It was a clear, hot July day. A perfect opportunity to sneak in 9 holes before those late summer sunsets end the day. With nothing on the plate, and my clubs in the car, I decided to give it a shot. I hurried off the train, ran to my car, and weaved through traffic feeling like a kid on Christmas morning. I arrived at the course and changed into my wrinkled golf clothes roasting in the back seat of my car.
I ran up to the Pro Shop, fixing my shirt and zipping up the open pockets in my golf bag. And that's when I saw him. He was wading in the deep shadows of the clubhouse. He emerged into the sun revealing a husky frame and a camouflage Red Sox visor. He voice cut through the air like a thunder clap, introducing himself as "Nut". He was my playing partner for the day.
From the looks of his stocky build, you wouldn't expect much on the course. And his affable demeanor makes you think your sitting on a bar stool rather than a golf cart. You get the feeling that golf is not the primary reason that Nut is at the course. And then we start playing.
He's got a silky smooth stoke. At the end of his backswing, it seems as though the club is wrapped around his back. He fires through the ball we a flick of the wrist and the ball disappears, straight as an arrow.
His first shot on the first tee wasn't a great one, but it was just off the fairway to the right. His approach wasn't that great either, in the second cut of the green. He lags his putt up there and taps in for par. Even through 1.
The second hole is a short par 3. Apparently too short for Nut. He slaps the ball onto the thick of the green to avoid the traps, but three putts for bogey. This was the first and last time I saw Nut fail that day.
He drove the green on the next hole, a short par 4. Just missing the eagle putt, he taps in for birdie. Back to even through 3.
The fourth hole is a downhill par 3, he throws a dart on the back of the green, about 20 feet away from the hole. The putt was a little downhill and to the left, but he drained it like a two footer for another birdie. 1 under after 4.
The fifth hole is a par 5. After a decent drive and a solid second shot, he's about 40 yards away, but slightly obstructed by an overhanging branch. He hits a low pitch that rolls up nicely on the green, then two putts for par. 1 under through 5.
The sixth hole is the hardest on the course. He goes right in a deep gulley. He makes up for it though on his second shot. From about 150 out, he sticks it on the back of the green. After nearly making another 20+ footer for birdie, he settles for par. 1 under through 6.
The seventh is another short par 3. He's still swinging effortlessly, and sticks another one on the green. Again he two putts and picks up his par. 1 under through 7.
The eighth hole is the first time Nut had real trouble off the tee. He missed the fairway, but unfortunately the ball came to rest under a tree. He had to take an unplayable. But from about 150 yards out, he proceeded to hit a 9-iron to within 5 feet of the pin. He made the par putt. 1 under through 8.
On the ninth hole, Nut once again found trouble off the tee. In a jail house of trees, he chipped to the base of the hilly green. His third shot, which he claimed to be "lucky", somehow nestled up a few feet from the hole. He made the par putt.
He finished the front with a 33, 1 under par. It was the greatest nine hole performance I have ever seen. I learned a lot from that man. Not only about golf, but life. I learned it's possible to be as cool as a cucumber while being as mean as a rattlesnake. It's possible to shoot a 33 on the front nine, yet still play in just under 3 hours. It's possible that a bird can snatch a fish from a pond, then fly several hundreds yards, over 100 feet in the air without dropping the wiggly fish. It's not only possible, but probable, that there will be two guys named Matt in a foursome.
That is the Legend of Nut's 33.
