At long last! We were able to go to Golf D'Albi today. Its a beautiful, but expensive course. It cost 53 euros for 18 holes and a pull cart ($73.09). It was 75euros for 18 and an electric cart! So we decided to walk. It really isn't a bad course to walk.
The course is set up pretty tough. There are very large bunkers on the sides of every green except for the holes with a lot of water. SOme have water on one side and sand on the other. No escape is available. This is bad.
Tim and I arrived at 8:30, and not a golfer was to be seen. Tim stated that the French don't golf until later in the day. My first tee shot was okay, a bit right, and Tim's was way right. I explained what the American tradition of a redo from the first tee and he quickly took advantage of it. He hit his drive a mile! It went around a corner and looked to be in the fairway. Unfortunately, it didn't quite clear a bunker. Tim proceded to hit it from this bunker to the next bunker. He then hit the ball into the bunker by the green. Of course I had to stifle asking him if he wanted a sand bucket and shovel. I think I ended with a bogie.
Tim hit another rope a mile off the next tee. My ball sliced right, but was playable. We walked up to Tim's ball, and you guessed, more sand. Of course feeling very bad for him, I hit mine in the sand by the green, wanting to let him know that I could relate.
The next hole was uneventful until I got on the green and a course worker was changing the holes. Imaagine an American trying to convince a French speaking person to put the hole beside where his ball was. It must be a universal language because he immediately knew what I meant. Laughed, actd like he was going to do it, and then walked off to another spot, laughing.
I had my first European par on the 6th hole, a 381 meter par 4 ranked hardest on the course! Hit a good drive, a fair second shot and hit a nice approach shot that landed about 3 feet from the hole. I looked at Tim, wanting him to say "Pick it up", even if it was a bit long, but there was a deadly silence. Oh well, I had to make it. And did.
Tim and I did pretty well, and I had gotten to the 10th hole with my original ball! I was just feeling cocky until I looked at the hole, it had water on three sides of the green, and the water started at about 210 yards on the right. Perfect for my slice. I somehow was able to hit it straight enough to be just right of the water. Tim was over th other side, behind a mogul. I hit my second shot towards the green, it hit on the fairway, and kicked dead right. In the water! I reloaded, hitting a mulligan, and it went straing down the fairway, hit, and went dead right also, joining his brother in the water. Now I had lost 2 balls on a hole. the next hole, a 210 meter par 3, had water all over the right side. You guessed it. Kerplunk. I no longer felt good about my lost ball pecentage.
I really didn't get tired until the 17th hole. The course is challenging and fun, and not a bad walk at all. Overall I had around a 90 and Tim was about the same. Not bad. And we ended the at 11:45. We had walked the whole course in 3hours and 15 minutes. Also not bad.
I had decided to take some pictures, but unfortunately my camera was not working. Battery was dead. We found later that the battery was not charging correctly. Hope we can find something that worked.
Aerial View of Golf'd' Albi
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