Category Archives: Sports

Is it a ‘Driving Range’ or a ‘Practice Range’?

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I think it all depends on who you ask. Some just like hitting a golf ball as hard as they can and see that little thing fly until you can’t see it anymore. Some, actually go to practice – I know, I know… just rubbish. Frankly, hitting the ball as hard as you can is quite fun however since I’m going to be joining the LPGA in the near future I figured I should probably try to learn how to hit the ball where I would like it to go, and what better to do on a Saturday morning (or any morning rather) than to head on down to Coppers Golf Park!

Coopers Golf Park is a small driving range in Euless, Texas. It’s a getaway from the world.

The golf balls are decently priced (we got two huge buckets for $10.00). The guys who run the place are extremely friendly and even throw out some pointers every once in a while.

They also provide lessons one or two times a week for $20.00.
And if putting is your problem…. well they have new putting greens just for you!
If you are ever in this area and are looking for a place to drive that ball (or practice) – this is a great place. Check it out!

FORE!

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Over the weekend I got to play my first round of golf. Real golf. The golf where you carry around your own bag with your own clubs for 18 holes trying to get this little ball into this little hole with a flag. Real golf. Except for me I was just carrying around this golf bag with 5 clubs, three of which I actually used.

I’ve always thought I’m a mini-golf kinda gal. Frankly, I rocked at mini-golf and sad to say for the people who I played against, I was very competitive. Growing up we would spend a lot of time with my grandparents who would keep us in line when our parents were working. My brother would go golf with my Pepere and I would hang out with my Memere. As we grew up, golf was never anything that interest me. Um, maybe I should clear this up – Sergio Garcia was interesting to me. Having played softball for my entire life, I thought the golf club should be swung like a softball bat and it doesn’t work like that. And yes, I’ve even tried the Happy Gilmore approach.

Then one day its like the entire world changed. I was introduced to a driving range. Can you hear the “aha!” and see the lights shining down? I was taught how to actually hit a ball! And found out that its actually a lot of fun to hit that little ball pretty hard! It came to the point where I didn’t care where I hit it, it just felt good to hit that little sucker a really long way (and no, I had no idea where I was aiming).

Sy plays golf pretty often. He golfs like I would snowboard when I lived in Vermont… as often as I could either with friends or by myself. Obviously, we have some priorities here. Well I was loving the driving range and having not really played softball since I moved to Texas, I think I just missed swinging at something. Every now and then I’d ask Sy if he would take me to a golf course so I could try. I think he was nervous. Actually, I know he was nervous. He said as competitive as I am (and how I do not (definitely do not) like failing), I would end up really pissed off if I didn’t do well. So we worked in steps.

Last summer, I had to pleasure of going to a golf course for the first time. I drove the golf cart around the course. It was pretty fun. You can cruise in those little suckers but I still had that inkling of wanting to learn how to play (maybe not on this day it was about 110 degrees outside). This weekend a miracle happened, he (FINALLY) took me to a golf course that he grew up playing.

Meadowbrook in Arlington aka Ghettobrook. It is a small 9-hole course (that you play twice), its cheap and it’s not super busy. It’s like a little golf secret! Little did I know that I’ll be trying out for the LPGA tour next year. I didn’t do so bad other than not knowing the rules and pushing Mr. Sy’s buttons by talking, not putting my bag behind me and to the right far enough, taking too much time to find my ball but overall he was a good teacher. (He told me I’m not suppose to be doing these things even though all I kept hearing from them was “Shit!” from the group behind us.)

I hit it down the fairways pretty straight, well for the most part and when I could hit it. Tee’d off and hit a few balls farther than Mr. Sy (ok maybe just once) and was at par for at least 3 holes when I went to putt. AND I ended it off on a pretty good note by bogie’ing my last hole. Oh Yeaa! Whoohoo! And the crowd goes wild! (Or in the case of golf, does their quiet clap.)

This is the tee box from the third hold.
The first round I ended up hitting the ball thru the trees right off the green!

The only thing that I can’t say that I like is that I feel like I am always in a rush with these groups of men playing behind me. I’m not a fan of being followed but by the time we finished the game, my anxiety was better.

Don’t judge the stance.

All in all, I would like to try it again… I want to try it again… I will try it again. So all you ladies – golf is not a man only sport (frankly you don’t even need to golf, cruising around in a golf cart drinking some cold brews sounds pretty fun too and a lot less work), give it a try. Until next time, I’ll be looking for my prime, plaid outfit practicing my putts in the living room!

Bolton Valley Resort

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In honor of the dumping Vermont just received… and I wish I could fly home this second to enjoy it all!

I lived in Vermont my entire life (well, all up until I decided to move when I was 23 – crazy). Anyway, one would think that growing up in Vermont and having access to all that powdery goodness I would’ve started snowboarding or skiing at a young age, but I didn’t – that was my brother 🙂 I was the one that could be found snowmobiling any night of the week with my dad and his friends. Then college came and my senior year I decided to give snowboarding a go.

I went to Champlain College, they had a deal with Bolton Valley. The first time I went, I borrowed a board from one of my friends, bought some cheap boots from a second hand sports store and crossed my fingers. We skipped right over the bunny hill and went right to the top of the mountain. Two hours later, I made it back down to the base. Yea, that’s right, two hours. I was on my butt for most of the trip down, went flying over the side of the bank, went flying head first, probably cursed a little, laughed a little too. The worst part was having my friends sit and wait for me but they are so awesome they just kept encouraging me the entire way. At the end of the day, I was addicted and ready to go back for more.

Snowboarding isn’t easy. Personally, I think skiing would be a lot harder, I guess it’s just all up for preference and I would rather have both my feet strapped into one board. I ended up getting seasons passes, going up with my friends every weekend, going by myself every second that I could get, even calling in on the days where the powder just came down. There is NOTHING like a good powder / blizzard day.

Overtime, my “skills” improved from “lack of” to being able to link my turns. Looking back, we had some wicked times at Bolton. They provide night riding which is something that not a lot of resorts offer. They are super close to Burlington, making the perfect day getting up early to hit the mountain and then hitting up Church Street later that night. It’s where we decided to try hitting some jumps and rails, trying to ride in the woods (and getting stuck in waist deep powder) and sticking to the left side of the mountain. (This was the side of the mountain where no one seemed to go (for some weird reason but we were so thankful), where it was always ungroomed trails. There is nothing like carving the first trail in untouched snow.

Bolton is a great small resort. Good food, good atmosphere and if you are from the area you will typically run into someone that you know and the lift ticket prices are decent. There are lessons for all skill levels and ages (don’t worry the five year olds will make sure to show you up!).