Here Ben looked out across the hilly golf course Several older golfers had begun their morning round One older guy wore a pair of colorful plaid pants Yes his dad said Here Ben hesitated He didn’t think his crummy set of clubs would be up to the task of playing at Strongwood I don’t know Come on His dad took out a second set of clubs There’s a cart waiting for us A cart Ben wasn’t sure about that He’d usually just carried his battered bag around the course Riding in a cart seemed wrong somehow
Ben’s worries washed away the moment he stepped on the first tee box It was a par four 350 yards in distance The hole was straight ahead with a pair of bunkers on either side of the putting green Ben gripped his driver and swung hard His club head struck the ball with a loud TING The ball carried a bit Then it sliced to the right side of the fairway It landed in the rough Not too shabby his dad said Ben parred three of the first four holes On the fourth he sank a 20-foot putt The putt
broke perfectly into the cup for a birdie Ben’s dad whooped Two men on the fairway beside them turned their heads in alarm One was the man in the plaid pants On the fifth tee box Ben looked out at the fairway It was a long straight par five Trees loomed on each side of the fairway Ben placed his ball on a tee and lined up the shot He drew back and swung with all his might The ball sailed low and straight For a moment Ben’s drive looked like it was going to land in the fairway Then it began to slice No Ben whispered Come back
The ball continued slicing It was headed toward the tee box of a nearby hole At that tee box stood a foursome of golfers Ben gasped Fore he yelled Ben’s voice echoed across the quiet golf course He held his breath as the ball soared closer to the foursome They turned and covered their heads
