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The Greatest Golfer In The World




For the past couple of years a contingent of golfers from Aledo have been flying into St. Petersburg-Clearwater Airport and spending a week filling the coffers of hoteliers, golf courses and beer distributorships.  Among those golfers has been my Wombie.  Born 7 minutes later than I, thus the runt, he has been a sidekick for me all my life.  If I didn't know something, I'd ask him.  Sometimes his responses would make my thoughts look genius, at others his homespun wisdom made me look like an idiot. 

These duffers take to the courses and bars in the area like a marauding band of white-haired Spring Breakers.  Like the characters in Cocoon after they have sampled the water from the pool they shed their snowshoes and don their moth-balled shorts.   Instead of shovels they grip a 5 iron in search of mid-summer glory.   Every morning Mark would check in or I would call to see how things were, and he would always say excitedly, "I am the greatest golfer in the world!"  That is, of course, until he started golfing.  

And toward the end of the week when they are tired of each other, tired and sore at making golf, and can't shake a 5 day hangover, they call me.  Well, my Wombie does.  So I run up to see the carnage. I look at some of the guys sitting around, and notice glassy eyes, fumbling with a beer they no longer need or want, wondering what happened to the week and how they have to be at the airport in 10 hours.  But these guys are still at it after many days of all-day golf, drink and laughs.  




Headquarters at the Holiday Inn, Clearwater.  The tangerines are compliments of your blogger, to remind these guys they are in the sunshine state, and please feel free to spend your money.





Danny L in the middle and Mike E on the right are getting into the basketball game and telling a couple of jokes.   he other guy shielding his face is someone who was here last year and seems quite witty.  He also seems to have a perpetual wad of tobacco in his lip.  



But soon, everyone's attention would be diverted to this little machine that needs to be in every bar, Community Center and bedroom in America.  It is a XXX game console that does all kinds of word games, and picture puzzles, all for a little loose change in your pocket.  Look, at naked lady with all kinds of goodness hanging out.  There is another picture of the same thing next to it.  What is different between the two pictures?   Pretty soon a small army was helping the Wombie and I solve the puzzle.

Lucky fellows these Oak View Country Club Warriors, far luckier than their families back home braving the latest snowstorm.  Lucky to have the opportunity to do this every year.  Lucky to have such nice weather this year, and lucky to have each other.  











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