Tag Archives: golf

In the age of social distancing

Deserted beachThe covid-19 crisis has hit Curacao too, of course. The island has stopped all foreign air traffic, forbidden cruise ships from docking, ordered stores and restaurants to close, and forced grocery stores to implement social distancing measures. Blue Bay Beach has been closed to anyone except residents, and they’ve removed a lot of lounge chairs so that there is at least two meters between them. As you can see from the picture, the place is deserted. We were on the beach yesterday, and there were about six other people. And none were in the ocean.

The featured picture is pretty funny. A golf foursome practicing social distancing! Each one has a golf cart to themselves, and they hit their shots to different parts of the fairway. Perfect social distancing!

This is not a cowWe’ve had some nice new art work added around the resort. It just seems to pop up when you least expect it. This colorful cow/bench is one of many on the island, done by a local artist. There are a number of them around the island, at different beaches, and outside various stores.

Little bit of a snorkelThe ocean was pretty rough – we should have waited until late afternoon when the ocean is generally calmer – so we didn’t really get many shots of fish, but I guess we need to post at least one here! The bay was quite clear, I guess because so few people have been in the ocean for the last few weeks. So, here is a pudding wife, not to be confused with the less colorful custard husband.

Eagle!

Cara caraThere are lots of birds here on Curacao. Full stop. The island is on the migratory route of over 5000 birds, so we see lots of wonderful looking birds, often for just a short time.

We have an indigenous hawk called the cara cara which is a pretty big predator around here. We’ve seen it take out some of the local cats even!

But my bird news is getting an eagle on the par 5 hole number 17 at our Blue Bay golf course. It’s one of the longest holes on the course so a good drive is important. I hit a nice ball, right in the center of the fairway, and it rolled nicely to within 175 yards.

I took my hybrid 4 wood and put it nicely on the green. The putt was 14ish feet or so? But I put it straight down the middle. Pretty thrilled with that!

In praise of golfing

Nasty skyWe have had a lot of fun playing the golf course here at Blue Bay. Lots of afternoons you will find Pam and I on the course, me losing the balls, Pam trying to find them!

We met a couple from North Carolina basically the first week we moved in the building, and Jeff and I have played a lot of rounds together. They don’t live here full time, but when they come to the island we definitely fit in several rounds.

The first greenThere are a lot of beautiful vistas on the course, none more spectacular than the par three, sixth hole. (That’s the featured picture of this post.) It plays at about 170 yards and your tees is up on a cliff. You drive over the ocean, and hope your ball catches the green. The green is quite a bit lower than the tee box, but still up on another cliff. You don’t have a lot of margin for error!

The fourteenth holeJeff and I both really like the par four, fourteenth hole though. It’s a dog leg right, with beautifully landscaped fairways, and a terrific undulating green. You don’t have a lot of margin for error on this hole either as there is heavy rough with cactus to the right. To the left is heavy brush with lots of prickly bushes.

1st Curacao Invitational Golf Tournament

Katherine and MauriceOn Saturday, I played with my partner, Katherine, in the 1st Curacao Invitational Golf Tournament. It featured all the usual golf prizes – closest to the hole, longest drive – plus two big hole in one prizes! A hole in one on the sixth hole could win you a car. 

The second hole in one was a raffled chance at a million dollars! There were ten “entries” drawn for the opportunity to take a shot at the hole in one. And I got one of the entries. I told Katherine that if I sunk the shot, I’d retire. When she reminded me that I was already retired, I realized I could let some one else win it. How generous of me, eh?

Band's back!The shot was from 170 yards out on the 18th hole, across some water. The “tee box” was in the middle of the fairway. My excuse for missing the hole (in fact the whole green!) was that the tee box wasn’t level. haha Only one of the ten actually hit the green. Several hit into the water. I can take some (minor) satisfaction that I didn’t hit into the water and could pick my ball up.

Oliver, the club proIt was a fun tourney, but I have to admit I didn’t play very well. A case of the jitters I guess. The harder I tried, the worse I got. Ah well, there is always next time. The fellow in the blue shirt is the club pro, Oliver, who ran things very smoothly. 

Teeing off at hole number oneKat is the lady who was our real estate agent here in Curacao. She’s a fellow Canuck, so we “had to represent” as she put it. It wasn’t hard to pick our cart out of the pack on the course!

Joy in Surrey

Joy in Surrey

Good shot!This summer our good friend Joy flew out from her home in Ohio to stay a couple weeks with us. We had a great time, even though the weather pretty much sucked.

The 18th hole, Linden WashingtonIt was just like old times. We originally met over the internet while playing bridge. We met in person at one of the conventions in 1998. Over the years we’ve traveled to each other’s homes and stayed in touch, even though we’re thousands of miles apart.

Mighta missed that oneWe spent a couple of days down in our time share in Linden, Washington. It’s a pretty little town just across the border from us. We can get there in well under an hour, if the border crossings cooperate.

Cute wind ornamentIt has a really challenging links-style golf course there. You need to know your game well, as there is a lot of water, and you need to know how far you will hit with your club, or you’re in it! It was one tough course.

There are some lovely homes around the course, naturally, but the little golf cart wind sock is hysterical.

Another place had an old golf bag as a planter. Cute too.

Another tough holeTough tee box, Linden WashingtonPam, Maurice and Joy, Linden, 2007Joy and friendsJoy and Maurice, Linden, July 2007View From DeckJust waking upLooking toward Mt. Baker BedroomDining roomCornfields, outside Linden WashingtonRoosters on the Roof Top.View from the clubhouseThe 18th greenThe 18th hole, Linden WashingtonCute wind ornamentGood shot!Every where you look, there is waterMighta missed that oneBy the putting green