Of Baby Buggies, Turtles and Turf Hexes

On a recent round at Washtenaw Golf Club, I saw something guaranteed to warm the cockles of even the most jaded heart: a man carrying a golf bag while pushing a baby buggy.

Out of respect for their privacy, I didn’t take a photo to publish, but it was cool to see. I’ve seen guys playing with babies in car seats riding shotgun in a cart, but never one walking.

It is an admirable degree of dedication to the game — and to the family.

Later, I encountered a turtle on a fairway two hundred yards from any water. I was afraid he would get run over by mowers or carts, so I decided to take him to the nearest pond.

I picked the little guy up and carried him to my ball. I’m sure I looked a bit comical, putting the turtle down to take a shot, and then chasing after him as he wandered away.

Fortunately, I passed within fifty yards of a pond my way to my next shot. I put the now-outraged turtle down on the shore, and he quickly crawled into the water.

Was that where he was headed? The pond was certainly in the direction he was crawling when I first spotted him.

I hope being kind to a turtle earns good golf karma. My game needs all the good karma it can get.

Finally, I was interested to see Assistant Superintendent Harold Larsen and his crew repairing winter damage on the greens. The process involved a turf cutter in the shape of a hexagon. Once a damaged plug of putting surface was removed, it was replaced with a healthy grass hex. Great care was taken to ensure that the entire area was smooth, right down to carefully sweeping the edges by hand with a brush.

That kind of care is why the greens at Washtenaw are known to be so good.

My other hobby is board games (of the more complex sort), and the hexes reminded me of Catan, Quest for El Dorado and other modular hex-based games.