 8pm, I still felt like an anaconda who gulped down an alligator. (But it was yummy…as I’m sure the alligator would be.)
We got to drive through Clayton, New Mexico where a city finally got it right: just about everything we passed was named “Clayton”. Ron was so excited that he is considering adding a 20th career to his resume, but I tried to discourage him.
The Taos Valley is simply spectacular, as is the Taos Country Club.It’s a nicely laid out track, beautifully maintained with constant 360-degree views, some of them of ranges over 100 miles away. PLUS, I whined to the golf Pro, Javier, about my “Y” problem and he patiently gave me some wonderful counsel.I have hope. I also had the pleasure of playing with Rick who heard about the 50in50in50 through the UT article.We had a great time.I loved how he was always thinking of ways to better promote the 50in50in50 locally.
October 6, 2021 … Texas! Round 44; only 6 to go!
POST #135… There are certain words you just don’t say in golf. Golfers know what those words are; one begins with “s”, the other begins with “y”. Both strike terror in the heart of avid golfers because they are debilitating and are deeply mysterious as to how to fix. I started with the “y”s in the middle of yesterday’s round and they continued throughout today’s round. The ironic thing is that I played very well from tee to green, well enough to shoot a 79. The “y”s will haunt me tonight.
The Ross Rogers course in Amarillo (I was told by Phil to pronounce it “Amarilla”) seemed the perfect representative of West Texas golf: rolling, open terrain with long vistas and steady 20 mph winds. I really enjoyed the course.
Last night I picked up my friend Ron at the Oklahoma City Airport! He’s joining me all the way to Durango, Colorado. He’s not only a fun companion, he also loves to drive backcountry roads. In addition, he presents the wonderful calming influence needed by mercurial golfers like me and provided by all great caddies.
Ron and I hit a magical milestone: we travelled far enough west to eat Mexican food again! Enjoyed an almost spiritual moment at a delicious Mexican restaurant in Amarilla. Yes, I guess living in San Diego has made me Mexican food snob.
It almost never fails when I try something new. I sputter, adjust, sputter, adjust and just when I’m finally starting to get into a rhythm and become good at it, I don’t have to do it anymore.I’m getting really good at this 50in50in50 thing: getting up, doing physio, eating, packing, driving, golfing, eating, driving, unpacking, outreach, website updating, eating, cleaning (teeth, body, clothes), physio again and sleeping… and in 6 days, I’ll hang up my spurs and never need do it again!
October 5, 2021 … Oklahoma! (Please sing as in show tune.)
POST #134… And the sun did come sweeping cross the plain today as I was hosted at Cimarron National by Phil with his golfing buddy, Brian. Really nice layout and we had a fun time in spite of greens that felt like a bean bag chair upholstered in a shag rug. It’s really my fault because I neglected to adequately explain my route to Phil so that he’d have a wider range of course options.
Phil is a California transplant and explained that his favorite thing about Oklahoma is the people. And now I get it. The best thing about my round today was the people I got to spend time with. I love Oklahoma too!
I’m beginning to assume that I’m actually going to complete this 50in50in50 thing! I’ll be done with it in only 1 week.It occurred to me that the thing I may miss most after it’s done is connecting with so many encouraging, wise, loving people.That includes golfers like Phil and Brian but also the people who regularly send me encouraging emails or messages.There is Lisa (who regularly gives me a blessing or scriptural encouragement) and Barbara (who daily gifts me a haiku, newly inspired based on my posts for that day!) and Katie (who has left encouraging cards for me along the way) and Rex (who knows my schedule better than me) and the many ongoing exchanges that are funny or poignant or encouraging from so many others.I have been beyond blessed by all of you.And to think that while we are having all this relational fun, together we are raising funds that will absolutely change communities forever by giving them the gift of easy access to clean water, well, it makes me a little giddy. THANK YOU!!!
October 4, 2021 … Kansas! Round #42; Only 8 to go!
POST #133… I had the pleasure of being joined by Ken. He saw the Union Tribune article and like me is a golfer who is concerned about clean water. He drove from his home here in Kansas to join me. Ken was not playing his best golf so during the back nine, I offered to let him try my Sim 3-wood off the tee. He didn’t hit it very well the 1st or 2nd times but on the 3rd attempt, his noisy phone alert went off just as he was addressing the ball, ready to hit. Rather than stop and turn off the alarm, Ken focused on the ball, swung and hit a massive tee shot. I suggested that perhaps he’d discovered the latest fad in golf instruction: “Better Golf through Annoying Noise”. The next tee, he set his alarm for 1 minute, calmly evaluated the shot, stepped back, approached his ball once the alarm went off, then proceeded to launch another awesome tee shot. Clearly, he is on to something. I’m hoping he donates a significant portion of the book royalties toward easy access to clean water.
I also didn’t play well on the front nine but recovered enough to shoot an 83.
A few of those who have made “pledges” (as opposed to direct donations) have asked about how they pay up. When I get back to San Diego, I will send you each an email that notes the amount of your pledge and how to make good on it. For those of you who made a pledge that’s not based on my performance (# of birdies, no curse rounds etc) you can use the website any time to donate to your choice among the 2 charities using a credit card. If you prefer sending a check made out to the charity, just make it out to the charity with my name on the note line and send it to the charity (see the website for their addresses). For those who based their pledge on my performance, please wait for my email after I finish (I’m hoping for many final round birdies and a hole-in-one on the final hole!). See the Performance Tab on the website to see status https://www.50in50in50golf4water.org/performance-summary .
October 3, 2021 … All about golf in Missouri; 41 Down 9 To Go!
POST #132… Some of you may recall me discussing how I selected the courses (Post 66 July 29) and that one in particular had me fairly twitterpated with excitement because it was designed by Tom Fazio. Well, today was the day.
Maybe it was the contrast with cheesy Branson (which I would actually go back to), but simply the drive into the golf complex was deeply beautiful and refined. It was yet another of those moments I could’ve turned to toto and say “we’re not in Kansas anymore”. The clubhouse was perched high on a ridge with a 360 degree view of the Ozarks. Add to that the herd of buffalo I drove by on the way in and this was already a special place. When I got down to the range to warm up, I found my little heart was thumping with excitement. “Oh, this will not do” and tried to slow it down with deep breaths. This is clear evidence of an overly passionate golfer. They paired me up with two other single golfers, Gordie and James (with his wife Lee riding along). Like me, James hadn’t played the course before, but Gordie had many times; his advice proved to be invaluable throughout the round. By the end of the round I begged them to accompany me for the next 9 days, not only because we all had a delightful time but I had the best score of the 50in50in50 adventure. Since I didn’t feel I was striking the ball all that well, I’ve decided they must be my muses. Unfortunately, they refused; they have lives. Imagine that.
I shot a 75! It’s strange (as most things about golf are). I wasn’t playing great but I guess I scored well because I didn’t seriously spray the ball; oh, and I made a lot of putts from 4 to 10 feet in length. Perhaps the most important thing was my frame of mind: I loved the course, which made me more relaxed? Buffalo Ridge Springs certainly loved me back. All scorecards can be seen at https://www.50in50in50golf4water.org/50-scorecards
I hope you enjoy the photos half as much as I enjoyed the place.
October 2, 2021 … My First Purple, and much more!
POST #131… My final “only driving day”. I drove over 6 hours to get to Branson, Missouri, and, oh boy, what a drive!
Mostly a steady rain the first few hours, heavy at times. Then it opened up into a mix of sun and clouds that was lovely. My expectations of a peaceful rest of the day were quickly dashed as a deer bolted just in front of me with another behind. The second one was knocked off it’s feet by an oncoming car, otherwise, it likely would’ve hit me. It lept up and continued across behind me. I think the 50in50in50 came within moments of being derailed.
An hour later, I crested a rise and saw blackness on the horizon ahead (and I mean BLACK); I think I said out loud “Oh, this is not good.” I was on a narrow, winding road and the skies dumped as intense a rain as I’ve experienced, culminating in a lightning bolt striking the ground seemingly a hundred yards away. I’m pretty sure it was that close because I felt at the time I could hit a comfortable gap wedge to it. I finally found a narrow shoulder to squeeze onto and wait until it calmed to a downpour. I called my son, Nathanael and he sent me the radar of what I encountered along route 160. I can’t remember seeing purple in a radar; I certainly have never BEEN in purple before.
I received a number of suggestions for my 1 Branson activity and decided on the Titanic Museum. Gretchen took me on a circuitous route around the main town. My question as to whether Branson would be cheesy was answered as I turned the corner and saw a replica Titanic on main street, not far from King Kong climbing a replica Empire State Building. The bigger surprise was that the Titanic Museum was terrific.
Tomorrow I begin the home stretch. Ten rounds in 10 days beginning with the highly anticipated Buffalo Ridge Springs designed by Tom Fazio.
October 1, 2021 … Kentucky…40 Down 10 to go
POST #130… I open with two grocery store observations from my travels. Yesterday afternoon, I went to Walmart to pick up salad fixings and bananas. I was stunned at the banana display. Is there a worldwide banana shortage or is this how Tennesseans like their bananas or is Walmart trying to stick it to their customers or is this evidence of yet another supply problem?
Harkening all the way back to a Hawaiian grocery store I visited, look at the 2 options for pineapple. Which would you buy? Which do you think I bought?
I got done with my Kentucky course (Drake Creek) early enough to allow me to do my laundry. I think this’ll be the final load, I’m good until I get home. (If you come out to Singing Hills on Oct 12 5:30 to celebrate the final hole and you find I look disheveled and there is a stench about me, then you’ll know I miscalculated on the laundry timing.) Another score today in the seventies (77) but this hardly counts since the course was easy compared to all the others I’ve been playing.
Wow! Only 10 rounds to go…but 11 days because tomorrow is scheduled to be a driving day; which is fortuitous since the forecast is for rain all day. Tomorrow evening I’ll be in Branson, MO the entertainment capital of the Midwest. I fear it’ll be cheezy but hope that it’ll be fun. For those who have been there, please provide wise counsel as to the 1 or 2 activities that I MUST do tomorrow night.
Darren, my ecologist friend, informs me that yesterday’s turtle was a Carolina Box Turtle.
I think 50 states is too many. Let’s consolidate a few so I can be home sooner.
September 30, 2021 … Tennessee…39 Down, 11 To Go!
POST #129… I’ve never actually seen this, but I’ve been told that Billy Graham was on the Johnny Carson show and was asked, “Billy, what’s heaven going to be like?” to which Billy responded, “I’m not sure, but I’m hoping I’ll still get to play golf because I really love to play golf.”
Billy Graham was a great man but, if this story is indeed true, I think he got it wrong. I don’t think there’s any way that there could be golf in heaven because I can’t picture anything happening in heaven that would drive people insane. Heaven will be much better than that.
Golf is driving me insane. I shot a 93 in perfect conditions yesterday in Arkansas. This morning, I left Forrest City, drove through a long downpour that required me to closely follow a semi-truck so a could see his taillights to keep me on the road (and so he could break the waves for me). At the Tennessee course (Mirimichi) the pro pointed to the tv monitor that showed the stormed I’d just driven through, dark green, yellow and orange. He said it was headed this way and that if I decided to play, there’d be no refund if I got washed away. I really needed to get in this round to stay on schedule, so I gave him my credit card. I was the first on the course and decided to just blast through at top speed, regardless of my score. It was a constant light rain but not too bad yet. For most of the round, I jogged from cart to ball to green and back, glancing always to the southwest, waiting for the downpour to catch up to me. I finished in about 2 hours, beat the downpour, had 4 birdies and shot a 77 on a tough course. How does that great score make any sense? I was tired, wet and hurried with only half a sausage McMuffin in my gut. Golf is driving me insane.
September 30, 2021 Special … Special Post: Forrest City, Arkansas
POST #128… If you’re ever driving across Arkansas on I40, don’t get off at Forrest City; it ain’t right there.
I had 3 interactions with Forrest City businesses. First, my motel was horrible: Paint peeling from the ceiling, a shower head that blasts like a fire hose and then drips like a psychological torture device, dirt and stains everywhere, an air conditioning unit that sounds like the 7:05 bus is coming through the window. Then I went to a Sonic to get dinner and waited in one of those stalls for at least a ½ hour before I got my cheeseburger. Finally, the next morning, as I made my early escape from the leaking, peeling room, I went to McDonalds for an Egg McMuffin and hash brown. I felt safe, I felt confident. Afterall, this is McDonalds. After a long wait, I paid at window #1, then proceeded to window #2. There was nobody at the second window, but then I saw there was a 3rd window that had a large sign hanging out that said “Pick Up”, so I drove up to that. There was nobody there either. I sat for a while, perplexed, looked back and saw a car behind me collect their food at the second window, then drive around me. I got out of the car, walked back and asked for my food. The next car almost ran me down as they departed with their breakfast. I walked up to the 2nd window, but the lady had already departed to the 3rd window to deliver my food. When we finally met at the 3rd window, she dismissively said, “This isn’t where you get your food”, to which I responded, pointing up, “But there’s a sign that says ‘Pick Up” and no sign back there”. As perhaps a prophet saying much more than she intended, capturing the angst of her fellow residents trapped in Forrest City, she concluded our talk with “It ain’t right here” and as I drove away, I agreed with her profound observation. Don’t get off at the Forrest City exit; I barely escaped. As I was finally cruising along I40, I reached in the bag to discover 2 inedible Sausage McMuffins.
September 29, 2021 … Arkansas…38 Down 12 to go
POST #127… Well, I successfully halted the trend of playing great on the front nine and terrible on the back. Here in Arkansas, I played terrible the entire time! The best things I can say about today’s round are: it was a terrific course (the Ridges), I had a good drive, I only shanked one wedge and I didn’t curse (outloud).
Last night was one of the more delightful meals of the trip. I ate on the patio at the Louisiana course (I stayed at an adjacent lodge) and savored a Cajun seafood pasta dish while I worked on my evening homework (story-telling, updating the website…) It was so humid I needed to use my fingernail on the touch pad; all other skin parts were too sticky. But it was still the best workstation of the trip!
As I am in the final days of my swing through the deep south, I’d like to announce the top 4 manmade features that are more prevalent than anything else:
#4 Cemeteries – Folks have been dying here for a long time, so there’re lots of places they were put.
#3 Mobile Homes – There are some mobile home parks, but what catches my eye are how many individual homes there are.
#2 Dollar General – These stores are EVERYWHERE. One time I saw 2 Dollar Generals within one block of each other. I’ve never been in one; they kind of scare me.
#1 Church buildings – The number of church sanctuaries is stunning. A few are big, but most are not.
To reinforce my point as to just how ubiquitous these four items are, the following photos were taken within a few minutes of each other.
Other key traits are the southern hospitality and the beautiful green wildness. And the number of bugs! Last night, I opened the side door of the lodge and was startled because the air was more bug than air. I slammed the door and ran like a frightened teenager in a monster movie. If the bugs ever completely turn on us and coordinate their efforts (think Hitchcock’s The Birds), we’re in big trouble and the first states to fall will be in the deep south.
September 28, 2021 … Louisiana…37 Down 13 Rnds. to Go
POST #126… In a pattern that I will eventually break, I again played great on the front nine (37) and collapsed on the back (44). Part of it certainly had to do with seeing the storm clouds approaching, hearing the rumbling thunder and speeding up to try to complete the round before getting fried by lightning. I was actually in a slow jog where possible. “Speeding up” is never good for my swing that demands deep breaths and slow and steady swings. I will figure this out.
I’ve added to my collection of southern terms of endearment. Last night, the desk clerk referred to me as “baby” and this morning, a different clerk called me “sweetie”. Hon, baby and sweetie; I think that’s the trifecta! I’m not sure if it’s a good thing or bad thing but it certainly is a different thing for me.
No gator sightings today and, alas, I think this was my last chance. It’s probably just as well. One of my followers, my friend Robin, had a different perspective on my “calves of steel”. She cautioned me to stay far away from the alligators since she thinks my calves look like Cornish game hens. She speculated that these might prove to be irresistible to a hungry gator.
The next few days have thunderstorms in the forecast so I’m trying to eliminate having to play two rounds in one day to give me more flexibility to play around the storm systems. Today’s Louisiana round was supposed to be played tomorrow morning, but now I can possibly sneak in my Arkansas round tomorrow, weather permitting.
In yesterday’s post, I included a photo of me with two of my golfing partners at the OnCore 9.11 event. I was negligent in not identifying them: George Chmiel is a San Diego – based entrepreneur, OnCore Investor and a passionate advocate for veterans (he once ran across the U.S. to raise funds for hurting vets); Steve Coulton, the taller guy, is a co-founder of OnCore and my liaison with the company. They, along with Pro Sports Photog Craig Melvin, rounded out our very fun foursome.
September 27, 2021 … Mississippi… 36 Down 14 Rounds to go
POST #125… Like a broken record, every drive along the backcountry road is a delight.
I’ve made it to tonight’s lodging and I’m so tired I can hardly keep my eyes open, but it’s too late for a nap and too early to go to bed. Golf is emotionally draining if you’re an emotional person. I think my round today at Grand Bear (designed by Jack Nicklaus) exhausted me. Oh, the course wasn’t outrageously tough and, thereby exhausting. No, I can exhaust myself quite easily, regardless of the course difficulty. I know some of you are weary of my golf talk and my self-flagellation over my bad golf, so I’ve adjusted the following rant to give me the benefit of venting while minimizing the effect on my readers: IhatethisstupidgameespeciallywhenIcanbeonly2overparafter10holesthen12overparforthefinaleightholesARRGGHHHH!
Thanks. I feel much better.
The highlight of the round was getting to play with Glen, a Mississippi native and self-proclaimed “redneck” (though he seems like a regular guy to me). We had a good time talking about golf and sons and alligators. Speaking of which, I saw one, a big one (Glen estimated 12!) Though it was only from a distance as he swam away from where I dunk my ball in the water (I suspect he ate it), it still counts as an official sighting.
I want to harken back to my 9.11 round, a wonderful event orchestrated by OnCore Golf. The photos came to me after the deadline for posting, but they’re so good that I wanted to make sure you saw them. As I study my swing shots, I can’t help but think that, as awesome as my calves of steel look throughout the swing, my spindly little legs look like they’re going to snap any minute! I think that would be a bad thing.
September 26, 2021 … 50in50in50 Reaches Florida! 35 Down 15 To Go
POST #124… The expedition has now had face-time with all three major bodies of water surrounding the U.S. The sand along this stretch of the Gulf of Mexico is REALLY nice.
The drive here through Alabama was as scenic as the other southern states but with a few additions: cotton fields and trusting gas pumps (“Please Pay Directly After Pumping Gas”) I asked the owner how often people pump and run and he said “once, but we got ‘im”. I told him I doubted this system would work in California. At first I was taken aback by the gigantically long washer squeegies; then I figured it out: lots of trucks.
I was very excited and hoping to see an alligator on the course but, like mooses in Alaska, I was shutout in Florida. While on the course, I ran into golf legend Annika Sorenstam (see photo). I was surprised that she was driving the snack cart, but I guess, when you’re a golf legend, you can do anything you want when you retire. I kicked myself later for not asking her to circle back to Condolezza on my behalf. She was working under the pseudonym, Shelley.
Played well enough to break 80…but didn’t, again.
September 25, 2021 … Alabama, 34 Down, 16 To Go
POST #123… I said before that I’m delighted how relational this expedition has been: the folks I’ve connected with along the way and the people I’ve continued to talk to throughout the trip via phone, email and social media. Now I begin a 10 day stretch on my own with no planned visits, but it’s still a relational thing. In today’s quiet and lovely drive across Georgia and into Alabama, I’ve continued some good time talking to and trying to listen to God. I’ve prayed for friends / family. I’ve thought about folks in Honduras. I’ve listened to inspiring songs. One in particular had me thinking: Rock of Ages. It was written by Augustus Toplady in 1763. It was incredibly popular in its time but in this modern era, it’s become the epitome of an old timey, out-of-date, even boring, hymn. It’s the song sung in old movies by the stodgy congregations in worship services. But musician James Ward has rescued this excellent hymn w/ a new melody. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UznDZGOLTM8 Like so many hymns, the old melody was masking amazing lyrics:
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure,
Cleanse me from its guilt and power.
Not the labor of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law's demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and Thou alone.
Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Saviour, or I die!
While I draw this fleeting breath,
When my eyelids close in death,
When I soar to worlds unknown,
See Thee on Thy judgement throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.
During my drive today, I thought about how perfectly these words of grace and hope capture the heart of the gospel. It’s not about what I DO for God but it’s about my dependence on Jesus: past, present and future.
September 24, 2021 … Georgia…33 Down, 17 to go!
POST #122… Reunited, and it feels so good
Reunited 'cause we understood
There's one perfect fit
And, sugar, this one is it
We both are so excited 'cause we're reunited, hey, hey!
All I can say is last night, I slept pretty darn well.
Long drive through Georgia today. The course (Royal Lakes CC) is in a suburb of Atlanta, so I spent much of the day in traffic…even on the course. Nice rolling layout with some notable carries over water (parred them). Of note: I hit the pin on my 3rd shot pitch on a par 5, could’ve easily gone in for eagle, but didn’t drop. Left foot remains tolerable.
Southern hospitality is real. Multiple times, as a single golfer, I would catch up to a group in front of me. They would see me and immediately stop where they were (fairway, tee or green) and wave me through. That NEVER happens in southern California. And the waitresses and other service people calling you “hon”; there’s something very grounding and very therapeutic in it.
September 23, 2021 … The Carolinas; 32 Down 18 To Go!
POST #121… In spite of appearances, my friends the Peters actually do own a very nice dining room table, in fact, their entire home is fully furnished, delightfully so! What we were trying to do was get their two big adorable dogs in the team photo. I put Murphy in a head-lock, so we got a nice profile…but the cost was high: he peed on the kitchen floor. We only captured Maverick’s butt, but we feel good about that because it’s his best feature. He’s a very excited, happy dog with a clipped tail and when he wags his stub, it’s spectacular. The Peters could probably power their entire house if they could harness the energy of “Stubby Butt”.
The Peters (Bryan, Heidi, Thomas, Lizzy (aka Libby) and Abby (not in picture cuz she’s away in a very cool gap year program with Southern Wesleyan University) once lived in San Diego and attended Community Covenant Church with me. They relocated to gorgeous Greenville about 7 years ago. SO fun to spend time with them.
Two rounds of golf today, both Carolinas, Meadowbrook in NC and Greenville Country Club in SC. I started at Meadowbrook before the sun rose, 48 degrees cold. The Chanticleer Course at Greenville CC was spectacular. Loved playing with Thomas and Josh (a PGA pro, great to marvel at his shots). Bryan tagged along for his cheerleading skills. I keep trying to adjust my swing to avoid any strain on my left foot. I’ve pretty much succeeded in not damaging anything further but rue the loss of distance. (As a little guy, I pridefully used to LOVE hitting it further than the big guys. I considered it my revenge for them getting the attention of all the cute girls in high school. Now I’m just a little old guy popping it a little bit down the fairway.)
Tomorrow is Georgia. I wrote a nice letter to Condoleezza Rice about getting an invitation to play Augusta National, but haven’t yet heard from her. Condoleezza!, there’s still time, the phones are open! Or contact my email at 50in50in50golf4water@gmail.com.
September 22, 2021 … Driving through North Carolina
POST #120… I was supposed to play my North Carolina round today, but the forecast was for rain all day, so I changed my lodging and golf course to locations close to the South Carolina border. (For my daily routes, see the Maps tab on my website https://www.50in50in50golf4water.org/theroute ) I’ll do both Carolinas tomorrow. So today was a driving day and a good opportunity to rest my left foot.
I once had a girlfriend who loved horses so a number of times, she would drag me to rent some and go for a ride. The horse clearly knew who was boss and would rarely do what I wanted. This was especially true when it was time to head back; it’s pace would quicken to a trot and I’d bounce around like a golf ball on a cart path. I was told this rental horse was “barn sour”. It was anxious to get back to the comforts of its home.
I am barn sour. Currently, of all the instruments on my cool little Audi TTs, my favorite indicator is the one on my mirror when it notes “W”. That means I’m heading west and my barn is getting closer! I had a lot of “W” on today’s drive.
It rained for much of the drive. At one point it was raining hard. I looked ahead on the road and saw a darkness with which I was unfamiliar. Then I drove into the darkness. It was like a water tank tipped over onto my car; I couldn’t see the road, I couldn’t see the wipers; I couldn’t see anything but water. I just kept plowing ahead and hoped nobody stopped ahead of me.
Three thoughts about my Boss Hog BBQ lunch stop.
1. My parents always told me that they chose my name because I was conceived on a trip in the south. When they announced that my Boss Hogg BBQ Sandwich was ready, I was surprised by how much better my name sounded when said with a southern drawl. Warmer and friendlier. Try it. From now on, please say my name in a southern drawl; in a way, these are my people.
2. I sat down at a picnic table next to the parking lot to study my Boss Hogg BBQ Sandwich and figure out how it was going to eat it. It was massive. Just as I began wondering who could possibly eat these things, a young guy strolled out to his beat-up truck and answered my question; I derisively thought he looked like he ate there a lot.
3. He started up his truck and it was as if cosmic justice was served on this haughty little Californian. I was downwind as a cloud of blue smoke billowed out of his exhaust and enveloped me for many seconds. He may have health issues from eating too many sandwiches, but my lungs may never recover.
September 21, 2021 … Virginia golf…30 down, 20 to Go
POST #119… Looks like this 66 year old body doesn’t much like all this golf as the injuries continue to mount. I was playing GREAT golf on the front nine of a terrific course designed by Davis Love III (Birdwood in Virginia), then on hole #10, in finishing a swing, I rolled my ankle. I couldn’t finish a swing well the rest of the round without searing pain (as my 38/44 testifies). I’ll figure it out.
I didn’t get to mention this earlier, but on 9.19 in Maryland, Cody and I had a chance to visit the Monocacy Civil War Battlefield. There were a few interesting stories (an ambush and fierce fighting to delay an attack on Washington DC in one of the few battles where the Confederate troop greatly outnumbered Union troops who were led by Lew Wallace, the future Governor of the New Mexico Territory and author of Ben Hur, the best-selling American novel of the 19th century) but honestly, my favorite part of the visit was the beauty of the farm where some of the fiercest fighting took place.
September 20, 2021 … 28 & 29 Down, 21 To Go! Maryland and West Va
POST #118… Today was a long, long one with two rounds of golf (Maryland and West Virginia) and over 4 hours of driving. I am so grateful that my brother has been with me and has done most of the driving for the past 6 days, I start going solo again tomorrow.
Last night, Cody and I were invited to share a meal at the home of a fellow alumni of the National Estuarine Research Reserve System, Alison Krepp. I was fairly giddy when we arrived at their lovely home set on a lake, surrounded by trees AND next to a golf course. After way too short a time sharing dinner with her family, I decided to become their live-in golf coach and arborist. Larry is a great cook, the boys are delightful and Alison makes me laugh. I hope they say yes.
My main goal with golf today was to not further injure my back. I continued to perfect the baby easy old man golf swing. The first round (Richland Golf Club) didn’t go so well as I shot an 85 playing the back nine twice because the front nine was closed. The second round (Mt. View at the Woods) was very different: a 77! I was on FIRE! Maybe an old man should swing like an old man after all?
Please remember I’m doing this to raise money to fix one of the low-hanging fruit in the tree of great causes: provide easy access to clean water.Investing the money to dig wells or capture a spring or treat water reaps so many benefits: bad-water deaths are avoided and people can invest time in nurturing their families and their economies if they’re not wasting time daily carrying water great distances.
September 19, 2021 … Delaware Golf!
POST #117… My friend Brenda told me I should bring my own pillow on this trip and I did. I love my pillow; I just didn’t realize how much I loved it until I left it at the motel in Maine. The next night I panicked and called Lydia; she was sympathetic. The next morning, I called the motel, told them I left my “precious pillow” and waited impatiently for a return call from the manager. I called again the next day, & connected with the manager who acknowledged me as the guy who left the ”precious pillow”, but he wasn’t especially motivated to figure out a way to return it. OK, listen. I realize that “precious” isn’t an especially manly term, but I wanted to effectively express to the motel guy that this wasn’t just any pillow. It was important to me. It perfectly supported my bulbous head, fitting neatly within the space created by my neck and shoulder as I sleep on my side. Even more, I admit I got a little emotional when I called Lydia; maybe it represented an important connection with home. Now desperate, I called my friend Sarah who lives 45 minutes upcoast from my pillow and, saint that she is, Sarah gladly retrieved my pillow! If plans go well, Gollum will be reunited with the Precious in his stop in South Carolina.
Golf today was interesting. On the 6th hole, my right foot slipped at impact seriously tweeking my lower back. My first reaction was to reach for the Advil, but having none available, it occurred to me that I’d been reading Yancey’s Where is God When it Hurts; he devotes a chapter to the value of pain as an important warning system in the body. So, rather than mask the pain, I decided I should swing easier to avoid the pain (and thereby avoid causing any damage that would hinder the next 23 rounds.) Well, I was 6 over par after 1st 6 holes. Then I started swinging short and easy like an old man… and was only 3 over par for the remaining 12 holes to shoot an 80! There’s a lesson there.
Fun round with Jai at Clay Creek Country Club in Delaware.
September 18, 2021 … 50in50in50 New Jersey… 26 down, 24 to go!
POST #116… I am glad to be over the hump, starting the second half of the expedition today. It feels like much more than only a month since I left home. I can’t remember a morning when I didn’t wake up in a new motel, wondering if the free breakfast would have eggs and if it did, would the eggs be scrambled or shaped into a square or a triangle.
Yesterday’s halfway point was indeed a milestone day and here at 50in50in50 world headquarters, we were a bit anxious about maintaining that level of excitement for our readers. Fortunately, we have yet ANOTHER milestone today! I shot a 78. WooHoo! But I have to make apologies to my friend Barbara. I promised her I would shout GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL! in her honor when I finally broke 80 on this expedition. I loved the idea how it would freak out my playing partners. Alas, I was still steaming how badly I played holes 16 and 17 (the round could’a been a 75) that I forgot my celebratory shout. Barbara, I’ll try to remember if I break 78. Fox Hollow was a very engaging course in excellent condition.
While I played golf, Cody visited the USGA Golf Museum and reported a positive review (even though he is not, not, not a golfer). After my round, he and I squeezed in my first tourist stop in a long while: Paoli Battlefield State Historic Park. The site commemorates the battle (aka the Paoli Massacre) that became a battle cry for the Colonials later in the Revolutionary Way. The British conducted a brilliant surprise attack at midnight with only bayonets and sabers but the event became notorious because the British gave no quarter to those who tried to surrender.
Finally, a few of you were concerned that my elbow (and perhaps the rest of me) was beginning to mummify. By nightfall, my elephant arm had magically dewrinkled!
September 17, 2021 … With Zach in Connecticut! 25 DOWN 25 TO GO!
POST #115… The verdict is in: I’m not nearly as good of a golf teacher as I thought I was. Zach’s final score was a handful over 120; he got worse on the back 9 and he lost 10 golf balls. He clearly has the chops to play better, but he needs to find a real instructor. His golf highlight was a lone par. But far better than golf was the delight of spending time with someone I’ve known since he was 4 and get to experience first-hand the quality person he has become.
Richter Park was a fine layout but was badly beat up, I suspect by the storms that have battered the area lately. I shot an 81.
We had a long drive from Connecticut to our lodging in New Jersey. Cody was driving and I started to nod off. My head dropped to my chest. When I opened my eyes, I was startled by what I saw. At first, I thought I was being hugged by an elephant. Then, with only slightly less horror, I realized I was looking at the inside of my own right elbow. What was happening to me? How did I age 20 years in the matter of a month!??! Will my friends recognize me when I return? Will Lydia allow me back in the house? I’m not sure how I became wrinkled like a prune but I suspect it has something to do with the discount generic-brand zinc sunscreen I’ve been faithfully applying each morning.
It does feel great to be halfway done. The road thus far has been paved with joy, fun and exhaustion. I’ve LOVED seeing old friends and making new ones. The golf courses have been terrific and the golf has sometimes been terrific. I am so grateful for the words of encouragement I have regularly received from friends and family and I especially appreciate the prayers; I feel very watched-over and blessed by God. I look ahead with some trepidation to the upcoming route through the south; I may need to do some dodging and adapting to weather systems. Onward to 50 states in 50 days in 50 days.
September 16, 2021 … Rhode Island…24 Down, 26 to go!
POST #114… Here’s my contribution to the golf books and videos already out there: It’s really hard most of the time, sometimes it’s easy, it brings out misery and often is fun. Yesterday morning was fun, the afternoon was misery and today was real fun.
I started out in the rain at Crystal Lake GC. , a charmer that darts in and out of forests next to an “On Golden Pond” lake. I stumbled for a while then closed strong; missed the putt for birdie that would’ve given me that elusive sub-80 round. I’ve abandoned the tootsie roll pop drop despair …for now.
Tomorrow is a big day: round 25, halfway! I’ll be over the hump once I finish the round. To celebrate this momentous milestone, I’ll be playing with John and Gwen’s son Zach. Zach is a self-proclaimed bad golfer BUT not only does he seem to sorta like the game, it’s almost part of his duty statement for his job in the financial industry. In fact, he can order Titleist Pro V1 golf balls through his company. (I think I’ve heard of that brand, word on the street is they’re just a small step down from OnCore Vero1!)
Zach has heard that I’m a high school golf coach and a pretty good instructor and he’s crafted my favorite charitable pledge package thus far:
1.) Final 18-Hole Score - $10 per stroke below 120.
2.) Ball Bounty – He’ll start the day with a dozen pro v1 balls and will place a $15 per ball bounty on each ball remaining in his possession at the end.
2.) Improvement - $20 per stroke of improvement in my score back 9 vs. front 9
I can hardly wait to start working with him on the range! I love the idea that my teaching skills could result in a nice donation to help provide easy access to clean water. (A mutual friend, Tic, will add to his own already generous pledge by also giving $50 to every par Zach gets. Awesome!Any other takers?)[I don’t think I’ll tell Zach what’s riding on each putt; golf’s hard enough as it is!]
September 15, 2021 … 23 down, 27 to go…Golf, Tootsie Rolls and the Globe
POST #113… I was on the TV game show Joker’s Wild when I was a college freshman. There are many fun stories to tell about that experience that I’ll save for another time. Suffice to say I lost miserably and came home empty-handed EXCEPT for an array of lovely parting gifts: a case of Sanalac Instant Non-Fat Powdered Dry Milk (my Mom fed to the dog), pewter salt and pepper shakers, a few gallons of Lucite wall paint, Adolf’s meat tenderizer AND (the only thing I thought worth having) a half a case of Tootsie Roll Pop Drops. They sustained me throughout summer school at Cal Poly Pomona. As much as I liked them at the start of summer, they repulsed me by the end of summer.
I wonder if I’m successfully curing my “addiction” to golf by this 50in50in50 thing. I’m hitting a few good shots to still like it but today’s second round brought me to the tootsie-roll-pop-drop edge. It was a nice enough course (George Wright outside of Boston) but I played miserably (only 3 fairways hit… 3!) We’ll see. The good news is that I was able to sneak this Massachusetts round in a day early to reduce my time in tomorrow’s forecasted rain. Now, all I have to do is play my Rhode Island round, likely in the rain. (The first round today was at a very cool track called The Ledges in Maine. Tough layout but I played some really good golf and once again, was in position to break 80 with a par and bogey on the last 2 holes, only to see it slide by with double bogey/bogey…but they WERE tough holes.)
More good news, I’ve now gone ocean to ocean! Look at the geographic stretch 50in50in50 has taken me! Though I’m not yet halfway through in states, it is encouraging that after constantly heading east and north for the past 23 days, I’m now heading south and soon, west. I’M HEADING HOME!
Even more good news: my brother, Cody has joined me. I picked him up in Boston and he’ll stay with me for 6 days until we get him back home near Charlottesville, VA.
September 14, 2021 … New Hampshire to Maine 21 down 29 to go!
POST #112… I took a break from golf today.
Oh, sure, I went to a golf course, handed a man my credit card then he told me to go whack the golf ball. I obediently whacked the golf ball, but whatever happened between my birdie on the 1st hole and my birdie on the last hole, it certainly wasn’t golf, so I must’ve been taking a break.
My mojo got kind of messed up from the start when I learned that I’d picked a course (Nippo Lake) that, at it’s longest, was only 5594 yards. “That breaks my self-imposed rules about always playing courses during 50in50in50 that were at least 6,000 yards! Egads!” And then, after the 1st hole birdie, I really got wigged out. “What if I shoot deep into the 70s? Will it count? I’ll have to use an asterik on the website!” Not to worry; I mostly stunk up the place because I’m a bad golfer and the front nine was really narrow and challenging. As I said yesterday, I’m mentally incapable of golf; my mental toughness is akin to a vintage glass Christmas ornament on a windy day.
After a few bad holes, I kind of lost interest. I just wanted to get it over with because I knew I was having dinner tonight with one of my favorite people, Sarah, a coworker from the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve. She left the Reserve to move to Maine with her husband and 2 young boys. We sat in the gathering darkness at The Fisherman’s Catch for 2 ½ hours having a delightfully rapid-fire exchange about everything. So fun! AND she taught me the proper way to unveil the meat in a lobster tail.
I once again almost missed the team photo but we got it just in time (a breath-holding-so-I’m-not-a-vector-across-America selfie).
September 13, 2021 … Vermont to New Hampshire…20 Down 30 to go
POST #111… Someday I may resign myself that I’m mentally incapable to golf. You know how those PGA tour pros appear to be hyper-focused and unfazed by anything, almost inert? It’s a tribute to the quality of their game that Rory, John Rahm and Jordan are the exception; they wear their emotions yet are still able to refocus and hit terrific shots. That’s why they are among my favorite golfers. I’m a lot like them… except for the 300+ yard drives, the consistent performance, low scores, the corporate sponsors and cooler clothes. In today’s round, all I needed to do to break 80 was play the final two holes in 1 over par. They were easy, short par 4s. Instead, my brain and emotions failed me and I shot them in +3. Urggghhhhh. The Brattleboro Country Club was a lovely course, though.
I haven’t done much highlighting of my lodging because there hasn’t been much to highlight. Tonight, though, I’m staying at the Governor’s Inn in Rochester, New Hampshire (it was the best price locally). It was built in 1920 for New Hampshire’s former Governor Huntley Spaulding, he of the New England fiber Spauldings, not the Chicago Sports Good ones.
I’ve had three local tv news interviews on the road. The middle one I already shared with you on my Sept 6 post from Wisconsin. The other two were from Sioux City, Iowa and at the big OnCore event on 9/11 in Buffalo:
I don’t know if these are generating a lot of donations but I do know that I’m sending thank you notes to strangers, so I’m going to pretend that the newcasts are helping.
Like Vermont, NH is stunning. I think I want to watch On Golden Pond again just for the scenery.
September 12, 2021 … Upstate New York to Vermont!
POST #110… No golf today. I drove a little over 6 hours today, 90% on 2 lane roads. I have decided to abandon the attempt to convey just how beautiful and interesting this part of the country is. I can’t do it justice at 60 mph and my schedule would be shot if I stopped at every photo op. The historic homes and business districts, the lakes, the forests, the harvested and unharvested fields of corn, even the ice cream shoppe shaped like an ice cream cone, I love it all. There was even a small, single-story motel with a large Victorian home on a hill next to it! It is painful to zoom on by, getting only glimpses, but I still love the drive.
I am staying at an old home that has been converted to a four-room Inn. It was as cheap as the nearby Quality Inn and far more interesting. The owners converted their “backyard” to a campground that includes a pool, shuffleboard, horseshoes, even mini-golf (no, that won’t count; it’s not 6,000 yards). They have an ice cream parlor too. The people in this region really like their ice cream; I’ve never seen so many family-run ice cream joints. This is not good for me.
I’m concerned that I may not be able to return home by October 12. I’ve got 3 people who have given me audio book assignments for my 50in50in50 drive. I’ve only finished 2 and have at least 5 to go! (The 2 books by Bob Goff, Love Does and Everybody Always, were engaging and inspiring.) If I’m not done yet with my remaining assignments by the time I approach San Diego, I might have to add another driving loop around Utah and Colorado.
Donate or Pledge to provide easy access to clean water worldwide at https://www.50in50in50golf4water.org/donate
September 11, 2021 … A Pause to Remember
POST #109… Today is a special day of remembrance of the trauma inflicted on thousands of Americans and the heroism of the men and woman who fearlessly worked to save them, many sacrificing their lives in the effort.
It was timely that my schedule landed me in Buffalo on September 11. OnCore Golf hosted my golf round and used it as a time to honor the day and to honor the idea of giving back (really good organization). The 50in50in50 fundraiser was just one of the efforts highlighted. After the round of golf, a group of about 30 people had lunch outdoors and also talked about caring for our returning veterans. It was inspirational and sadly sobering: Nick, a combat veteran told us he’s lost more fellow soldiers AFTER returning from war than during the war itself. On average, 22 U.S. men and women vets commit suicide, daily. Yes, daily. Thank you, OnCore for facilitating this special day, and for your additional gift donation to 50in50in50.
Once again, the golf course was terrific: Glen Oak, outside Buffalo. My playing partners must’ve been perfect for me because I shot a 50in50in50 expedition best: 80. Thank you Steve, George and Craig! That was big fun. There were so many skilled photographers running around the course (and Craig, in my own cart, is freelance pro who routinely works with the NFL Buffalo Bills and WWF) that I hardly snapped a photo. I’m going to show y’all their photos once I get them in a few days (I’m secretly hoping that Craig can use his prowess to really buff me out to look like his other photo subjects!)
I close with a photo of what has become part of the rhythm of my life: everyday, I’m wheeling stuff down long motel hallways, only to wheel it back out about 10-12 hours later. This is what I do.
September 10, 2021 … Ohio and Pennsylvania… 18 down and 32 to go!
POST #108… Two days coverage. Yesterday, I continued to play stinky golf at a very nice muni: Sleepy Hollow (Ohio). Shot a 92. The day was redeemed by getting to play with Drew, the son of George, one of my bestest friends, now deceased. George and I would have epic golf battles (more against ourselves than each other) and my time with Drew playing and just talking “golf” was delightful, just like it was with his Dad. I’m happy knowing Drew and I just beginning our golf buddyship.
Today’s golf in Pennsylvania was special at Whispering Woods. Oh my, what a lovely layout and challenging course. My game was “on” for a while (only 1 over par after 10 holes) but I again collapsed, going 8 over for the final 8 holes to shoot a respectable but disappointing 81.
The best parts of the 2 days centered around spending time with Cheryl (Drew’s Mom) and her husband Jerry. Relaxed discussion with old, old friends is a soothing oasis in my crazed 50in50in50 life. The highlight, by far, was getting to see Drew’s family (Kerrie, Aubrey and Carson). Five-yr-old Aubrey was beautiful and smart. Two-yr-old Carson takes your breath away. You see, Carson is a miracle baby, literally. He had a single-digit chance of surviving a serious heart defect and many subsequent surgeries. Yet there, on his large concrete patio, was this tornado of energy swirling around and around and around and around on his scooter. The energizer bunny is a sluggard compared to Carson. It’s as if he’s making up for time lost in ICU…and then adding more activity for good measure. I think he only has one speed: ZOOM. (Once again, I messed up on remembering to snap a photo, sorry.) His miraculous survival has been documented on both local and national news.
As I try to drift off to sleep tonight, I could continue to grind my teeth over the lost opportunity to score great at Whispering Woods OR I could think about Carson circling on his scooter. I choose door number two.
September 8, 2021 … 50in50in50…Routes and Poison…16 Down, 34 To go
POST #107… Gretchen and I are not getting along. Oh, it’s not me, it’s her. I respect her skills and depend on them frequently, but she only gives the appearance of truly cooperating; she’s always trying to have her own way. You see, Gretchen is the lady in my cell phone who tells me where to go.
Gretchen wants to get places and get there fast. I want to take the scenic route. During the 50in50in50 expedition, I begin each drive plotting my route, usually along lovely two-lane roads. Gretchen is always pointing out that there’s a faster way and if I’m not quick enough to say “no”, she’ll redirect us to follow the faster way (usually a toll road from hell). I admit I sometimes get angry with Gretchen and raise my voice when she’s so persistent. Here’s the thing. She always appears to keep her cool, but I know that she’s still scheming for a way to reroute us. Gretchen is classic passive-aggressive. All she needs is an opening: an accidental early turn or a stop at a gas station; both give her the opportunity to reroute us to the horrible route. It happened today as I made an early turn and was distractedly talking to Lydia on the phone. All of a sudden, WHAM!, we were on the Ohio Turnpike with no hope of exiting in like forever. I think she’s jealous of Lydia; I’m thinking of leaving Gretchen and switching to Apple Annie.
Today’s round had 2 out of the 3 key ingredients for a great round of golf: 1. Great Course, and 2. Fantastic weather. Could somebody let me know if they see #3. My Golf Game anywhere because I sure can’t find it. Island Hills is a lovely track among rolling woodland and marshes. Many fairways were framed in wastelands covered a knee-high (grasses, shrubs and vines). It wasn’t until the 17th hole that it occurred to me that I didn’t know what poison ivy looks like and I could’ve been wading through it all day. Thankfully, I picked up Tech Nu cleanser; I swear by it for poison oak back home. (Hey, a new 50in50in50 Corporate Sponsor?!)
September 7, 2021 … “But officer, I didn’t do anything.”… Illinois & Indiana… 15 Down, 35 to go
POST #106… Today was yet another robust day; could I please have fewer of these? I was stopped by the police; played golf in high winds then played golf in higher winds while racing to beat an approaching storm.
From when I was born (1954) to 1969, I lived in Evergreen Park, IL. The house was on the way to the golf course, so I decided to visit. I parked in front of the house and took a few pictures. I marvelled at the black shutters and eagle installed by my parents. Suddenly, a young woman appeared at a second floor window next door. She raised the window and, with strained politeness asked “May I help you?” It was 6:30am. I told her I was looking at my childhood home and she replied, “Well, people have called the police, so don’t be surprised if they show up any minute.” I apologized for disturbing her and drove off, then realized I wanted to get a photo of the entire street, so circled the bloc and returned. Typical bad criminal, returning to the scene of the crime. I saw that there were now 2 police cars in front of the house. I pulled over, slowly got out of the car and told them, “I’m the guy you’re looking for.” (If I ever did become a real crook, I could never stay on the lam for long.) I told them my story, they checked my ID, the unpaid tickets in France and Spain didn’t show up as outstanding warrants, so they let me go.
At Harborside, I had the pleasure of playing with Stan (Dad of Abby my Social Media Director) and his buddy Gene. They were dressed in matching outfits, which may qualify them for a post 50in50in50 award. The wind was howling and the rough was deep and close to the fairways and greens. I frequently whined about it all and Stan patiently explained that real Scottish golf courses are like this (he’s a member of Royal Dornach). I enjoyed being with Stan and Gene, but the course? Not so much. Lost Marsh was the best 90 I’ve ever shot, considering the conditions.
September 6, 2021 … A Shout-Out, Renewed Friendship and a TV News Interview
POST #105… First, a big shout-out to Paul and Brenda, my favorite mixed couples tournament golf partner. I love you guys and my heart and prayers are so with you.
Just came back from a wonderful Labor Day BBQ (STEAK!) with my long-lost friend and former roommate, Bruce, his wife Polya and their daughter Susie with boyfriend Michael. It was my first normal family day in a while. Years ago, I made a mistake of letting my friendship with Bruce slip away and it was so good to connect again. AAARRRGGGHHHH, I just realized that I, AGAIN, neglected to photo-document! My social media Director is going to fire me; heck, I might fire me.
Had an interview with the local TV News in Madison Wisconsin. https://www.nbc15.com/2021/09/06/50-rounds-50-states-50-days-golfer-plays-verona-course-during-fundraising-escapade/ Erin Sullivan was great to work with. She did something different from other new interviews (though it really doesn’t show up on the edited final): she wanted me to be hitting balls WHILE she ask some of the questions. Here’s the surprising thing; I hit the ball great, possibly the best of the entire trip. When I wasn’t thinking about the swing, but instead answering her questions on the driving range, my iron shots were crisply hit, long and consistent. Hmmmm, I’ll bet my two golf instructors, Bob Madsen and Julie Day would have something to say about that…something like “Well, duh, Clay…of course that’s what happened! Relax and stop thinking!”
AWESOME course today in Wisconsin: University Ridge. As has become my S.O.P., started great then ran outta gas. Shot 83. Also, the pro-style greens killed me. Enjoyed playing with 3 Resident Doctors at the University of Wisconsin Hospital (Kevin, Aaron & Tim). When you’re 66, it’s nice to have that many doctors handy.
Ended my day with an intense drive by America’s “2nd City”, but one of my favs. Tomorrow is a two-round day. Good night.
September 5, 2021 … Into Wisconsin…TIME’S RUNNING OUT FOR CONTEST ENTRIES!!!
POST #104… There are a few things I wanted to highlight about the 50n50in50 website https://www.50in50in50golf4water.org/ Please visit it.
1. The last day for contest entries is TOMORROW, SEPTEMBER 6. Enter NOW!!! If you’re not a golfer, you could give the prize away to a golfer (some of the prizes are worth hundreds of dollars). And, there are also my locally famous chocolate chip cookies available to win. ENTER THE CONTEST AT https://www.50in50in50golf4water.org/contests
2. The 50in50in50 staff have added a tab that shows a PERFORMANCE SUMMARY of each golf round so that those who have made pledges can see how much this may cost you https://www.50in50in50golf4water.org/performance-summary
and those who are about to make a generous pledge can better estimate how big a hit they’re going to take (make a pledge at https://www.50in50in50golf4water.org/donate
3. Those who are arriving recently to this expedition, can better understand what it’s all about at the following locations:
a. the Home page https://www.50in50in50golf4water.org/
b. the Daily Updates tab https://www.50in50in50golf4water.org/daily-updates
particularly May 31, June 5-7, June 18-23, July 5-8.
4. As always, we welcome your donation to one of our two fantastic charities https://www.50in50in50golf4water.org/donate
5. Never hesitate to email me with questions or comments at 50in50in50golf4water@gmail.com
Some of you may remember how hotels used to wrap a paper collar around toilet seats to demonstrate cleanliness. I was always afraid I would use the toilet, forgetting to remove the collar with disastrous results. That may be why they don’t do that anymore. Today, I saw something interesting I’ve not seen before: instead of toilet seats, they “wrapped” the entire room to demonstrate that it had been sanitized. These are pandemic times.
Wisconsin is a lot like Minnesota…beautiful and green … but with cheese. And I’m now an official Midwesterner!
September 4, 2021 … Minnesota!...12 Down only 38 To Go
POST #103… Drove across western Minnesota this morning to get to The Wilds Golf Course, just south of Minneapolis and the good pleasure to play with Nils Clauson, of Covenant World Relief. It was great to spend time with Nils again as he was our translator during my trip down to Honduras in 2019 (See posts from June 30 through July 8). He must’ve been a calming influence as I shot an expedition best 81. Really good course.
Before the round, I was so excited to have lunch with John Dahl that I forgot to snap a photo, ARGGGHHHH! He was an awesome Civil Engineer in the earliest days of the State Parks’ Southern Service Center. I doubt that we’ve seen each other in over 24 years, so lunch wasn’t nearly enough time. Original Southern Service Center staff: Eat your hearts out. I got some John Dahl time!
EXCITING NEWS! I woke up this morning and two of the cards on the back of my car were gone! Our marketing scheme is working! (Or at least their disappearance allows me to continue to indulge in the fantasy that some multibillionaire is also staying a Super 8, will see my card and be inspired to double the donations / pledges that have already been made.)
My drive across rural Minnesota on 2-lane roads this morning was magical. Spotify gave me a playlist of soundtracks that perfectly enhanced the settings. At one point, I was driving through a particularly lovely scene when a theme from John Barry’s Dances with Wolves soundtrack came on. I felt my chin start to quiver and tears started rolling down my cheeks. Maybe it just because I’m getting old but I like to think it’s a small reminder of the reality of the eternal; that there’s so much more than what we can see and touch. I think that was an eternal moment when the beauty of the Minnesota countryside perfectly joined with the beauty of the music, both ultimately created and inspired by God.
It was the shortest 3-hour drive I’ve ever had.
September 3, 2021 … 11 Down, 39 to Go!!! North Dakota
POST #102… I BARELY made it into North Dakota to play golf. No, it’s not that they had armed guards trying to keep me out or that I had to walk, limping 20 miles carrying my stupid broken golf bag to reach the state or that they don’t let in Californians. What I mean is that I geographically barely made it into North Dakota. The Dakota Winds Course is within one well-struck 5 iron from the state line.
I arrived in the pro shop and the very nice staffer, Sue, told me the bad news (in her adorable Fargo-esque accent) that they had 3” of rain last night and the course might not be opening at all. As I expressed my disappointment and asked about alternatives (this is a very isolated course), a faceless voice from a nearby office called out for Sue. After a brief discussion, Sue returned with the news that I could go ahead and walk the course (no carts allowed). With a light rain falling, I didn’t know whether that was good news or bad news… especially after she oriented me to the course map and told me that somebody had measured the walking distance at 8 miles. But I was game and it proved to be good news. The rain stopped and the course proved to be a terrific layout (and could complete for the 50in50in50 “Best Course for the Money” trophy…$35 walking) It was well manicured and every hole visually attractive. Once again, my golf game didn’t rise to the quality of the course, but I had a few moments…just enough to motivate me to play the next state. I was the only person on the course the entire time.
Last night, my dinner with Dick, Nancy and their son (Brian), daughter-in-law (Maria) and 2 grandsons proved once and for all who’s tougher, Midwesterners or Californians. Before leaving the city, I got to see the Falls of Sioux Falls.
September 2, 2021 … 10 Down, 40 to go! Nebraska, South Dakota and Iowa
POST #101… Yesterday was as intense as today was relaxed. On 9.1 Rex and I left Valentine, Nebraska before sunrise and had trouble finding the course in the dark. The Prairie Club golf resort is aptly named: isolated in the sand-hill prairie of central Nebraska. The facilities are high-end. The setting is exquisite. The rustic cart paths and signage make you feel that you just arrived in a covered wagon. The golf is Combat Golf. It is brain draining, physically exhausting, frustrating and humiliating and I can’t wait to get to play it again. Clearly, there is an element of masochism in all addicted golfers. I’m pleased with my 87, especially considering the pounding wind. The layout is spectacularly beautiful; no hole is adjacent to another. We felt like we were on an expedition with Teddy Roosevelt and might be trampled by a buffalo at any minute.
After golf, we were to drive 4 ½ hours to drop Rex off at the Sioux Falls South Dakota Airport, then I was going to continue down to Sioux City, Iowa for a relaxed evening. It didn’t work out that way when we learned that rain was forecast for Sioux Falls the next day, so I decided to pivot and squeeze in my Dakota round that day. Dick Paff adjusted his schedule and met me at the course a day early. This inserted round made for a very long day and resulted in me settling into my Sioux City motel very late. (And having to eat a Taco John burrito as my dinner. Oh my, “disgusting” isn’t a strong enough term.) Elmwood was a nice layout and one of the best maintained City courses I’ve ever played.
This morning, I met Dick at Whispering Creek, a lush and hilly course I hope to play again. Later, in my Sioux Falls motel room, he and Nancy presented me with some gifts and a card signed by CCC congregants. Very cool!
I miss my traveling buddy, Rex; not only because he unselfishly drove from Idaho through Nebraska but also because he makes me laugh, makes me think and makes me want to honor Jesus with my life.
August 31, 2021 … Still 7 Down, 43 to go… To Nebraska via Mt Rushmore
POST #100… This is yet another non-golf day. My supporters may start feeling cheated about all this time off. Don’t worry, intense days are ahead.
In planning the route, when I first looked at this part of the country, I couldn’t contain my excitement: I’ve never been to the Black Hills of South Dakota. I had wonderful ideas of how to pack in so much sightseeing that I would drop from exhaustion. I would’ve added Wind Cave, Custer State Park, Deadwood but cooler heads (Rex) prevailed, and we simply focused on Mt. Rushmore National Memorial. (We did drive through Deadwood and though it looked pretty cool, it still was WAY too touristy, so I’m glad we didn’t allocate any time.)
Mt. Rushmore: It was wonderful to finally see this fabulous outdoor work of art in person. Like Devils Tower the day before, it is thrilling when you catch your first glimpse. You can’t help experience a wave of wonder and patriotism. The visitor facilities, completely redesigned in the 90s, accommodate the hordes of visitors very well such that even I, who always loathe the Army of the Tourista (as my mom called it) felt at peace. And, like most popular tourist centers, all you really have to do to be alone is walk about 10 minutes away from the gift shop and you loose 85% of your fellow visitors.
I think what Rex and I enjoyed most was the saga of the monumental process from 1927 to 1941 and the overcoming of the various challenges. We took a lovely hike on a raised deck through the forested base of the mountain. It brought us immediately below the sculpture. It was called “The Presidential Trail” but if I were in charge, I would’ve named it “The Nostril Trail”. I guess that’s why I’m not in charge.
We zoomed across south-eastern South Dakota, through the Pine Ridge Reservation (where they stopped everybody for a Covid check) and on into Valentine, Nebraska. Staying at the lovely Trade Wind Motel, owned by a cousin of my dear friend Shaina.
August 30, 2021 … 7 Down, 43 To Go…Wyoming
POST #99… Started the morning with a pretty good round of golf (82) at the lovely Powder Horn Golf Club in Sheridan, Wyoming. It was especially delightful because Rex got to join me in the cart for the entire round. However, I failed myself in one aspect. I’ve been so good at watching my tongue to reap donations through those pledge challenges, even through some horrific rounds of golf. But on the very first hole today, I hit a great approach to within 4 feet of the pin, missed the putt and involuntarily yelled, “Damn!” So for those of you keeping track, the score is 5 curse-free rounds, 2 not.
Yesterday, at Little Big Horn, we devised a new marketing method for the 50in50in50 cause: while parked, we slip 5 of the 50in50in50 business cards in the hatchback for people to take with them. (This was inspired by Heather, who approached us in the parking lot and wanted to snap a photo of our back-windshield sign.) Well, we’ll keep doing it and let you know if any of the 5 cards on display ever disappear while we’re gone… so far, it’s proving to be a bad marketing scheme (but it makes us laugh, so we’ll keep doing it).
In the afternoon, we made a big side trip to America’s first National Monument: Devil’s Tower. It is so exciting to first glimpse it on the horizon as you approach; it looks so foreign to the surrounding area (perfect for a movie about aliens from outer space: doo-dee-doo-dah-doo). The photos speak for themselves; it is a glorious place. We took a hike around the base and came to a spot that overlooked a great expanse of the surrounding landscape (see Gallery tab). The setting moved me to sing (under my breath), “Oh Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder, consider all the worlds thy hands hath made…then sings my soul, my Savior Lord to Thee, how great Thou art, how great thou art…” It felt like a holy moment.
August 29, 2021 … Still 6 down, 44 To Go…To Little Big Horn and the Joy of 2-Lane Routes
POST #98… This was a “no-golf” day. There are 6 of these, balanced by 6 days in which I play two rounds. Our goal today was to get across the rest of Montana with a highly-anticipated side trip to Battle of Little Big Horn National Monument.
Montana is quickly becoming one of my favorite states. Every minute of our drive was lovely as we travelled highway 12 and drove from open prairie, to mountain forests, to cliffed valleys back to open prairie. Two-lane backcountry roads are the very bestest way to see these worlds. The other reason to avoid the interstate is to see the small towns: the old commercial buildings, the charming homes and the rusty neon signs. It’s all wonderful! As you can see, I also finally collected my moose.
I’ve wanted to go to Little Big Horn Battlefield for most of my life and was not disappointed. Both Rex and I appreciated the even-handed, objective storytelling and the pristine setting. So many Civil War battlefields are littered with large memorials that prevent the visitor from really getting a sense of what happened. Not so here. After a short visit to the simple-but-very-effective visitor center, we drove the entire length of a lovely park road. By pausing at a few key stops along the way, we really got a good picture of what happened during the two days of battle. Because the rolling hills remained uncluttered we could better imagine the heroism and the terror experienced during the battle and the strategies engaged by both sides.
As a retired park professional from California State Parks, I am almost always both impressed and bitterly jealous of the work of the National Parks Service. They do everything well, much better than we could at CA Parks because they have so much money. So, it is out of immature envy that I took delight in the large monument we saw at the end of the road; it now my favorite historic monument of all time. See for yourself in the gallery tab. The incorrect placement of a dash expresses a self-deprecating evaluation of the mistake!
August 28, 2021 … 6 Down, 44 To Go!...Montana
POST #97… How could two adjacent days be so different? I have been restored by time with my friend Rex, by the beautiful Montana scenery, and by a delightful round of golf with Jay and Mike in Helena. Like me, Jay is a member of a Covenant Church. He heard about my expedition and invited me to play with him on his home course: Green Meadow Country Club. I am so glad he did. The best part of the round was navigating the course and talking golf with Jay and Mike. Fun, Fun, Fun. I didn’t have an outstanding round (85), but I made enough good shots to believe that maybe I still can play this game. The golf highlight was the final hole: I finally drilled a tee shot and hit a good second shot to reach the edge of the green in 2 on the par 5. As I lined up my eagle attempt, a cover band at the club’s outdoor venue started rocking out my second-favorite Doobie Bros. song, Black Water. As I sang along with the Doobies, I two-putted from 60’ for a birdie. YAY! Maybe I need ear buds?
The course was challenging (fast, tricky greens) and gorgeous.
Today was a blessing from God; I really did need restoration from yesterday’s self-induced grumpiness.
August 27, 2021 … Stay away from Clay!
POST #96… I’M NOT HAPPY! Golf has the unique ability to do that to me; especially when I play so wretchedly that I convince myself that I no longer know how to play and will never ever ever play well again. I played poorly in the Washington round this morning (84) then completely lost any semblance of the ability to golf this afternoon in Idaho (92). Sure, I had limited sleep last night and most nights and sure, today was intense with driving and golfing, but I’m still ready to wring my own neck! This is where my friends and family jump in to remind me to consider the positives:
1. I told you how much I enjoyed playing Indian Creek yesterday (even though I didn’t score very well), but that wasn’t even the highlight of the day. I heard my name called on the first hole, turned around and met Pat Tucker. Pat drove an hour from his ranch in southern Washington to meet me. He joined me for the front nine and told me about the amazing work he doing to raise funds for Water 1st by donating all the proceeds of his wine sales (as part of Water For Wine https://www.waterfromwine.org/About-Us/About-Us) THAT was the highlight of the day.
2. I used to declare that the most beautiful Interstate was I-70 across Utah and Colorado. Interstate 84 through the Columbia River Gorge is equally spectacular!
3. My morning drive to Spokane had big beautiful sky!
4. The Washington course (Indian Canyon in Spokane) was lovely.
5. I have to admit that even the Coeur d’Alene Resort course was pretty.
6. I get to be graciously hosted tonight by Jim and Anna Pemberton in Coeur d’Alene, along with our mutual friends Rex and Shelley. Rex will be driving with me starting tomorrow until we get through Nebraska.
OK, it IS hard to remain grumpy now, with so many positive; please disregard the crabby face that welcomes you to this post. I’m better now…at least until the next time I no longer know how to play.
August 26, 2021 … I’M ALIVE! and still playing golf.
POST #95… There was no 8.25 update. Just wanted to send a quick update to let you know I survived (barely) the 40+ hours in which I 1. Played 2 rounds of golf, 2. Travelled to and from 2 courses, and 3. flew to Anchorage, then to Seattle and Portland. I got maybe 3 sit-up hours of sleep on the first red-eye flight. I am going to so fire my travel agent; he’s an incompetent nitwit!!! (oh, nevermind. I can’t fire myself.) What was I thinking, depending on a red-eye!?!?
I’ve not got 3 rounds under my belt and all 3 courses have been delightful. You’ve already heard above and seen the wonders of Royal Hawaiian (I updated you while waiting to board the dreaded red-eye). Moose Run is a military course in Anchorage and though they’ve had a tough time with their greens this year, their Creek Course is a special place, lovely layout. My only disappointment is with my friend Dave who virtually promised me a moose sighting. I went mooseless. I shot an 83. I was so tired from the red-eye, that though I don’t specifically remember swearing, I do remember being beside myself with frustration at some shots, so I suspect I probably did curse, so chalk that up a Swear-Day #1 for both pledge and contest purposes.
Indian Creek in Hood River, Oregon was a wonderful challenge; as soon as I finished playing it, I wanted to play it again. It demands every shot in your bag and a lot of decision-making. I actually played well yet shot a 90. Some of that was my ignorance of the course, much of it was the very fast greens and some of it was the howling wind that really kicked up in the afternoon. On one hole, I bent over, about to mark my ball and a gust blew it a few inches. On another, I hit a great 20 yard pitch shot to a pin perched on a plateau in the back of the green, the ball stopped and as I was walking back to my cart, smugly thinking what an awesome golfer I sometimes am, I glanced back to admire the shot, only to see that a gust of wind had already nudged the ball off the plateau and it was speeding down the slope, back to the bottom of the green, very near where I hit the first shot!
I have more stories of the past two days but have an early wake-up call tomorrow morning with a long drive and 2 rounds to play. I’ll catch up with those details tomorrow.
Thanks so much for all your words of encouragement! They honestly mean a great deal to keep me trudging on. You guys inspire me with your donations and pledges that mean folks like Juan Carlos and Porfirio and their extended families will have easy access to clean water.
August 24pm, 2021 … Well, one down 49 to go.
POST #93… The lead photo represents a message about how difficult Royal Hawaiian Golf Club is. Each of those boxes started full this morning. Some may say that losing 7 golf balls in one round means bad golf but I’m proud of only losing 2.3 sleeves of balls. I doubt I’ve ever played a tougher 6000-yard course in my life. Each of six of the lost balls represents a penalty stroke so, I actually played pretty well, shooting an 86. (one of the lost balls was lost during an extra video shoot, so no penalty). I had two birdies and missed two 5’ putts otherwise I would’ve totaled four birdies. On one par 3, I thought I hit so perfectly that when I got to the green and didn’t see it, I actually walked up to peek in the hole! (But it had taken a hard kick right, into a deep trap.)
I laughed a lot during the round simply because it was SO gorgeous; the photos do not do it justice. The course ate me up and spit me out and I didn’t mind much because it was so spectacular. My only disappointment is that King Kong didn’t charge out of the jungle from his mountain lair. Look at the photos; doesn’t it look like he might live up there?
Had a lovely visit with the Uber driver, Sandra. She loved the cause of easy access to clean water (and was an accomplished golfer).
I very glad to hear from people on my cell phone (it was listed in the Union Tribune article this morning), particularly texts from strangers offering encouragement. There may be a downside, though. While I was getting ready to putt on the 5th green, an irate woman called to ask if I knew how to get hold of the UT Sports department; she wanted to find out about when the horse races would start.
I feel so fortunate that I get to do this crazy thing.
August 24, 2021 … 50in50in50 DAY ONE IS UPON US!!! Run for the Hills!
POST #92… It’s morning before I leave for the course. These first 3 days are among the most brutal of the entire expedition. In fact, I won’t see a bed or desk from about 9am this morning in Honolulu to sometime after midnight in the earliest hours of Day Three in Portland. Please expect delayed or spotty updates for a while.
An ominous sign before I begin…My golf bag is disintegrating! Some of my most faithful followers may remember Post 75 (Aug 7) wherein I lauded myself for my prowess in purchasing a lighter bag at a used sports store for only $21 (with trade-in). Maybe that wasn’t such a shrewd deal after all. I’ve discovered that the lining in most pockets is flaking away, covering every item with fine black specks (I’m sure it’s carcinogenic). Then 2 days ago, as I made my way to the bus stop (then on to the local driving range), the frayed shoulder strap connection snapped! I’m hoping my bag is like the Picture of Dorian Grey. I remember the movie version of that book haunted me as a little kid: a guy makes a deal with the devil to remain forever young while a painting of himself is the only thing that grows old. Over time, the painting grows not only old but increasingly hideous and evil. If only my golf bag would slowly become broken-down and hideous looking while my body remains young and vibrant during these 50 days! Nah. I ain’t making no deals. (The Medicare card and buck represents all it takes for each bus ride here in Honolulu! What a deal. The photo also shows my makeshift approach to carrying my bag: the strap is now attached to my 60-degree wedge.)
Yesterday, I was grabbing some food at the local market in Honolulu for dinner and was startled by the two pineapple options shown in the photos. Obviously, I went for the real thing: 3x more pineapple and fresh (and delicious!).
I’ll touch base when I can!
August 23, 2021 … 50in50in50 T Minus 1 Day… Calm Before the Storm
POST #91… Today was a gift from God. This rainy Monday has forced me to slow down and make it an enriching, restful Sunday. Thanks to the wonders of the internet, I got to visit my church family for yesterday’s worship service (Great job worship band! I see a future for Dean and the Deanettes!) This is certainly the calm before the storm that starts tomorrow at Royal Hawaiian Golf Club.
Had an interview with Kirk Kenney, sportswriter with the San Diego Union Tribune. He thought it might be in tomorrow’s edition. I’ll post a link if I get one.
Yesterday, after the Diamond Head visit, I returned to Waikiki central, it was time for lunch (9:45a Hawaii time but 12:45p Pacific Time). Once again, people made my head shake. A line had formed outside Cheesecake Factory, eagerly waiting for its 10am opening. Don’t get me wrong, I like Cheesecake Factory, really I do. But this CF was no different from the Cheesecake Factory in Skokie IL. Why come to Hawaii to eat at the CF? As the photo shows, I chose to eat my to-go Vietnamese Fried Rice in a setting with a distinct local flavor.
It just occurred to me that this 3-night stay in Hawaii will be the last time I spend more than 1 night in the same bed until October 13! Yikes! (Great room at $115/nt!)
I forgot to mention the kind couple who thought they were coming to my rescue in the Portland airport. While waiting to board, I stationed myself and my stuff at a nearby, unoccupied gate. While I waited, I decided to do one of my mobility stretches. It has me on all fours, reaching my right hand over the left, then the left over the right and then do it all again. As I was about to finish, an elderly couple appeared with a look of concern and said, “Are you all right?” I laughed and said “Yes, I’m fine, just doing exercises.” Then I asked them what it looked like I was doing and she said, “Well, like you were praying, but we weren’t sure.”
August 22, 2021 … 50in50in50 T Minus 2 Days…In Hawaii… Attentiveness and Imagining Elephants
POST #90… Got up at 4am because I’m staying on Pacific time for my brief 3-day visit (went to bed last night at 8pm). I looked at options to attend a church service but realized that this was going to be my only sunny free day here in Honolulu, so I hopped on the #2 bus and headed over to Diamond Head. Just missed the sunrise over Koko Head.
Diamond Head is a very cool excursion. You enter through a tunnel to reach the floor of the extinct volcano. To get to the steep, winding, step-filled trail that leads to the lookout on the rim, you must walk across the flat crater bottom (once an army base).
As I walked to the trailhead, I was enjoying the large adjacent meadow. The morning sun had just hit it and made me think “That’s what the African Serengeti must look like.” It was lovely. I stopped to take it in; snapped some pictures then noticed that nobody in the herd of tourists even noticed. They were there for the hike and to reach the top of the crater because that’s what was advertised; they didn’t even consider that there might be many wonderous things along the way! Exasperated, I cried out to a group trudging by, “Wow! Isn’t that cool? You almost expect to see a herd of elephant!” They stopped. I think some thought I was delusional and had claimed to have seen an elephant, but one young woman said, “Wow, that IS amazing! So beautiful.” It’s almost like people have to be told what to pay attention to rather than work to be attentive all along the way; looking for the beautiful things that surprise us as we march to our destination. The parallel to life’s journey is obvious.
Through a series of switchbacks and steps and tunnels, my fellow tourists and I reached a World War I observation bunker and a breathtaking view of Waikiki and the surrounding area.
August 21, 2021 … 50in50in50 T minus 3 Days… To Hawaii!
POST #89… Late into the night in my Portland hotel room, I was making huge piles of stuff: “THIS goes with me on the plane, THIS goes to the hotel storage, THIS goes back in the car and THIS gets stuffed around my golf bag in its golf travel bag. It looked like chaos at the time but eventually it all came together and by 4:45am I proudly posed for the photo of my successful distillation of ALL the stuff from the packed car that was needed for 57 days to what was needed for Day One in Hawaii and Day Two in Alaska.
My room here in Honolulu is a studio on the 26th floor of a tall skinny condo building that looks like it would sway in a hurricane. Ordinarily I would say that was simply a figure of speech, except that former hurricane Linda is actually heading this way! However, it is calming significantly and is now only a “post-tropical cyclone” with sustained winds a mere 40 mph. That could make for an interesting first round (and a few really long drives) but forecasters say that it will be out of here before I tee off. (Not that they actually said “Well, Mary and Bob, I know our viewers out there are concerned about Clay’s 1st round of the 50in50in50 at Royal Hawaiian Golf Club, but don’t worry, it should be clear for him. Let’s talk about barometric pressure, shall we?”)
I had a chance to do a quick walking tour of part of Waikiki. What a study of contrasts. On one hand, my stroll through the 5-star, historic 1927 Royal Hawaiian Hotel was delightful: quiet, charming, beautiful. Right next door is the Sheraton Waikiki. There is an infinity pool with an infield-sized patio utterly packed with lounge chairs, head to toe, side to side. Nearly all of them were full. Yikes! If I had to do that for more than a few minutes, I’d go crazy! Of course, many intelligent people say the same thing about golf.
August 20, 2021 … Day T minus 4… Grants Pass to Portland
POST #88… Uneventful trip to Portland except for encountering the worst traffic of the expedition. The only difference between here and L.A. is what the trucks are carrying!
I’d like to revisit my right turn into oncoming traffic yesterday because the incident keeps revisiting me.
A fairly busy, 3 lane road fronts the Buona Serra Motel, all cars travelling southbound. Exiting to quickly go grab a meal, I casually looked only to the left (south), it was completely clear of cars (of course it was clear! Nobody ever travels northbound in that lane…uh…except me). I turned to the right (without looking right) and was immediately deluged with honking horns and fronts of cars, but no vehicle in the lane I turned into.
· What haunts me is the realization that if there had been a car travelling in that lane I’d turned into, I would’ve been taken out immediately and possibly some innocent person casually heading home from work. (Since that incident, I turned from the hotel parking lot twice and both times had to wait for a vehicle that was screaming along in that lane at about 40 mph.)
· What fills me with gratitude are all the people praying for protection over the travels of this doddering 66-year-old! THANK YOU! I do think there was Divine intervention at work.
· My Lesson: Don’t let the excitement of getting to my final In-n-Out burger (for a long time) cloud my attentiveness (particularly to the two obvious one-way signs and a pavement arrow shown in the photo)
· Lesson for All: When visiting Grants Pass, drive like you’re in England. Approach an intersection, looking all ways multiple times, you don’t know where the cars are coming from.
August 19, 2021 … T minus 5: Corning to Grants Pass, OR
POST #87… When my son Tyler and I visited New York, we went up to the top of One World Trade Center. On the elevator up, they have an awesome, high tech program to prep each passenger for a special moment that culminates as the automated narrator proclaims “And here it is, the most spectacular view of the world’s most spectacular city!” Then the elevator doors open to a huge glass window looking out over Manhattan from 1250’. Unfortunately, a batch of low clouds had just dropped down to about 1200’ over the city and when the doors opened with the grand “AND HERE IT IS!”, all we saw was the inside of a dense white cloud. The entire elevator erupted with laughter.
That’s how my smoke-filled drive was today relative to Mt. Shasta: I never saw it. The pictures show what we’re s’posed to see from I-5 and what I did see. I want a refund.
In spite of the Shasta disappointment, the day went wonderfully:
1. I got to play golf with my friend Ron at a lovely course in southern Oregon called Centennial.
2. I played well. (81)
3. I didn’t die when I turned right out of the motel’s parking lot into oncoming traffic, forgetting the main route through Grants Pass is a set of seperate one-way roads.
So, it was a very good day.
August 18, 2021 …
T Minus 6 Days Fresno to Corning
POST #86… Drove from Fresno up the 99 with visits along the way: 1. with my very first State Parks Boss: Bob and his wife Nancy; 2. With Ron, my co-creator of State Parks’ Service Based Budgeting and 3. With my son Nathanael. All were delightful but terribly brief.
The smoke from the fires first hit me in Modesto and continue tonight. At times, it looks a bit apocalyptic. The front desk clerk informed that they are surrounded in all directions by 3 fires and that quite a few refugees had just checked in before me who had lost their homes. Very sad and sobering.
Daily outreach – My “hope” is to sit down each evening (or following morning) and compose a summary of the day. It will then be sent out to my email list. (if you’d like to get my daily email, email me at 50in50in50golf4water@gmail.com and I’ll add you to the list).
With the help of my wonderful CEO of Social Media, Abby, it will be distributed to Facebook, Instagram and Twitter that night or the next day. I will also update my Website.
Here's what you should expect to see on the communication “outlets”…
Facebook and Instagram and email (to those on my email list): narrative/ a single photo of the day
Twitter: Shorter narrative
Website (https://www.50in50in50golf4water.org/ ): Full Update including my location on the Route Maps, Daily Narrative, Photo Gallery (a full and robust collection of shots/videos of the day), Scorecard and new Donors and new Media.
Sounds like I should have no problem being in bed by 1am each evening. (Say, when was I going to get to watch STNG?)
August 17, 2021 …
PARTING
POST #85… At the risk of losing my “man” card, I have to confess that leaving home this morning was really difficult for me. Just before we exchanged “I love you” and while tearfully hugging, I think I said something like “Why the hell am I doing this?” And those weren’t the only tears today. Somewhere in the central valley, I started tearing up again when I suddenly began to think about all the words of encouragement and prayers that were gifted me this morning and yesterday by friends and family. I am filled with gratitude. THANK YOU to all!
Los Angeles has many fine qualities and many aspects Lydia and I really enjoy…but driving through it ain’t one of them!As always, the drive through was a miserable ordeal of endurance but I think it’s very possible that the worst drive of all 57 days is now over!Yay!I’m now savoring the company of my friends Rex and Shelly here in Fresno.
ARCHIVE
Everything below here is the archive of Daily Posts BEFORE I departed home on August 17, 2021. Unlike the above posts, they are shown in the chronological order in which they were posted.
May 25, 2021 …
50in50in50golf4water
POST #1… Playing 50 rounds of golf in 50 states in only 50 days (starting August 24, 2021). Why do people do these sorts of things? I’ll talk about the many possible reasons I think I’m doing this in future posts (including lots of discussion on my goal to raise funds for easy access to clean water globally), but first I want to explain the basics of the adventure. Over the next few days, I’ll explain what it is I’m doing, how I’m going to do it and my self-imposed rules for getting it done:
A. 50 rounds of golf: playing all 18 holes at a course that is at least 6,000 yards long.
B. 50 states: A round of golf in each one of the United States. (If they add DC before I’m finished, I guess I’ll have to figure out how to fit it in.)
C. 50 days: A period of 50 consecutive calendar days. Day One (August 24) I’ll play a round of golf in Honolulu, Hawaii. Day 50 (October 12) I’ll play a round of golf in San Diego, California. I’ll be flying from Day One to Day Two (Alaska) and from Day Two to Day Three (Portland). After that, it’s all driving, mostly on two-lane roads, zooming along in my little Audi TT.
May 26, 2021 …The 50-Day Timeframe
POST #2 … I’m committed to the 50 day timeframe because 50in50in53 just doesn’t sing. If the golf course is open, I’m playing; consider me the postman of weird-golf-endeavors: neither rain, nor sleet nor snow will keep me from my appointed duties! There are only a handful of acceptable reasons for officially extending the timeframe: things that are outside of my control.
1. If a course is closed due to natural conditions (lightning, flooding, locusts).
2. If one of my two flights goes haywire.
3. If I become bedridden (high fever flu, food poisoning, scurvy)
4. Car crash or breakdown (some may claim this would be inside my control, but I’m already claiming it was the other guy’s fault)
I won’t extend the 50 days due to muscle pulls, aches, tears or generally all the effects of a 66 year-old body breaking down under stress. If that happens, it just means I didn’t adequately prepare this crinky old body of mine; who knows, by the 50th day, I may only be able to putt my way around the 6,000 yards.
May 27, 2021 …Big States and Tiny States
POST #3 … I loved figuring out the puzzle of how to fit 50 rounds of golf in 50 different states within 50 days. It would be pretty easy if the U.S. only consisted of those little New England states; it’s a piece of cake to zip from Massachusetts Rhode Island to Connecticut to Vermont in 1 day let alone 3 days. But you throw Montana and Wyoming into the mix and it gets complicated. Add that I’m going to mostly drive on 2 lane roads (more on that tomorrow), and the 50-day timeframe gets even more challenging. The only way it works well is to double-up some days so I can have those long drives across the big states. So, on 8 of the days, I’ll be playing 2 rounds of golf and on 8 other days, I’ll just be driving; no golf.
The double-up days: 1. Washington/Idaho; 2. Iowa/South Dakota; 3. Illinois/Indiana; 4. New Hampshire/Maine; 5. Massachusetts/Rhode Island; 6. Maryland/West Virginia; 7. Arkansas/Tennessee; and 8. Utah/Nevada
The long golf-free drives will be primarily across: Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin, New York, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri and New Mexico.
May 28, 2021 …Mostly Two-Lane Roads
POST #4… I love the speed that the Interstate System provides, but I hate everything else about freeways and toll roads. They’re generally mind-numbingly boring (I 70 through Utah and Colorado being the exception) and offer the same food stops again and again. My 48-state driving expedition would go much quicker if I used more freeways, except that I suspect I would not finish it because I’d fall asleep and crash. I’d end up smashed up against a bridge abutment in the middle of nowhere, not knowing what hit me as I dreamt about being on vacation with my family in Zion National Park. That would be bad because it would mean the end of the 50in50in50 quest…but it would be a pretty quick way to go with happy thoughts on my mind.
I love the human scale of two-lane roads: farmhouses, moo-cows, baa-sheep and decrepit signs. I love driving through small-town centers, especially those that haven’t been abandoned and replaced by Walmart on the outskirts. Most of America is made up of charming places connected by narrow roads that meander for miles through grand open space (the west) or lush countryside (the east). So the plan is for 85% two-lane roads throughout the drive. My little Audi TTs is made for two-lane-living, the extreme is today’s photo. It shows a magical route that parallels Highway 101 for about 100 miles, paved all the way. For about 2 hours, you get to feel like you’re driving through California in 1890. Ask me about the route details if you’re curious.
Donate or Pledge at https://www.50in50in50golf4water.org/donate
Shout out to my new favorite ball from @oncoregolf
#golfroadtrip; #backcountryroadtrip; #countryroadsUSA; #golf; #seniorgolf; #usgagolf; #auditt; #audiamerica
May 29, 2021 …Clay Bio Part One
POST #5… I think introductions are in order! My given name is Clayton Adam Phillips; I go by Clay. I turn 67 in November, 2021. My calves of steel are my best feature. (In the attached photo, the calves of steel power my 8 iron to fire the ball hole-high, 145 yards away.)
I have been married to Lydia Puentes Phillips for 34 years. We are proud parents to two adult sons, Tyler and Nathanael. Lydia is a retired molecular biologist and a brilliant multi-faceted artist who paints and does flamework glass, mosaics and repurposed sculpture. Lydia supports my golf adventure even though we’ll be apart for an excruciatingly long 56 days. Her current backlog of art will keep her gladly occupied.
Donate or Pledge at https://www.50in50in50golf4water.org/donate
Shout out to my new favorite ball from @oncoregolf
#PGA; #50statetrip; #golfinamerica; #oldguysrule; #aarp
May 30, 2021 …Clay Bio Part Two
POST #6… I’m retired. I worked for the California Department of Parks and Recreation for over 40 years and continue to help in whatever way they let me. I’m active in my church (Community Covenant Church of El Cajon), am a High School Golf Coach (Christian Unified Schools) and plan trips and “tours” for myself and friends under the name Clay’s Recreation and Adventure Planning Inc. (aka “C.R.A.P.I. Tours” where our motto is, “If you want a great vacation, make it a CRAPI one). As a licensed Landscape Architect (CA #2060) I am trying to make my yard worthy of my profession. I enjoy a variety of movies and really like limited term series (like Emma and the first two seasons of Fargo on FX)
And, of course, I golf. I try to get out at least 3 times / week, almost always walking because I’m fighting the big belly genes I inherited from my Dad. I’ve been a single digit golfer for the past few years; that means I shoot occasionally in the high 70s and usually in the low 80s with some blips in both directions. I shot a career-best 71 this summer followed soon afterward with a 93 that made me want to get a lobotomy. I hit my drives about 250 yards and I recently solved my putting yips with the “claw” grip.
Donate or Pledge at https://www.50in50in50golf4water.org/donate
Shout out to my new favorite ball from @oncoregolf
#christianunifiedschools; #californiastateparks; #ASLA; #landscapearchitect; #FX; #scga
May 31, 2021 …What Led Me to Do This?
POST #7… The next few days, I want to tell you the story of how this endeavor came to be. I first started caring about easy access to clean water about 20 years ago in an airport corridor. I was between flights and killing time by wandering around the airport. The corridors that connect terminals have a lot of blank wall space that needs to be filled. Often, the local city uses this space to advertise all the reasons you should visit there (which seems a little late since you’ve already decided to visit by landing in an airplane at their airport). At this particular airport (it was so long ago I can’t remember which one) they turned an obscure corridor wall over to a non-profit that used the space to explain how millions upon millions of people do not have easy access to safe water, something I take completely for granted. The educational panels explained the effects of this problem on children, their families, even entire regions. I must have been deeply moved because it never left me. The thought stuck with me: millions of people, particularly children, die simply for lack of the funds to pump wells or tap springs or treat water. The economy of entire communities and regions is stymied by the absurd number of hours that people spend walking and transporting water. More on this in future posts.
Donate or Pledge at https://www.50in50in50golf4water.org/donate
Shout out to my new favorite ball from @oncoregolf
#cleanwater; #water1stinternational; #covenantworldrelief; #globalaccesstocleanwater
June 1, 2021 …Inspiration
POST #8… The problem of access to clean water lingered in my head for a long time, never connecting it with my passion for golf or travel. That changed in Nepal in 2016. A group from our church was there visiting a terrific ministry and helping, in a minor way, in some post-earthquake clean-up. One of our party, Dick Paff, told us about his frequent trips to Guatemala to help a local school in a very impoverished area. As an accomplished basketball player, Dick helped with their sports program. He recognized the need for a covered sports pavilion (it’s very rainy in Guatemala), but there were no funds available. So, back in the United States, Dick and 3 friends devised a fund-raising adventure that fit their skillset. They raised enough money to build the pavilion by shooting a basketball in all 48 contiguous states in world’s record time: 8 days, 5 hours and 33 minutes. Pretty intense, huh? Dick’s story inspired me to think about what something like that would look like for me. Connecting the dots between clean water, golf and a road trip came pretty quickly. THANKS, DICK!!! In the photo, you’ll see Dick arguing the benefits of man-to-man coverage vs zone coverage at a local basketball tournament.
Donate or Pledge at https://www.50in50in50golf4water.org/donate
Shout out to my new favorite ball from @oncoregolf
#waterministries; #guinessworldrecords; #golffundraiser; #extremegolf
June 2, 2021 …Crafting the Plan
POST #9… When I returned from Nepal, I became consumed by figuring out what my fundraiser might look like. At the time, I was working on a task force in Sacramento that was reshaping many aspects of how California State Parks would do business. Our team of park professionals had the great pleasure of working with excellent consultants from Deloitte. When we were taking a brake from being immersed in PY counts and new systems for tracking time, I would excitedly share the vision that was beginning to take shape: could an old geezer (me) play 50 rounds of golf in 50 states in 50 days? What would the route look like? What were the barriers? The Deloitte people and my park teammates (see photo, clearly, I’m the more serious member of this team), couldn’t help but provide wise counsel, being brilliant analysts and problem-solvers. Over many months, the plan took shape, with their help . (Don’t worry, NO taxpayer funds were used!)
Donate or Pledge at https://www.50in50in50golf4water.org/donate
Shout out to my new favorite ball from @oncoregolf
#deloitte; #deloitteconsulting; #californiadepartmentofparksandrecreation
June 3, 2021 …DNA for a Travel Challenge
POST #10… I think this 50in50in50 thing is a natural fit for me; it is in my DNA. Growing up, my parents took us on long road trips each year from our home port of Chicago. I continued the tradition as both a single adult and with my family (often to their dismay). I also have experience in travel adventures that test limits. in 1999, I led a group of friends on a quest to travel from the highest point in the continental United States to the lowest point in the western hemisphere, under human power, in one daylight period. I called it the Diabolical Descent. At daybreak, the plan was to hike from the peak of Mt. Whitney to the campground at Whitney Portal, then ride bikes to Badwater, in Death Valley. It was a grand adventure filled with wonderful stories, created fond memories…and it was a dismal failure. I didn’t adequately plan for just how steep the mountain is to get to Death Valley. Worse, I forgot that water is most important INSIDE your body, not just poured on the outside. As a result, I ended up in the Lone Pine emergency room getting 3 ½ liters of missing water pumped back into me. The team didn’t come close to achieving its goal. But I vow that I won’t make the same mistakes for this 50in50in50 adventure… I’ll probably make different ones.
Donate or Pledge at https://www.50in50in50golf4water.org/donate
Shout out to my new favorite ball from @oncoregolf
#Ford; #adventuretravel; #familyroadtrips; #asics; #asicsgolfshoes
June 4, 2021 …Ways You Can Still Help
POST #11… There are only about 2 ½ months before Day One of the 50-State adventure (August 24, 2021). I’m going to tell you about the ways you can still help me raise funds to provide easy access to clean water for those millions of people who don’t currently have it. You could Donate, Pledge, Share or Make Connections with Corporate Sponsors, Media and/or Potential Playing Partners. Over the next few posts, I’m going to talk about each in detail.
The photo shows the start of the only series of photo bursts of my putting taken by my golf buddy, Dave. The question for you is, on this one-take pix, did the ball go in? (This is the only one he took because, well, I think he actually wanted to get back to golfing instead of serving as my personal photographer, imagine that.)
Donate or Pledge at https://www.50in50in50golf4water.org/donate
Shout out to my new favorite ball from @oncoregolf.
@castateparks; #golfadventure;
June 5, 2021 …Ways You Can Still Help - Donate
POST #12… I’ll be covering all my costs for this adventure so that 100% of all donations go toward one of two very reputable charities who do amazing and effective work. You can donate to this awesome cause (clean water) right now with just a few clicks. Start with https://www.50in50in50golf4water.org/donate; then choose which of the two charities you want to give to. Water 1st is headquartered in Seattle, Project Blue is a ministry of the Covenant Church headquarter in Chicago. (I’ll talk about them in more detail in future posts but you can learn directly from them at https://water1st.org/ https://covchurch.org/cwr/project-blue/)
Both are fairly intuitive for the donation process and both are completely safe. The only extra thing you need to do on the Project Blue site is to click on the drop down under “Please Choose Your Designation” then click on “Clay Phillips”.
So, the putt is on its way. Is it going in or not? (The “claw” grip has been a putting lifesaver for me. I have been diagnosed with “essential tremor” and was twitching and “yipping” something awful before the claw saved me.)
Shout out to my new favorite ball from @oncoregolf.
#Water; #Accesstocleanwater; #waterfirstinternational; #projectblue
June 6, 2021 …Ways You Can Still Help - Pledge
POST #13… Maybe you want to actually see if I end up really doing this thing before you put up your hard-earned cash. That’s fair. Or maybe you want to motivate me to play better. Or maybe you just want to make this a little more fun. At 50in50in50 World Headquarters, we’re into choices and fun. We developed a long menu of bases for making a pledge, from simple ($___/state), to performance-driven ($___/par) to just plain weird ($___/round that I don’t cuss (the charities aren’t going to make any money with THAT one!) and $___/state that I don’t get a speeding ticket). They’re all listed at https://www.50in50in50golf4water.org/donate or you could make up your own. Just scroll down to the pledge section. It’s pretty self-explanatory.
So what do you think? Is that putt wide left?
#PGA; #50statetrip; #golfinamerica; #oldguysrule; #aarp
Shout out to my new favorite ball from @oncoregolf.
June 7, 2021 …Ways You Can Still Help – Social Media Sharing
POST #14… I’ve never felt older and more befuddled than I do right now. I do not understand social media: tags and likes, it’s a foreign language to me, that’s why I have the help of a great friend. What I DO understand is that social media is the best way to get the word out on anything. Well, I want to get the word out that simply providing easy access to clean water dramatically changes families, communities and entire regions for the better. And the change Water 1st and Project Blue facilitate is permanent and far-reaching.
Facebook: (50in50in50golf4water),
Twitter: (50in50in50golf4water@Clayton32440224) and
Instagram: (@50in50in50golf4water)
I also think my little adventure (that begins August 24, 2021) is going to provide an entertaining travelogue for both golfers and tourists. For social media to succeed in getting the word out, it will depend on you doing the sharing, reposting, tagging about 50in50in50. Thanks so much for your help!
Now, about that ball going in the cup. It looks promising, right?
Donate or Pledge at https://www.50in50in50golf4water.org/donate
Shout out to my new favorite ball from @oncoregolf.
June 9, 2021 …Ways You Can Still Help – Connect with the Media
POST #16… Can you introduce me to anybody you personally know in either the print or broadcast media? About a month or so before Day One (August 24), I plan on casting a wide net by distributing press releases to local news stations and newspapers along my route. That’s 50 regions across America. I might have a better shot at media coverage through an introduction from you. I think the endeavor might have the topical components to be an engaging human-interest story: The Ultimate Post-Pandemic Road Trip; Seniors Can Still Do Big Things; America’s Renewed Global Concern For People In Need; Golfing Retiree has Lost His Mind; Knitting Together a Diverse But Polarized America through Golf.
It’s in the hole!!! (You can tell I take this stuff too seriously; look how still I remain throughout the putt.)
Donate or Pledge at https://www.50in50in50golf4water.org/donate
#golfnews; #golfseniors; #golfcharity; #golfstories; #golfhumaninterest
Shout out to my new favorite ball from @oncoregolf.
June 10, 2021 …Ways You Can Still Help – Connect with Contributing Playing Partners
POST #17… I’m looking to raise more funds by connecting with 3 people at each course to play the round with me. They need to be willing to contribute to the cause. Unfortunately, you can’t convince them to play because I’m such a delightful companion. I AM sometimes delightful, just not so much on the golf course. Trust me; anybody who is excited about playing 50 rounds in 50 days takes golf WAY too seriously. I’m pretty focused on the course. But you could encourage them to join me to become part of the saga and a featured participant!
If you know any golfer who would be willing to contribute to the cause and lives in the vicinity of where I’ll be playing in their state, could you ask them if they want to join me? Go to “The Plan” tab on my website to see my full 50-day itinerary listing the cities where I’ll be playing golf. https://www.50in50in50golf4water.org/the-plan
Donate or Pledge at https://www.50in50in50golf4water.org/donate
#playgolf; #golfforagoodcause; #golfforcharity
Shout out to my new favorite ball from @oncoregolf.
June 11, 2021 …Oncore Golf Balls
POST #18… Today, I want to pause to sing the praises of one of this adventure’s corporate sponsors: OnCore Golf. They’re headquartered in Buffalo, NY and they sell their high-end golf balls only via online https://www.oncoregolf.com/product-category/golf-balls/. Up until recently, my preferred golf balls have been the top-of-the-line models from Titleist, Callaway and Taylormade. The guys from OnCore apparently were attracted to my adventure, but before they officially sponsored me, they sent me some of their balls to try out; they wanted to make sure that I liked them before I started promoting them. Well, I LOVE them. I promptly shot a career-best round of 71 using their Vero X1 ball. [For the golfers out there, I find this 4 layer ball to be comparable to Pro-V, but a little longer.] The company says its insides have nano technology. I don’t know what that is, but I like it. I remember there was a Star Trek Next Generation episode that highlighted nanos that became self-aware and started taking over the ship. If that happens with the Vero X1, that could be a great thing for me! I like the idea of a self-aware golf ball choosing to go into the hole instead of depending on my inconsistent swing. Anyhow, the ball is terrific; check them out online (see the link above). I don’t promise that the nanos are trained to seek out the golf hole, but I’m desperately hoping that the mad scientists in OnCore’s Buffalo labs are soon going to introduce that feature in the Vero X2!
June 12, 2021 …Planning the trip
POST #19… My friend, John (pictured wearing his wisdom hat), introduced me to the following saying: “You only need to have 3 things to really enjoy life: 1. Someone to Love, 2. Something Meaningful to Do and 3. Something to Look Forward To.” (I once saw this statement attributed as a quote by Elvis!) There’s probably a lot of truth in that and I think I’m doing OK with checking off those 3 boxes: 1. I am blessed with many people I get to love and 2. this 50in50in50 thing has given me plenty of stuff to do in preparation, especially now in the two months leading up to it. And, of course, 3. I am looking forward to it, though for far too long. The timing hasn’t been right for the past 3 years. Either there have been personal responsibilities that have forced the trip to slide another year and then there was 2020, the year from Hell. I’ve got to do this now, in 2021, because the internal clock is ticking; I’m not sure I’ll be able to do this self-indulgent escapade when I’m too much older. (I’m definitely witnessing the second law of thermodynamics at work in my body!)
Over the next few posts, I want to discuss the factors that came into play when planning this trip. I love planning trips. As I said in a previous post, I plan trips for friends just because it’s a delightful challenge to make all the pieces fit together in an attempt to maximize the fun and minimize the invariable hiccups. Planning a 50+ day trip where every day is a different place is the Mount Everest of trip planning. I’ve loved the challenge (and I probably won’t need supplemental oxygen…probably).
June 13, 2021 …Planning the trip - Time of Year
POST #20… The United States is a big place with lot’s of different climates and micro-climates. When I see it all in just 50 days, I’m expecting to experience a lot of different temperatures and humidities and weather. That’s one of the many things that excites me about doing this; but it’s something to be wary of and was a huge factor in determining when this expedition would be taking place. Winter is out because it snows in Alaska and the northern states. Golf courses are closed and, anyhow, after living nearly 40 years in San Diego, I’ve become a temperature wimp. Summer is out because of high heat in the southwest and high heat AND high humidity in the south and I’m a big wimp on that end of the scale as well. So, the choice was between Spring and Fall. It came down to more rain in spring vs hurricanes in fall. I chose fall, primarily because the tiebreaker, for me, was that September and October are often the nicest months of the year in many places, though I do indeed fear fires in the west (really bad drought) and hurricanes in the south. We’ll see (cue ominous music, heavy with bass and kettle drums).
June 14, 2021 …Planning the Trip – Direction of Travel
POST #21… In the small fraternity of us speed 50-state road-trippers, there are really only two options: clockwise or counter-clockwise. When my friend Dick did his record-breaking basketball adventure (see Post #8), he went counterclockwise, ending in the Pacific northwest. I have to go clockwise, here’s why. When I consider being away from home for 57 days, it feels a little like I’m being sent away to boarding school. I’m embarrassed to admit that in old age, I’m becoming such a homebody. I like my bed, my backyard, my dog, my neighborhood, and my daily naps. And I love my wife. At one time, I considered ending my 50-state journey in Hawaii and treating myself to a relaxing recovery with Lydia joining me, but then I realized that when I finish that final hole (which, btw, will be hole number 900!), there is only one place I want to head to: I want to return to Auntie Em, Uncle Henry and HOME. That’s the main reason I’m starting in Hawaii and ending at my home course here in San Diego, Singing Hills Golf Resort. (Some rugged adventurer I’M turning out to be!)
June 15, 2021 …Planning the Trip – Geographic Nibbling
POST #22… Planning a route to play 50 rounds in 50 states in 50 days is all about nibbling at corners of states. I don’t get to play just any course in a state, I’m confined to play the best course available along my strategic route; often that’s just in a little piece of a state. I love Panhandles! They let me “sneak” across a state. There’s a story behind each one (these 5 are key for my route):
1. Idaho: It is a beautiful area that nobody wanted. In the late 1800s, this sliver was left over after the states on either side (Washington and Montana) got the boundaries they wanted. The remainder was stuck onto Idaho to the south.
2. Pennsylvania: Not technically a “panhandle”, the appendage that connects the state to Lake Erie is known as the “Erie Triangle”. It was competed over by 4 states (New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts were the others). Ultimately, the Feds advocated for Pennsylvania because they had no shoreline so they were the ones who bought the land from the Iroquois Confederacy and the Seneca Nation.
3. West Virginia: The entire region broke away from the rest of Virginia when Virginia seceded from the United States at the beginning of the Civil War. The eastern panhandle was snatched by West VA because it contained the strategic armory at Harpers Ferry and the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad.
4. Florida: In the early 1700s, this coastal strip was originally under French control while the inland areas were under Spain. After the French and Indian War, the strip was ceded to England. Then it bounced around between Spain and England and was ultimately connected to Florida because it was called “West Florida”; Alabama is still upset.
5. Texas: Following the Mexican-American war, Texas wanted a big piece of the new land to the west (and assure that it would allow slavery). The Compromise of 1850, created the Texas panhandle.
June 16, 2021 …Planning the Trip – Golf Courses
POST #23… As I said in yesterday’s post, my selection of the courses I play can be limited by the route I select as I nibble at state corners and panhandles. However, the choice of courses can also influence the route. I have conducted extensive internet searches looking for the most interesting courses to play. In all 50 states, I have set the route such that I know I can play one good public course. This summer, I am contacting private courses to see if they will invite me to play. If not, there’s always a public fallback. Often, the best course in a region is the public course. One such course is Wolf Creek Golf Course, a crazy and thrilling course in Mesquite Nv. See the photo; it looks like a photoshopped fantasy golf calendar (like, where they picture a golf green atop Half Dome) BUT Wolf Creek is real. My list of courses should mostly be finalized by the first part of August. If you’re curious about the status, see “The Plan” tab on this website, then scroll down to find a daily itinerary.
June 17, 2021 …Planning the Trip – State Shapes
POST #24… One collateral benefit of planning this adventure: I’ve become very familiar with the shape of the United States. Not it’s economic shape or political shape or even the shape of its culture or global impact; those kinds of assessments are far beyond me. No, I mean the actual shape of the states. I’ve spent a lot of time looking at the United States as I plan the route, select lodging and choose golf courses. A few weekends ago, at a Memorial weekend campout, my friend Brian challenged us as to whether we could identify all the states simply by their shapes; with obnoxious over-confidence I replied that I was certain that I could. Afterall, not only had I spent the past year scrutinizing the US map, I grew up with a wooden puzzle of the United States with 50 wooden pieces. My older brother could testify how often I’d dump it over then replace everything. I may not know the capitals well (when in doubt, PIERRE!) but bring on State Shapes! Fortunately, Brian couldn’t test my resolve while we were up there in the forest; I now realize I would want to include a couple conditions in the identification test: 1. the shape had to be oriented with north as up and 2. Colorado and Wyoming are not included in the test (it’s impossible to be certain between these two simple rectangles!). So, Brian, if you grant me these two caveats, I’m ready for the final!!!
June 18, 2021 …Easy Access to Clean Water – The Lazy Do-Gooder
POST #25… In previous posts, I shared the story of how I first learned about the unavailability of clean water and connected it with my passion for golf and road trips. For the next many posts, I’m going to focus on this desperate global need and why it’s captured my passion and is so worthy of your attention and your support to help fix the problem.
I’m like some of you: concerned about SO many problems both near and far. There are so many tragedies, so many horrors, so many injustices and so many things that need to be fixed, I don’t know where to begin. Usually, I successfully distract myself with my immediate problems (me, my family, my friends, my community) and hope that somebody is taking care of all that other stuff “out there” or that those problems are taking care of themselves. In my more forlorn moments, I’m reminded that this is a fallen world and bad things happen, but there’s not much comfort or resolution in that.
I’m a lazy do-gooder. I do want justice and fairness and equality to reign and suffering to end but I find I’m too lazy to do much about it. My default is inertia. Then, in those few moments when I start moving toward social action, I also begin to see how incredibly complex the solutions are for most of society’s problems, way beyond me. I slump down, defeated before I begin.
But I’m energized about the clean water issue; it seems to be within easier reach, if even a little support is provided, amazing changes can happen one family, one community at a time. (The photo is of a Water 1st sink in use in Western Honduras)
June 19, 2021 …Easy Access to Clean Water – Simpler but Still Not Simple
POST #26… I am so grateful for the heroic people who are taking on famine, human trafficking, systemic oppression worldwide and so many other forms of injustice and suffering. Providing easy access to clean water is no more important than many other problems facing humanity, but providing easy access to clean water seems to be a lower-hanging fruit in the tree of great causes.
I used to think this problem was really simple: spend money, dig wells, problem solved. But then I went to Honduras and learned that some water improvement projects are more complex than others. I’ve also learned that a whopping 30 to 40% of water projects fail because they were installed without also establishing a program for long-term sustainability. Surprisingly, there is a direct parallel to my career in State Parks. Everybody loves funding the land for a new park or for the construction of new facilities, nobody wants to fund the maintenance and long-term operation of those facilities. My two 50in50in50 recipient charities recognize that sustainability is key. Water 1st makes sustainability integral by requiring that those who receive the water play lead roles in implementing the new project AND overseeing the finished product by participating in local and regional water boards. The sense of ownership is a key to long-term sustainability.
The photo shows a meeting of a local water board in the forests of western Honduras, more on that later.
June 20, 2021 …Easy Access to Clean Water – Saves Lives
POST #27… Access to clean water makes people healthier by eliminating water borne diseases and promoting better sanitation. Diseases from dirty water kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war. Between 2 to 5 million people die each year from water-related illnesses and over 40% of those deaths are children under five years old. Read the previous sentence again.
Donate or Pledge at https://www.50in50in50golf4water.org/donate
June 21, 2021 …Easy Access to Clean Water – Gives People More Time
POST #28… In less affluent countries, people, on average, hike 3.7 miles to bring water home; and not a generous amount of water. While we Americans average 80 to 100 gallons / person /day, remote portions of Africa and Asia survive on about 4 gallons / day. Typically, while the man works the crops, the woman is left to get water. For a family of 4, that means 16 gallons has to be carried miles in 5 gallon buckets. Obviously, for one person, that means multiple trips, but often, the children are left out of school to help.
When people no longer have to walk many miles each day to access water for household tasks like cooking, cleaning, and washing, they are freed to grow food, attend school, enter the workforce, and to better their families, communities and national economies. In Africa alone, women spend 40 billion hours a year walking for water. Yes, 40 BILLION.
June 22, 2021 …Easy Access to Clean Water – Helps End the Poverty Cycle
POST #29… As more people are able to enter the workforce and people are healthier, the economy of a country grows and the revolving cycle of poverty is stopped. People and countries become less dependent on “hand-outs” and emergency relief from more affluent countries and become more self-sufficient and independent. The world could also avoid spending $30 BILLION annually on the treatment of preventable, water-related diseases. This isn’t a temporary, short-term fix; bringing clean water to communities and homes is a deal changer.
Lay aside, for a moment, the anguish you and I feel for the death, disease and long-term suffering caused by the unavailability of accessible clean water. It simply makes good business sense to fix this problem from a global economic perspective!
June 23, 2021 …Fox5 News!
POST #30… Here’s the link for the first media report on my 50 state golf adventure.
I think they did a great job, but I’m reminded that, as much as I loved my parents, I still am a little bitter that they didn’t give me braces to straighten my teeth.
June 24, 2021 …I Didn’t Even Know I had a Media Director!
POST #31… A big shout-out to my friend, Mike Atkinson. Mike initiated an outreach campaign on my behalf to local print and broadcast media that successfully engaged many interested San Diego reporters. Over the next few weeks you’ll be seeing the fruits of Mike’s effort to get the word out about this clean water golf adventure.
Mike and his wife, Stacey are passionate entrepreneurs in the realm of one of the world’s most lovely and sweet-smelling plants: Plumeria. They consider it their mission to spread their love of plumeria to others, introducing them to these amazing creations. And with that, send forth the lovely spirit of Aloha they bring. Please go to their website to see their classes, tours and sales. You might become a “plumerian” too!
https://www.facebook.com/atkinsonplumeria
Instagram: @atkinsonplumeria
June 25, 2021 …Grateful for my Generous Social Media Savvy Friend!
POST #32… Early in the planning stages of this endeavor, I’ve always known I needed to fully engage social media to promote interest in this fundraiser. But I was born in the 1950s and social media is like a foreign language to me. Every time I thought about that aspect of the project, I got anxious the same way I remember feeling the first day of kindergarten: I didn’t understand what was going on, what the rules were or why I had to be there.
Enter my friend, Abigail Austin Soule to my rescue. Unsolicited, she offered to provide the help I needed to navigate the world of social media. I am so grateful that there are 30 year old minds out there with kind hearts to help out-of-touch old folks like me. Thank you, Abby!
June 26, 2021 …Easy Access to Clean Water – Choosing the Charities
POST #33… Believing that I could make a difference and helping others believe they could as well were triggers behind the 50in50in50golf4water fundraiser. If I was going to ask people to part with a portion of their hard-earned money, it was important to select a charity I could trust with the funds I was hoping to raise; I found two: one a religious-based charity and the other secular. I initially was torn over choosing one over the other but ultimately decided to leave that decision in the hands of my supporters. You can’t go wrong with either one.
June 27, 2021 …Our Two Charities – Project Blue
POST #34… So, my wife was asked to one of our denominational gatherings of pastors one winter in Denver; she helped provide spiritual direction sessions for conference participants. I tagged along so I could do a road trip with her and cross-country ski in the Rockies. While there, I realized that the Director of Covenant World Relief was likely attending and with Abby’s long-distance help, I was able to schedule what I hoped would be at least a few minutes with him. I sat down with David Husby (see photo, I’m really not only 4’ tall) and summarized my vision for the 50in50in50 fundraising adventure. I think he was delighted by my hutzpah but also wondered if I was also bit crazy. The few minutes stretched to two 30-minute discussions. I explained the idea of combining golf, road trip and clean water originated during a short-term mission trip to Nepal (see Post 8, June 1). He later invited me to join him for his visit to CWR projects in Honduras in May 2019. He decided if I could handle Nepal, I could handle Honduras. I was especially excited that such a trip would afford me an opportunity to be more than just an armchair supporter but would get to see projects first-hand. While there I saw the value that CWR had there and the commitment they had to locally-led initiatives. (More on the trip in future posts.)
June 29, 2021 …Our Two Charities – Where in the World are the Projects?
POST #36… Your donation in support of 50in50in50golf4water endeavor will provide easy access to clean water worldwide (and thereby save lives and jump start economies).
WATER 1ST INTERNATIONAL
They are active with long-term projects in:
· Honduras
· Ethiopia
· Mozambique
· India
· Bangladesh
PROJECT BLUE
Current water projects are in:
· Honduras
· South Africa
· Haiti,
· Somaliland
· India
· Nepal - WASH
· Nepal - Shanti
(In the recent past, they’ve also participated in projects in Kenya, Colombia, Yemen and Lebanon)
June 30, 2021 …Honduras Trip –
Part 1 The Anticipation
POST #37… In May 2019, I was invited to join David Husby (CWR Project Blue Director) and Nils Clauson on a trip to Honduras. I didn’t hesitate to say “yes” because I knew that I would be a better ambassador for easy access to clean water if I’d actually visited clean water projects and met the recipients. My hesitancy came later, as I actually began to anticipate the trip and learn more about Honduras. Honduras has the number one per capita murder rate in the world. Yes, the entire planet! Then I had to get shots for all kinds of exotic diseases. And they have Fer-de-Lance down there, a highly venomous pit viper whose bite can be fatal…especially to bald 66-year-old men! I don’t think I’m a coward (afterall, I did go), but clearly, I am a worrier. Before I left home, I wrote a letter and hid it on my computer. It began, “Dear Lydia, Tyler and Nathanael, I’m sorry I died in Honduras.” The letter went on to say why I thought it was important for me to go and expressed all the final things I wanted to say to my beloved family (see photo). I didn’t die and the trip was wonderful. When I got home, I reread the digital letter. It is a really good letter. So good that, from now on, before each long trip, I’ll simply change the destination and call it good!
July 1, 2021 …Honduras Trip –It’s a Different World
POST #38… The World is big. Really big. And Different. Really Different. Some places more than others. Honduras is really different, but Hondurans clearly don’t think so. I had 3 incidents during my trip that incited gasps by me but complete and utter indifference by my hosts:
1. We’re sitting in a conference room, planning out the logistics for an upcoming event, when suddenly, the blood-curdling scream of a distressed pig blasted through the closed doors. I was stunned; nobody around me even noticed.
2. Later in the week, same conference room, probably same discussion. It had been raining, but suddenly the skies opened up as if an upside down fire hydrant was blasting the roof and every square inch around us. I looked outside and up at the ceiling, expecting any minute to either get crushed by the roof or drowned or both. And again, for everybody else, the discussion droned on without skipping a beat.
3. One dinner, we were invited to a nicer home with a lovely outdoor dining area. As we were eating, something caught the corner of my eye, down on the ground. I casually glanced and saw that the ground was covered by fist-sized frogs. As a short person, I’m used to having to dangle my short little legs, so it was not that uncomfortable eating the rest of my dinner with raised feet.
July 2, 2021 …Honduras Trip –Hondurans helping Hondurans
POST #39… Our hosts were the amazing staff of COCEPRADIL, a non-profit that is the hub of facilitating the work of transforming communities in a large part of western Honduras. None of the water projects would be possible without them. This is not a situation where affluent countries have sent people to go fix a problem in a foreign land. This is Hondurans helping Hondurans. U.S. donations fund materials and supplies and provide important technical assistance, but the bulk of the hard work on the ground is through COCEPRADIL.
COCEPRADIL is an acronym (Central Committee for Water and Comprehensive Development Projects in Lempira). They work in the state of Lempira. The scope of their work is much broader than only providing easy access to clean water. They also provide advice on land management practices for farmers and health practices for communities and families. While there are indeed traditional village areas, it seemed most of the people in western Honduras live isolated from one another, poor farmers spread throughout the steep mountain forests. When I consider the work COCEPRADIL, it occurs to me that they are brilliant community organizers and could come to the U.S. and lead an excellent training seminar in community engagement.
July 3, 2021 …Honduras Trip –Herman
POST #40… Herman (pronounced Air-mahn) was our personal guide for much of the visit. He was funny, engaging, self-assured and spoke excellent English. He works long days driving winding dirt roads coordinating projects and engaging farmers throughout the mountainous jungles. He once spent some time working in the U.S. but found he missed Honduras and especially the effective life-changing work of COCEPRADIL.
When I think of the professionalism of COCEPRADIL and its staff like Herman, I am reminded of my haughtiness as an American. I love my country and am very proud of it. I realize that on the margins of that pride is a lower perception of who the rest of the world is and what they are capable of. My brief dealing with the COCEPRADIL staff is beginning to upend that bias. I wish we could add the brilliance and enthusiasm of somebody like Herman to our continuing American experiment but am glad he is there in Honduras doing the work he is doing.
(In the photo, Herman is flanked by David Husby and our translator, Nils Clausen (a long-time missionary to Mexico), who served as our translator. They are apparently trying to agree on what time zone we are going to follow in our travels?)
July 4, 2021 …Honduras Trip –¿Donde está el agua?
POST #41… There are many different ways to provide easy access to water. In India, pastors associated with the Covenant Church designed the simple water pump that is still a common approach in many villages. In Honduras, the standard solution is to capture mountain springs, pipe the water to the community water tank then transport the treated water to a spigot and large concrete sink in each home. Since I understood that the recipient community members were required to be involved in project installation, I asked one of them how far away their mountain spring was. Their matter-of-fact response was “70 kilometers”. I thought there might be a mistake in the translation, so I repeated the question and received the same response. Jaw dropping. The recipients of this water project, under the direction of Water 1st engineers, not only built a monumental spring collection box but installed piping through 70 kilometers of mountainous jungle to reach their community. Talk about instilling a sense of shared ownership! This wasn’t merely a construction project, it was a community expedition that was many months in process. This kind of “ownership” in the project assures long-term sustainability.
July 5, 2021 …Honduras Trip –Porfiria and Mercedes
POST #42… Easy access to clean water changes everything. On one of our trips, we visited the home of Porfiria and Mercedes. Through our translator, I asked, “Could you name the top 3 ways that having easy access to clean water has changed your life?” Nils and I almost jumped back when Porfiria joyfully exploded with arms waving, firing machine-gun Spanish. She went on for at least 5 minutes, excitedly telling us about what having that spigot and concrete sink meant to her and her family. When she finally took a breath, Nils and I looked at each other and I said, “Well, I think that was a lot more than 3.” That moment was one of the highlights of the entire trip. I didn’t need a translator to understand that, for Porfiria and Mercedes, clean water did, indeed, change everything. Nils kicked himself for not pressing the record button on his phone camera; her response was THAT delightful to see. Nils later tried to summarize: Since she doesn’t have to fetch water multiple times a day, she is able to spend more time improving their home and working with Mercedes on the small farm. Her children have been able to focus more on their studies and their family’s health has improved by having higher quality water.
July 6, 2021 …Honduras Trip –Porfiria and Mercedes Pt 2
POST #43… As a successful water recipient, Portfiria and Mercedes have gladly become a home at which COCEPRADIL is modelling healthy home management improvements to be viewed by other landowners in the region. As with new water projects, people’s sense of “ownership” is key to successful community engagement. In this case, a COCEPRADIL staffer worked with the couple to graphically depict a plan for long-term property improvement. See the photos for the plan (note it covers, left to right, “past”, “present” and “future”.)
While visiting, we attempted to help re-mud their exterior adobe walls. She had to fire me for poor workmanship.
With these kinds of home health and property management efforts, COCEPRADIL is changing the economic and social health within the state of Lampira, building on the foundation of easy access to clean water.
July 7, 2021 …Honduras Trip –Juan Angel
POST #44… I’m terrible at remembering names, but thanks to the classic 1962 hit “Johnny Angel” by Shelley Fabares, I’ll always remember Juan Angel; not that there’s any connection I’m terrible at remembering names, but thanks to the classic 1962 hit “Johnny Angel” by Shelley Fabares, I’ll always remember Juan Angel; not that there’s any connection between the lyrics and Juan, it’s just firmly filed in my disorganized brain that way.
Juan Angel is a farmer and self-taught agricultural scientist. Gaining access to clean water allowed him the time to devote to expanding his agricultural practices by experimentation. He used to plant the staples of a poor Honduran farmer: corn and beans, just enough for his family. Now he is successfully producing a variety of crops on his hillside plot and able to sell regularly at the regional market so that he can now pay to send his children to a better school. And it all started with water.
When we visited him, Juan gave us a passionate demonstration on his discoveries regarding the different medicinal values of his produce. He then hosted a dinner during which he serenaded us on his guitar with worshipful praises for God’s goodness to him. (Maybe that’s why by brain has filed him with the Shelley Fabares song?)
July 8, 2021 …Honduras Trip –They demanded that we Sit!
POST #45… On our final day in Honduras, on our way to the airport, we stopped for one last home visit. This was designed as our final farewell to Lionel, the Director of COCEPRADIL. Before we entered the home, I had a little time to walk around the house and was impressed with its condition, especially the lovely flower garden in front. The host family served tea and snacks in their small but immaculate kitchen area with the standard concrete water basin in the corner. David and Lionel made final face-to-face decisions about an upcoming conference they were planning for the fall. At the end of their discussion, we thanked Lionel for his hospitality during past week and said farewell. As he stood up and left the house, we three began to stand up to leave. Suddenly, the couple that had been quietly serving tea became quite animated and demanded that we sit back down! We obeyed. They then proceeded to passionately thank us for the past 15 years. They explained how they had been one of the early recipients of a Water 1st faucet and concrete tub. They then told the story of what the life of their family had been like over those past 15 years: children that have thrived, a healthy, contented life, a productive business. It reminded me of George Bailey at the end of It’s a Wonderful Life. They had a clear picture in their minds of what their life might have been but for that water faucet in the corner of the room. They’d been waiting a long time to personally thank the people who provided the funds that changed their lives. Never mind that none of us, least of all me, had anything to do with them getting that water; their deep sense of gratitude needed an outlet and, that day, we were it. It made me feel humbled and joyous at the same time. I hope someday, long after I’m gone, someone will thank some visitor from the U.S. for a project that was funded via many generous donations through my goofy 50in50in50 golf thing.
July 9, 2021 …10 News ABC!
Here’s our third local news clip. Again, great job by another local reporter. Steve Smith was a pleasure to work with. This report is also nice because it not-so-casually highlights the support I get from OnCore Golf and my attachment to their Vero1 ball. Product placement is everything! The cameraman set his camera on the putting green to get an artsy balls-eye-level of my putt. Just before he pressed the record button, I suddenly realized the opportunity to highlight my new favorite 4-layer, top-tier, soft-but-long ball with nano-technology and spun the ball to strategically face the camera. The result is marketing magic, as you will see.
Donate or Pledge at https://www.50in50in50golf4water.org/donate
July 10, 2021 …Honduras Trip – Community Water Boards, A Donkey and A Horse
POST #47… In my June 19 post, I talked about how our charities work to make sure their water projects are sustainable and don’t become one of the many projects worldwide that fail after the first few years. They build in the recipients a sense of long-term ownership by requiring them to participate in the installation of the water system. They also require them to be actively involved in community water boards that meet regularly to make decisions about the maintenance of the system, establish policies and upgrade the system as needed. Remember, these are generally impoverished farmers who would typically never be involved in anything like being a member of a board. In the western Honduras state of Lempira, COCEPRADIL helps coordinate these boards and provides technical expertise.
While this may sound a bit boring and administrative, it gets me excited. It means that the money you and I give is building changes that are permanent. Even in a worst case scenario, if a water source were to dry up, there is a community structure in place to navigate through that problem.
The photo is again of the outdoor water board meeting I attended. The picture doesn’t do justice to how spectacular the setting was: a lovely grove of mature trees atop a ridge with sweeping views of western Honduras. As I sat stupidly not understanding Spanish but admiring the view, SUDDENLY, a donkey came running through the site followed moments later by a horse. I’m not sure what mischief the donkey was up to that got Mr. Horse so excited but it must happen often because the discussion among the meeting participants didn’t skip a beat.
July 11, 2021 …Honduras Trip – The Women, Their Bank and Their Chickens, part 1
POST #48… One final, heart-warming story from the Honduras trip.
The water project recipients are farmers who’s properties are generally isolated from one another in the mountainous jungles of Honduras. By serving on local water boards, they increase their interaction with each other. In one community, a group of women became more acquainted through their service on the board. With the help of COCEPRADIL, they decided to set up their own community-bank. We attended their monthly meeting at which each member of their “bank”, brought in the minimum monthly deposit, recorded it, then the group considered individual loans requests by other members.
Like so many things, this collaborative effort to save money, support one another and improve their lives began with water.
July 12, 2021 …Honduras Trip – The Women, Their Bank and Their Chickens, part 2
POST #49… When the women were not discussing how to manage the water system or following their banking procedures, they talked of their families and farms. In due course, they realized they individually spent a lot of money on eggs for their family baking needs and wondered if maybe there was a way they could work together to reduce each of their costs.
So they used their community bank to create a food-cooperative centered on chickens: they carefully calculated the costs of buying 28 hens, housing them, and feeding them, and determined if those hens produced a certain number of eggs / day (I think it was 24), then they would break even and would be saving money with egg #25 and beyond.
They took us to see their Co-op chicken coop. They told us something like, “We made this ourselves with no help from our husbands; it’s not very good”, but what was delightful is that it was obvious how proud they were of their accomplishment. The coop worked and the hens looked pretty impressive. I can’t tell you how they’re doing on the egg goal, but I have a feeling that community is rich in eggs.
This isn’t just about saving a few dollars on eggs. It’s about women (in a typically male-dominated culture) having the opportunity to take the initiative to change the quality of life in their community. And once again, it all began with easy access to clean water.
July 13, 2021 …Quick Summary for Late Arrivals
Recognizing that we’ve been posting daily since mid-May (this is Post #50!), we probably have some new folks that are picking up here in the middle and wonder, “What the heck’s going on?” Here’s a quick back story: I’m Clay Phillips, a 66-year-old retiree who has saved enough money to do a crazy golf adventure: playing 50 full Rounds of golf in 50 States in 50 consecutive Days. Day One is in Honolulu on August 24 and Day 50 is supposed to be in San Diego on October 12.
Through this adventure, I am raising funds to address perhaps the lowest-hanging-fruit in the tree of great causes: providing easy access to clean water worldwide. Each year over 2 million people die from dirty water and 40% of these are children under 5. Add to that stat is the fact that many millions of hours of hand-carrying bad water keeps people (particularly women and children) from strengthening the regional economy and/or their education.
Over the past 50 days, I’ve been posting the background on how this goofy idea came to me and why I’m doing it and how I think it’s going to happen. If you’re curious, please take a look at past social media postings or go to my website https://www.50in50in50golf4water.org/ and click on the “Daily Updates” tab.
There are two great charities for you to choose between if you’re interested in making a Donation or Pledge. See https://www.50in50in50golf4water.org/donate Since I’m committed to paying for all the costs of this golf adventure, every dollar that is donated will go toward the charities.
July 14, 2021 …CONTESTS! (with Fabulous Prizes!)
POST 51 … NEW! NEW! NEW! Thanks to our generous sponsors, 6 contests are now open to anybody who has made a donation or a pledge. All you have to do is go to https://www.50in50in50golf4water.org/contests , make your best guess at each of the 6 questions plus one more tiebreaker question, then click “Send”. SEPTEMBER 6 is the last day to submit an entry so don’t forget, DO IT NOW!
Prizes include my homemade chocolate chip cookies (locally renowned), a golfing vacation at the lovely Singing Hills Resort!, OnCore Golf Balls (the balls that are so awesome it doubles my pain when I hit them in a water hazard), a new pair of Asics golf shoes (the only golf shoe I will wear) AND an autographed photo of Greg Norman!
Is this a sneaky, Madison-avenue ploy to attract more donors/sponsors? Of course! I’ll try anything to raise more money for easy access to clean water. But it’s not just that. If you know me, you know I love games like this and tracking these stats over the 50 days will be a fun distraction for me… and maybe for you too!
July 15, 2021 …To “Pledge” or to “Donate”?
POST 52 … Perhaps you want to financially support easy access to clean water, but you’re not sure whether to “Pledge” an amount of money or to outright “Donate” some bucks. Please see https://www.50in50in50golf4water.org/donate and scroll down to see a detailed discussion on “pledges” to help in your decision. You’ll see some fun pledge challenges that may inspire me to Play Better, Drive Safer and Behave Nicer. On top of that, you wouldn’t be out any money until I actually do this goofy thing!
C’mon, don’t you want to care as much as I do about whether I make a birdie or eagle or hole-in-one? (Nah, I wouldn’t wish that on anybody either.)
Shout out to one of the loveliest valleys in San Diego County: Singing Hills Golf Resort
July 16, 2021 …Creative Ways to Motivate Me
POST 53 … My worst enemy on a golf course is… [every long-term golfer on the planet knows how to complete that statement) … My worst enemy on a golf course is me. I’ve often told my wife and any golfing buddies who were still paying attention, that if only I could have an on-course golf lobotomy, I could have consistently great scores. Unfortunately, I’ve found no way to cut out that weasel inside my brain that makes me do so many stupid things at the worst possible moment. And then every mistake compounds itself again and again and the weasel continues to rule for many subsequent holes! This could happen on the 50-state thing. PLEASE, make some pledges that will motivate me even after I get a 10 on a hole.
Thus far, people have pledged to donate money for:
Each hole-in-one, eagle, birdie or par (So, even after a horrendous hole, I will remain motivated for the next hole because as bad as I might play on one hole, I could birdie the next)
Each round I shoot under 80.
Each day I have to play in the rain (As a San Diegan, the threshold for what constitutes “rain” is pretty low: if a single drop hits me from the sky, it’s raining.)
Each round I don’t curse (Caveat: “Crap” is authorized as a non-curse word in honor of historical figure, Thomas Crapper and his vital contributions to us all.)
Each state without a speeding ticket (Thank you for motivating me to drive safely!)
July 17, 2021 …Would Jesus Golf 50in50in50?
POST 54 … With just a month before I leave home to get to my Day One location, I want to revisit the reason I’m doing all this, the deepest reason. Sure, I’m doing it because I love to play golf and the idea of playing all that golf does make me giddy. And, sure, I’m so excited to cruise through wide open backcountry as well as rolling woodlands, visiting Small Town America along the way. And, of course, the thought that I’m garnering attention and funds to address the need for easy access to clean water makes me thrilled. But there’s a deeper reason: I’m a Christian; I’ve spent most of my life trying to follow and listen to Jesus. I hope that the things that are important to Him are important to me. In the next few posts, I’ll talk about why I think He thinks this thing is important; that it’s important to raise money to provide easy access to clean water for everybody.
Would Jesus golf 50in50in50? Oh yeah, I’m sure He would. And not just because it’s for an awesome cause. I think He’d be a terrific golfer because he’d enjoy being outdoors in His creation and the camaraderie with fellow golfers. He’d be relaxed and always at peace so He would BOMB His drives with a nice baby draw, hit crisp irons and always read greens well. And He’d laugh on the course a lot more than I do. (And, no, I don’t think He’d ever “cheat” by parting a water hazard or ushering in a gust of wind at an opportune moment!)
July 18, 2021 …Why This Water Stuff is so Important to Me
POST 55 … I’ve been thinking about the simple truth that God is God over the whole world, not just our family, our church, our community or just our nation. God loves the whole world. Many people are familiar with John 3:16 (“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…), but not so many know its bookend, 1 John 3:16 and the verses beyond:
“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”
If we are living as if the gospel is true, it means we’re called to …
1. Declare the good news of Jesus’ sacrificial death on our behalf AND
2. Demonstrate that the Reign of God is invading human history through us followers who have been redeemed by that sacrifice.
Stay tuned for more…
(Images are from the Lumo Project, one of the most exciting video series ever produced depicting Jesus’ life in every language, drawn directly from each of the 4 gospel texts. See it at https://www.lumoproject.com/ )
July 19, 2021 …Who are Important to Jesus?
POST 56 … Well, of course, YOU ARE! In my lifelong quest to uncover what’s important to Jesus, I’m continuing to learn that people, all people, are most important to Jesus. People over things. People over policy. People over success. People. He demonstrated His equal interest by making sure he especially attended to those who, in His society, were deemed a step below everybody else. It really is amazing who He welcomed and embraced and hung with: lowly fishmen, despised tax collectors, hated Samaritans, women with horrible reputations and diseased people utterly cast off by society.
Would He pay special attention to the outcasts of this world who are mired in death and economic despair by their lack of clean water? You bet He would.
(Images are from the Lumo Project, one of the most exciting video series ever produced depicting Jesus’ life in every language, drawn directly from each of the 4 gospel texts. See it at https://www.lumoproject.com/ )
July 20, 2021 …So, What Can We Possibly DO?
POST 57 … Philip Yancey, in his book, What Good is God? observed,
“Some in the United States judge our nation’s success by such measures as gross national product, military might, and global dominance. The kingdom of God measures such things as care for the downtrodden and love for enemies. In the final reckoning described in Matthew 25, God will judge nations by how they treat the poor, the sick, the hungry, the alien, and the prisoner.”
,
He goes on to say, “From the very beginning, Jesus took the side of the underdog; the poor, the oppressed, the sick, the “marginalized”.
When I think about water issues in remote areas of the globe and the tragic suffering that occurs absent a relatively simple remedy, my gut tightens. I think about what Jesus’ attitude would be and I get really anxious that something as simple as getting clean water is hindering so many people from thriving in a quality life. I think Jesus would be anxious too, especially about our lack of care. We, who are the hands and feet of Jesus, have an obligation and opportunity. Access to clean water changes lives today and many subsequent generations thereafter. What Can We Possibly DO? Something! Anything! We are blessed as a nation; how can we not pass the fruits of that blessing on?
(Images are from the Lumo Project, one of the most exciting video series ever produced depicting Jesus’ life in every language, drawn directly from each of the 4 gospel texts. See it at https://www.lumoproject.com/ )
July 21, 2021 …The 3 parts to Every Trip
POST 58… There are 3 parts to every trip: the Anticipation, the Actual Trip and the Memories. A successful trip is one where you nail at least two out of three of those parts. For example, I’ve had vacations where the actual trip was kind of a disaster, but I consider it a success because I had great joy in the planning of it and laugh at the memories of it (like the many things that went wrong). The thing is, you have the least amount of control over the actual trip and the most control over parts 1 and 3; so why not work hard on what you can? That’s why I’m a big advocate of trip planning and savoring the anticipation that comes with it. You can also build in systems to make sure the trip is well documented (journaling, pix, funny slide shows prepared afterward) in support of part 3.
So, I’m working hard in the planning the 50-state adventure to do well on part one: the Anticipation. I like to pretend that my thorough planning will help avoid disasters and assure that part two, the Actual Trip, runs seamlessly. That fantasy may be a little bit true, but I know that some kind of disaster awaits, beyond the control of my intense advance planning.
Over the next few posts, I’m going to talk about my Anticipation for the trip, both the good and the bad. I’ll start with the things I’m worried about, the Dark Side of Anticipation: snow, rain, lightning, wildfires, hurricanes, traffic, car crash, car break-down, staying awake, falling asleep, 66 year-old body breaking down, 66 year-old brain breaking down, Covid restrictions and really-bad-inoperable golf.
July 22, 2021 …The Dark Side of Anticipation: Weather
POST 59… I sure am at the mercy of the weather as I try to play 50 rounds of golf in 50 states in 50 days. I’m not so much concerned about temperature; I’ve played in the upper 30s and in triple digits without dying. A bit of rain doesn’t terrify me, either. But lightning, that’s scary; let’s hope I can avoid past stupidity, like when I once teed off while a bolt of lightning blasted at the other end of the fairway. And snow! An early snow in Alaska, Idaho or Colorado could cut the legs out on my schedule.
And then there are those things that are very scary, independent of my goofy golf adventure. I am very worried about the effects of drought on thousands of people and environments throughout the west. We are only at the beginning of the fire season and it’s already really bad. Likewise, the threat of increasing hurricanes makes me anxious about the coming hurricane season in the south. I worry about the people who are potentially displaced and traumatized through these disasters. I also wonder what the effect these may have on my carefully planned route. Will wildfires cause 100-mile detours? Will I regret going through hurricane-country during peak hurricane season? The one thing I don’t have to worry about is Yellowstone. If it blows while I’m passing through Montana, I don’t think I’ll even know what hit me.
July 23, 2021 …The Dark Side of Anticipation: Awake vs Asleep
POST 60… As I get older, I find I’m asleep when I should be awake and awake when I should be asleep. That won’t work very well on this 50in50in50 thing!
I get sleepy on long, boring drives; that’s one of the reasons I am choosing to drive mostly on two lane roads. I think there is so much more to see and I will be less likely to fall asleep, even though it means I will be stuck longer behind the wheel. Conversely, I’ve recently begun to have trouble sleeping at night and I’m concerned that sleeping night after night in strange places will only exacerbate the problem. I welcome any tips on combatting both problems.
July 24, 2021 …The Dark Side of Anticipation: Decrepit Body and Mind
POST 61… Every morning I’m reminded that, at 66 years-old, I’m on the downhill side of life; will I REALLY be able to play 50 rounds in 50 days driving through all 50 states? Each year, the muscles and joints stop creaking later and later each morning; right now, I loosen up by about 9am. Someday soon, I’ll decreak and eat lunch at the same time. My brain is getting as creaky as the rest of my body. I’m increasingly forgetful of the simplest things. I envision an achy old man accidently missing Delaware on the 50-state trip. That would be bad. My wonderful sports therapist is helping my body stay mobile and flexible through a half hour stretching regime, twice daily. Lydia is helping my mind stay on track by reminding me what I’m supposed to do next. Teamwork!
July 25, 2021 …The Dark Side of Anticipation: Car Stuff, An Issue of Trust
POST 62… I do trust the mechanics of my Audi; I’ve found it to be very reliable. Still, so many things could go wrong! And I typically trust the quality of my driving. I’m generally cautious (except when my little TTs gets on a winding road, I click on the “Sport” mode and push each turn. I can’t help it.) I’ve been thinking lately how much trust we have to put in other people on the road. Every time we hit the road, we are trusting that every stranger we encounter believes in and obeys the same vehicle codes that I buy into. Most do. Most of the folks agree with the traffic protocols: stay on your side of the highway, stop at the stop sign and traffic lights and don’t hit people with your car. But there are miscreants out there and though I don’t want to encounter them on the road, the odds increase when I’m driving many thousands of miles over 50 days.
My plan is to drive more defensively, check the oil, never click on “sport” mode and be thankful for AAA.
July 27, 2021 …The Dark Side of Anticipation: Bad Inoperable Golf
POST 64… As you see from previous posts, I have a long list of worries about playing 50 rounds of golf in 50 states in 50 days. Of them all, the one that seems most likely and most fills me with dread is to play really bad golf for 50 straight days. THAT would be a living nightmare! I do have experience at playing poorly for long stretches, but usually that’s limited to the length of a competitive tournament: 4 maybe 5 days. And those stretches happen because I have very little mental fortitude.
It's one of the great unknowns about this adventure. Will I play better because of the frequency of play and the knowledge that the next day is a chance at a fresh start? Or will my scores skyrocket because I’m in a hurry, tired, sore and stressed knowing that I’ll never have another chance at playing each hole right next time (except for my final 18 at my home course)? I guess we’ll see.
July 28, 2021 …The Happy Side of Anticipation: Seeing America
POST 65… People from all over the world come to vacation in America because it’s amazing. In a compressed period of time, I’ll get to experience it all: tropical Hawaii, grand Alaska, the vast prairies and mountains of the West, the lakes and forests of the upper Midwest, the historic villages of the East, the lush green woodlands of the South and the spectacular deserts of the Southwest. I’m attracted to it all and can hardly wait to see it all from my two-lane route. I’m so lucky to be able to do this.
July 29, 2021 …The Happy Side of Anticipation: The Courses
POST 66… When I was a junior in high school, I felt like I had to decide what I was going to do the rest of my life. What I liked to do was golf, but I was little and knew I could never make it as a pro. I thought that the next best thing would be to design golf courses. At study hall, when I was supposed to be, you know, studying, I would rip out a sheet of notebook paper, draw a lake, river and forest in plan view then lay out 18 holes, a driving range, clubhouse and parking lot. I wrote to the Golf Course Architects of America and asked how I could become one of them. They told me to go to college and get a Landscape Architecture degree. Which I did. I worked as a Landscape Architect for State Parks and never designed a golf course, but I’ve never lost my love and appreciation for golf course architecture.
When I was planning the routes and selecting courses for my 50-state golf adventure, I POURED over golf course websites, making my decision mostly on the photos I could find.I can honestly say that all 50 courses look interesting to me; there’s not a goat track in the bunch.I am looking forward to all of them, but there are a few that make me fairly twitterpated at the thought of getting to play them.One of those is Buffalo Ridge Springs, the Missouri representative.It is designed by my favorite Golf Course Architect: Tom Fazio.I’ve played courses by Nicklaus, Dye, Palmer and Player and they were all really good, but nobody has the artist’s eye like Fazio.So many times, I’ve stood on one of his tees and marveled at his workmanship: the contours, the vistas, the textures and the visual movement of a hole.I admit it; I am a Tom Fazio groupie.He is the Master and Buffalo Ridge Springs looks like one of his many masterpieces.
July 30, 2021 …The Happy Side of Anticipation: The Special Side Trips
POST 67… For the most part, when I’m on the road playing 50 rounds in 50 states in 50 days, I’m not going to have a lot of free time. Between golfing, driving, eating, stretching, posting and calling Lydia to ask what I’m supposed to do next, I’m not going to have many hours left in each day. But I did squeeze in a couple of gaps along the way by brilliant routing, doubling up golf rounds and taking the red-eye to Anchorage.
I’ve built in 4 side trips that I’m looking forward to:
1. Since Day One is in Hawaii, I can go there early and relax. I’ll have 2 free days on Oahu to goof around before the 50-day adventure begins.
2. My friend Rex is driving with me from Idaho through Nebraska. We’re hoping to see Little Big Horn, Mt. Rushmore and have a Close-Encounters-of-a-Third-Kind moment at Devil’s Tower.
3. My big brother, Cody, is driving with me from Maine to Virginia. We’re hoping to visit the Paoli and Monocacy Battlefields. He’s an Historian, so it’s like having your own personal tour guide.
4. My friend Kevin will be driving and golfing with me from Colorado to San Diego. When I mentioned that, along the way, we likely would have a chance to see some of the iconic spots of the American Southwest, HE got pretty excited. He’s always wanted to see those things, so I’ve crafted a very intense final 5 days that fits golf in with likely visits to Mesa Verde NP, Monument Valley and Zion NP (the best National Park on planet earth).
July 31, 2021 …The Happy Side of Anticipation: The Challenge
POST 68… I am looking forward to seeing if I can pull this off. Can I really do a fundraiser playing 50 rounds of golf in 50 states in 50 days? I want to see if my plan worked, did I sufficiently prepare my body, can I maintain my golfing focus and can I raise a ton of money that will make a big permanent difference in many people’s lives?
The challenge of trying to accomplish something has always been a big pull for me. Whether its in setting up a new organization within State Parks to figuring out how to cheaply block the view of my neighbors’ ugly garage. I do like a challenge and this 50-state golf fundraiser thing is a pretty big swing for the fences here in my life’s final third.
August 1, 2021 …The Happy Side of Anticipation: The People (part 1)
POST 69… When I first started planning this thing, I pictured that it would be about me playing lots of golf, driving alone from state to state and raising money for a cause I cared about. While much of that’s still true, it’s gotten much bigger than I originally envisioned. As often seems to happen, I think God may have a very different idea of what something’s about.
Slowly but surely, people have begun to populate my experience, in both the preparation and the actual trip. I’m beginning to think that this adventure isn’t merely about a fun golfing adventure that raises money for a good charity; it’s also about relationships, maybe even mostly about relationships.
I have bonded with people during the preparation and planning of this expedition in ways I couldn’t have anticipated: new friendships on the golf course, connections with staff from both charities, every person who has donated or pledged money and the support and enthusiasm from so many from my local church (see photo of an outing of a group from Community Covenant Church of El Cajon). The exchanged emails, the social media, the zoom presentations and even the TV news crews, all feel like they’ve become excited about what I’m excited about. (And that’s pretty exciting!) I look forward to continuing to connect with this “community” that’s gathered around me during the event. I’m surprised and humbled.
Tomorrow, I’ll talk about the people who are populating my road trip.
August 2, 2021 …The Happy Side of Anticipation: The People (part 2)
POST 70… The idea that I would be this “lone ranger” playing golf in all 50 states in 50 days is long gone now. These are the people who will be joining me along the way and will now become key parts of my 50in50in50 story. Some I’m meeting for the first time, others are old, old friends I haven’t seen in decades (and everything in between). Some are playing golf and others are sharing a meal and/or home. I continue to be amazed that people want to join me on the trip and I look forward to spending time with them. In fact, I’m beginning to recognize that someday, as I reminisce about this adventure, I may find that being with them was the most valuable component of the entire endeavor.
Ron
Shelley and Anna and Jim (Idaho).
Rex (Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska)
Jay (Montana)
Dick and Nancy (Iowa, South Dakota).
Bruce and Polya and Stan (Illinois)
Drew and Cheryl and Jerry (Ohio)
Steve, John, Bret, Nick (New York)
Sarah and Bobby (Maine)
Cody (Massachusetts to Virginia) (My Big Brother…see photo)
Zach (Connecticut)
Alison (Maryland)
Kathy, Molly, BJ (Virginia)
Bryan and Heidi (South Carolina)
Jeff (the south)
Phil, Aaron, Derek, Brian (Oklahoma)
August 3, 2021 …50in50in50 Speaking Gigs This Week
POST 71… I’ve been invited to speak at two events in the coming week:
Wednesday, August 4 at 10:30am, I’ll be telling the backstory for the 50in50in50 thing during chapel at Mt. Miguel Covenant Village. I think the audience is limited to Village residents but if you’re one of lucky folks who get to live there, I look forward to seeing you!
Sunday, August 8 at 10am, I’ll be delivering the sermon at my home church: Community Covenant Church, 1835 Granite Hills Dr, El Cajon, CA. I’ll talk about what it is I’m doing and why. I’d love for you to be there! (Please minimize heckling.)
August 4, 2021 …My First Podcast
POST 72… Last week, I was honored to be invited to be interviewed as a guest on Donald Murphy’s “Life is a Story We Tell Ourselves” Podcast. Don has compiled a wonderful series of audio life stories that “reveal a truth in the listener while discovering the extraordinary in the ordinary”. He wanted to hear about my 50in50in50 adventure and why I was doing it. He also needed convincing that I could actually pull it off.
This was my first podcast. I was a bit intimidated since Don is my former boss’s boss’s boss as Director of California State Parks. Don is an icon to many of us because he is the only person to rise from the ranks of state park staff to become Director. Don made it a great experience and I think it turned out well. The only thing I would change is my voice. I begged Don to switch his rich baritone for my grating tenor, but apparently his editing program doesn’t do that. Find 33 minutes in your crowded day and give it a listen: https://lifeisastorypodcast.com/access-to-clean-water-remains-a-problem-for-millions/ You can also access it through all the standard podcast sites.
August 5, 2021 …Mark your Calendars for October 12 Celebration!
POST 73… Among the people who have come alongside me for this endeavor, my BFF John Houston (as pictured, he has a long history hosting important gatherings) is facilitating the Celebration on Day 50. Mark your calendar for October 12! With a 1:30 tee time at the beautiful Singing Hills Golf Resort, we expect to be arriving at the 18th hole of their Willow Glen course somewhere between 5:30 and 6:00pm. I’d love to see you there to cheer me on and celebrate my first hole-in-one on that final 900th hole that will cost John $1,000 and cause his spouse not to speak to him for at least an hour for making such a flamboyant charitable pledge.
There will be a dinner at our nearby church immediately afterward. All donors/pledge-makers will be getting an email with all the details from John. He has a list. Stay tuned.
August 6, 2021 …Contest Reminder! (Only 6 entries! So far)
POST 74… C’mon folks! Enter the contest! https://www.50in50in50golf4water.org/contests It’s open to anybody who has either donated or pledged to support providing easy access to clean water. If you haven’t donated or pledged yet, it’s EASY! Just go to https://www.50in50in50golf4water.org/donate make a few clicks, enter a bit of information and VOILA!, scary, unseen forces magically take money out of your bank account and give it to one of our two charities.
As further incentive for you to enter the contest, I will increase the number of cookie-batch-awards available to 6, meaning, if you win ANY of the contests, you are guaranteed to have cookies as one of your prize options.
Furthermore, let me assure you that there is plenty of room left for winning answers. I’ve carefully reviewed the 5 contest submittals and let’s just say, anyone who enters from here on out stands an excellent chance of medaling.
August 7, 2021 …Weird Little Prep Things pt 1
POST 75… There are all kinds of strange little items I need to acquire for this adventure. If you can think of others that I will deeply regret not having once I’m on the way, please feel free to provide wise counsel. Thus far, I have obtained (or am in the process of purchasing)…
A Yoga Mat - to use each morning and evening for my “physio” routine, most of which will be done lying on the floor of motel rooms. I’m not sure a yoga mat will provide an absolute shield against whatever detritus has been left by previous guests, but I figure it can’t hurt. Lydia is suggesting a bath mat for improved cushioning.
Prescription Sunglasses – this is a big step up for me; I’ve never owned a pair but am realizing that it’s worth the $149 at Costco…but only if I avoid losing them!
“New” Golf Bag – My current bag is very functional but is a heavy beast. I dread having to yank it in or out of my little car’s hatchback at least 4 times/day. (My clubs stay with me in my room.) I was hoping for a corporate sponsorship that would provide a nifty, lightweight bag, but time has almost run out on that fantasy. So I got one that works from Play It Again Sports for $25 (with a trade in), hosed it off and it looks pretty nice.
Selfie Stick – This is perhaps the ultimate personal concession to 50in50in50 endeavor; I HATE selfie sticks. I could write an essay on how they are a reflection of the fall of civilization, but suffice it to say, I hates ‘em. But I’ve been told I need one to effectively personalize my documentation of this upcoming adventure. So I’m obtaining a selfie stick (and hell is freezing over).
August 8, 2021 …Weird Little Prep Things pt 2 Music – Spotify vs Google Music vs ?
POST 76… Clay, welcome to the 21st century…about 21 years late. My son and I were on the grueling drive from Chico to San Diego when he convinced me to try something called Goggle Music via Bluetooth through his iphone (instead of my plugged in ipod, which I thought was a sufficiently hip thing). He asked me to simply name an artist and he would punch it in and we’d receive an almost endless stream of their music. Unfortunately for him and our fellow I 5 travelers, the Carpenters rolled on and on and on (to my great delight) for many miles. In my defense, my next set were the Doobie Brothers.
This concept changes everything! I know I’ll need a robust music library available through my many thousands of miles of driving the 50in50in50 endeavor. I’m excited at the thought of selecting music to fit the setting: sweeping soundtracks across the west, bluegrass in the south, James Taylor across the north and east and the Doobie Brothers and Carpenters throughout.
I welcome any advice as to who I should subscribe to: Spotify, Google Music or something else?
August 9, 2021 …Weird Little Prep Things pt 3 – STNG Rankings
POST 77… OK, here’s what I know you’ve all been waiting for: real value to your social media browsing.
I don’t think I’ll typically have a lot a discretionary time during the attempt to play 50 rounds in 50 states in 50 days; between driving, golfing, eating, stretching and sleeping, there’s not going to be much chill time. But there will be some! So I decided, I should be prepared for that as well. One of my children gave me the entire Star Trek Next Generation series on dvd and the unopened box is staring at me as I type this. It occurred to me that there might be plenty of STNG fans out there on the internet who would rank all 178 episodes from best to worst and, indeed, there were plenty. I decided to use the collective wisdom of 6 of those rankings and compiled the top 46 STNG episodes (some are two-parters). If you want to join me during my 50 days adventure, I will be watching them in the order in which they appeared. (Top Ten episodes in bold)
View Order / Ranking / Episode / Title
1/46/105/The Last Outpost
2/41/112/The Big Goodbye
3/25/124/We'll Always Have Paris
4/35/203/Elementary Dear Data
5/39/208/A Matter of Honor
6/5/209/Measure of a Man
7/33/211/Contagion
8/17/216/Q Who
9/43/220/The Emissary
10/40/302/The Ensigns of Command
11/21/304/Who Watches the Watchers
12/11/310/The Defector
13/36/312/The High Ground
14/4/315/Yesterday's Enterprise
15/28/316/The Offspring
16/16/317/Sins of the Father
17/29/323/Sarek
18/1/326,401/Best of Both Worlds
19/23/402/Family
20/37/407/Reunion
21/13/411/Data's Day
22/19/412/The Wounded
23/32/415/First Contact
24/18/421/The Drumhead
25/10/426,501/Redemption
26/9/502/Darmok
27/42/504/Silicon Avatar
28/22/507,508/Unification
29/31/518/Cause and Effect
30/8/523/I, Borg
31/38/524/The Next Phase
32/2/525/The Inner Light
33/34/604/Relics
34/44/608/A Fistful of Datas
35/7/610,611/Chain of Command
36/24/612/Ship in a Bottle
37/14/614/Face of the Enemy
38/6/615/Tapestry
39/30/618/Starship Mine
40/45/625/Timescape
41/26/626,701/Descent
42/27/704,705/Gambit
43/20/711/Parallels
44/15/712/The Pegasus
45/12/715/Lower Decks
August 10, 2021 …Weird Little Prep Things pt 4 – Protein Bar Ranking!
POST 78… My Sports Therapist has directed me to consume more protein each morning during my adventure because protein provides slow and steady energy throughout the day. I told her I could only add protein bars to my diet if I could get them down my throat.
You know how you’ve stood and stared at the energy bars at the grocery store/Trader Joe/Food Coop or REI and wondered if you could stomach any of them? You know you should be eating them instead of that Snickers bar, but you’ve been burned before by bad taste or texture. They so expensive that it’s tough to really compare them. Well, 50in50in50 World Headquarters is here to help! We did the hard work for you and taste tested 14 bars. Yes, it is a limited sampling because nearly all of them are chocolate because I can’t fathom anything that would be palatable without chocolate. The photo shows the best from bottom up. Here’s my definitive analysis…
Flavor/Bar/Protein/Sugar/calories
9/Power Crunch Triple Choc/13/5/220
9/Quest Choco caramel pecan/15/1/180
7/One Peter Butter Pie/20/1/220
7/Think Peanut Butter Choc chip/13/5/190
6/Aloha Choc Fudge Brow/14/5/220
6/Aloha Choc Mint/14/5/220
9/Clif Builder Protein/20/17/290
5/Think High Protein Brownie Crunch/20/0/230
4/Quest Double Choco Chunk/20/1/180
4/IQ Choc Sea Salt/12/1/180
4/IQ Lemon Blue/12/1/160
3/MCT Double Choc/11/2/190
2/No Cow Choc Fudge Brownie/21/1/210
2/RX Bar/ Best to just eat the wrapper
August 11, 2021 …50in50in50 Featured in Two Digital Magazines!
POST 79… Recently, I had the pleasure of being interviewed for two magazines.
Covenant Companion: Read the article at https://covenantcompanion.com/2021/07/29/covenanter-golfs-50-states-in-50-days-for-clean-water/
This is the magazine of the Christian denomination of which my local community church is a part.
East County Magazine: Read the article at https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/la-mesa-resident-plans-50-rounds-golf-50-days-50-states-raise-money-clean-water-worldwide
This magazine does a great job keeping us informed about all the news surrounding the eastern half of San Diego County, my home base.
August 12, 2021 …In-Kind Donations: Request and Acknowledgements
POST 80… I’ve saved up to pay for this entire adventure, so I’m going to pay that amount of money no matter what. It’s GREAT whenever I get something comped because I can simply redirect those costs to one of the two charities. Some Hotels and Golf Courses have already comped my room or green fee. If you have connections to anybody who could provide free meals or gas along the way, I would LOVE to redirect those costs to the charities. Please let me know. (Find my itinerary by scrolling down at https://www.50in50in50golf4water.org/the-plan , or look at the route tab on the website.)
I’d like to GRATEFULLY acknowledge the following golf courses and hotels who have already been so generous:
· Moose Run GC, Anchorage, Alaska
· Clover Island Inn, Kennewick, Washington
· Green Meadow Country Club, Helena, Montana
· Candlewood Suites, Sheridan, Wyoming
· Trade Winds Motel, Valentine, Nebraska
· University Ridge Golf Course, Verona, Wisconsin
· Lost Marsh Golf Course, Hammond, Indiana
· Sleepy Hollow Golf Course, Brecksville, Ohio
· Whispering Woods Golf Course, Erie, Pennsylvania
· Glen Oak Golf Course, East Amherst, New York
· Ramada, Newark, Delaware
· The Woods, Hedgesville, West Virginia
· Greeneville Country Club, Greeneville, South Carolina
· Royal Lakes Country Club, Flowery Lakes, Georgia
· Buffalo Ridge Springs, Hollister, Missouri
· Retro Inn, Cortez, Colorado
· Singing Hills Golf Resort, El Cajon, California
August 13, 2021 …OnCore Podcast!
POST 81… Another interview! This time I had a great time discussing the 50in50in50 trek with Steve Coulton, Co-Founder of OnCore Golf. As I said before (see Post 18 on June 11) OnCore is a corporate partner who has fully embraced the adventure and mission of 50in50in50. They are headquartered out of Buffalo New York and their EXCELLENT assortment of golf balls is available for sale only online at https://www.oncoregolf.com/shop/ . Their top-of-the-line ball, the Vero X1, is now my exclusive ball, not only because I like the distance and feel but because I shot my career round (71) with it…and you don’t mess with that kind of magic!
The interview is available in two formats. If you’re tired of seeing my face plastered all over my previous social media posts and on my website (and who isn’t?), you can listen to the podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/driving-america-to-fund-clean-water-worldwide-50-golf/id1507787166?i=1000531234173.
However, if you want to SEE our discussion, you can view it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s45ZEb6JteE
OnCore is hosting my New York stop there in Buffalo on September 11 at Glen Oak Golf Club. They’ve set up a foursome. They sound like fun guys but I’m a little worried because they also sound like really good golfers. Once again, I’m in way over my head.
August 14, 2021 …Diabolical Descent
POST 82… As I approach the final days before departure, my mind has turned to the epic failure of a previous adventure: the “Diabolical Descent” (see Post 10, June 3). A friend recently pointed out that water coincidentally played a big part in that adventure as well. In that case, the issue wasn’t quality of water but quantity. My insides slowly mummified as I determinedly pressed on to get from Mt. Whitney to Badwater, hiking then biking…all the while neglecting to drink water. As I consider all the things that could go crossways on this 50in50in50 thing, I think my biggest need may be to be saved from myself.
I leave San Diego on August 17, drive to Portland (arriving August 20). Fly to Honolulu August 21. Hangout for 3 nights, 2 days, then on Tuesday, August 24 I play ROUND ONE at the Royal Hawaiian Golf Club at noon.
August 15, 2021 …Contest Reminder and My Self-Imposed Golf Rules!
POST 83… 1st, want to remind you to enter the contests: https://www.50in50in50golf4water.org/contests. Don’t let the prizes go to waste!
2nd, I want to share with you my self-imposed rules for playing 50in50in50 golf: I will follow all rules set forth by the USGA as best as I understand them (count every stroke, no “mulligans”, play it where it lays, and the vast arrays of penalties that come from hazards, out-of-bounds, unplayable lies and lost balls.) The only special exceptions will save me time and wear and tear on my body and mind. They are:
1. Short putts – As is typical throughout the world, golf partners typically grant “gimmies” from about 2 feet away (see photo). This is done in the interest of time and sanity.
2. Roots and divots – I’m taking a free drop from these two beasts; the first because I don’t want to hurt myself, the second because it’s not fair to have a horrible lie from the middle of the fairway (I seem to visit there so infrequently as it is).
Finally, I will be recording my scores as I would submit them for my index. That means on some holes, my max score will be double bogey and others it will be triple bogey, depending on the assigned difficulty of the hole.
August 16, 2021 …Pledges = Motivation for Good Golf and Behavior
POST 84… I leave tomorrow but the door remains open for anybody to make a pledge throughout the endeavor. So far, 82 supporters have directly donated to one of the charities; I wanted to summarize the cumulative charitable effect of the 16 supporters who made a pledge based on my performance. At this moment, each time I…
1. Play a round of golf: $84 goes to help provide easy access to clean water.
2. Make par on a hole: $3
3. Make Birdie on a hole: $35
4. Make eagle on a hole: $160
5. Make a hole-in-one or an albatross on a hole: $4,450
6. Shoot under 80 in a round: $10
7. Shoot a Par or better round played in MI: $25
8. Play golf in the rain: $25
9. Don’t Curse during a round: $31 (see “Thomas Crapper” caveat at https://www.50in50in50golf4water.org/donate )
10.Don’t get a Speeding Ticket in an entire state: $6
11.Am forcibly removed from any establishments: $50
12. Play golf that results in severe chafing: $2
Clearly, the last one just isn’t worth it. I may take a bullet for the team…but not severe chafing.