Fore!

Mimi has always said golf was something she really wanted to do when she was here. Well, today was Round One. It was a grand day at Pacheco. Rumor has it that it is still winter in Calgary - but in BA, a fall day is still 20 degrees C.

The Pacheco Golf Club is a 30 minute drive from our apartment. It is part of a gated community and it was more than just a wave to get through the front gate. Three security guards and 'lets roll down all the windows and have a look and see who is in this car, shall we'.

We had a 2 pm tee time (which is getting close to a twilight tee time at this time of year). We were able to get a pull cart so Mimi didnt need to have a caddy but we had brought our Spanish/English dictionary just in case.

We checked in at the starter shack but he had gone for the day. We snooped around and found score cards. It was interesting because the cards were leftover/recycled from the 2007 South American Senior Womens Amateur Championship (XXIX Campeonato Sudamericano de Golf Senior Amateur) held at Pacheco last November. Mimi was 'Susana Canot' from Argentina and I was 'Doris Rendon de McAllister' of Columbia. Let's just say we didnt play to 'our' handicaps.

The golf course was on the flight path of a small plane airport, so all day, little 4 seaters were cutting their engines as they prepared to land. The sound was a bit unsettling as you worried whether they were going to drop out of the sky and land on the 6th fairway.

They did have a driving range, 5 pesos for a bucket of balls. I once said that New Zealand was where rear entry ski boots go to die, well, Argentina may be where range balls or water balls go to die. These babies were rocks with dimples. I've seen antique golf ball collections with newer golf balls. Not to worry, it was a good warm up.

The course was an easy walk and the weather was perfect. It was just the two of us, no time clock, some water (which we put 6 balls in, collectively) and 2 bunny rabbits which reminded us of Valley Ridge.

We had a great round and had time for a couple of beers before Gustavo picked us up to bring us home.

B.