It's a small world....

While having a nice dinner with NALG chair Sid Miner and others following a special meeting called by Sid to get new NALG committees off the ground, we were having a nice conversation.  He asked me why I drove to Florida for the meeting instead of flying.

I started with a response about difficulties travelling with a longer putter (before I realized that I had taken it on a flight to the NALG tournament in Idaho) and he indicated that a pro who uses a long putter travels to Palm Aire in Sarasota each winter (where Sid lives and where we had our meeting).

He mentions the pro's name - John Kulhamer and said he was from Green Pond.  I don't know how Sid would have expected me or anyone to know where Green Pond was.  I said - "Green Pond as in Easton, Pennsylvania"?  Sid replied "Yes" and I was flabbergasted.  You see, that is where I played as a kid from when I was in 6th through 9th grade.  My sister Elaine used to take my identical twin brother Gerard and I there from time to time after "graduating" from miniature golf and par-three golf.

Several days later Sid sends me a text with a link to a video interview where Kulhamer is talking about the Lehigh Valley Amateur held each year at Green Pond.  While watching the video I notice a lefty putting behind Kulhamer who is seated in front of the practice green.  I also saw a still shot of another lefty as the video progressed.

I informed Sid of the lefties in the video and half-jokingly said he should talk to Kulhamer about holding a state lefties at Green Pond.  As Miner and the NALG tries to grow back to its old size we need to resurrect many of the state events that used to exist like Pennsylvania.  He said he would work on it.

And work on it he did!

​I am pleased to announce that the Pennsylvania State Left-handed tournament will be held at Green Pond Country Club on July 25 and 26.  It will be a good excuse to go back to where I grew up before moving to Florida in the fall of 1972, then going to college and now residing in Indiana for over 45 years.  Playing Green Pond will certainly bring back many pleasant memories.  I still remember the lone tree standing in the middle of hole #2 which is a 600 yards straight away par 5.  I remember using those old Top Flites that did fly like a rock!  I also remember the short downhill par-4 third hole where Gerard holed a wood from 190 yards away for his first-ever eagle.  I remember the straight-away 12th hole where I skulled a sand wedge from 100 yards into the hole for an eagle of my own after being waved up by the group on the green to play through (luck of the irish?)!  I remember the downhill par-3 17th hole where I nearly made my first hole-in-one coming within a few inches.  I can still see my sister struggling to master the game even though she was a good athlete who taught us to play tennis.

I can't wait to go back and create more good memories!  Maybe I will see you there!