Road Show

Pudge plays the NHPGA Pro-Am circuit on Mondays with 3 Pot Gamers traveling all over the state.  The Gazette went along yesterday to Laconia CC to get a glimpse as to how Pot Gamers do on the road.  It started rather uneventful as Fireman and Pudge left Keene at 7:00am on route to pick up Bear in Hillsboro at 7:30am.   Bear was waiting and then threw his clubs and shoes into the Pudgemobile and off they headed to Laconia CC to meet their other playing partner Sully of Maine.  After arriving at their location with 45 minutes to spare before tee off, they headed over to the range to warm up.  Warmup went well with all players hitting quality shots.  Bear tried out the putting green beside the range and found out it was running at about an 12 on the stimpmeter.  Pudge however assured everyone that it was new and not an indication of the real greens on the course.  The other putting green near the first tee seemed a little softer but still made Bretwood's greens seem like brillo pads.  That should been the first warning as to what was about to happen.  Everyone made it off the first tee in good shape and Bear hit his second shot in about 8 feet, so it looked like a great start was about to happen with an opening birdie.  Not.  A nervous shove to the right of the putter and a par was the best they got out of it.  Although they hit every green for the first nine holes they were only able to coax one putt into the hole on the 7th for a birdie.  Some of their misses were deflating given how close the approach shots were including Bear hitting the par 5 (5th hole) in two and three putting from 20' for a par.  The speed of the greens was having an effect on the nerves.  The Back Nine proved to be no better with all pars on the first two holes and one bogey on the short 12th hole when Sully was only one near the green in regulation.  Pudge made a birdie on the par 3 14th to get them back under par but that would be it for the rest of the day.  They retired to the club house to eat lunch, quench their thirst and to talk over what might have been.  Somehow their luck on the course foreshadowed what was about to happen to them in the club house.  The waitress came over to the table and looked right at Pudge and said "Oh, I remember you." Which at the time they thought she meant was a good thing.  So Sully ordered wings, Bear quesadilla, Fireman Panini and Pudge told the waitress he would have the special luncheon buffet.  Drinks were ordered, Pudge got his first course small cup of chili.  The other food came for Sully, Bear and Fireman.  As Pudge was about to head up to the buffet, it was being dismantled with half the field still on the course.  "Maybe the waitress doesn't like me after all," Pudge said.  So Sully shared his wings with Pudge and all was well, until... The next round of drinks were ordered, served and Pudge notices everyone got their drink but him.  So he goes up to the bartender and says his waitress didn't bring him his drink with everyone else.  So he comes back with his drink and the waitress who has gotten the word from the bartender she screwed up the order, comes over.  She lifts up Pudge's newly purchased bottle which is still half full from his recent pour and he says "Hey, I haven't finished that, I just had to go over and get this because you didn't bring me one."  She then reaches across Pudge, lifts up a fresh bottle right next to his left elbow and says "What about this one!"  Pudge now turning red says "Oh sorry, I guess I didn't see it."  The others are trying hold back their laughter and are crying they are they laughing so hard.  To top it off they all decide to play credit card roulette to see who is going to be stuck with an ever growing bill.  Cards are dumped into a hat, the disgruntled waitress is called over to do the honors and you guessed it Pudge's card gets pulled.  One whopping tip later, Pudge signs the slip and off they head back to Keene with nothing to show for their efforts except a "bag of tees" and a story that will live on in Pot Game lore.   That's what happens when Pot Gamers take their show on the road.