First Ever Hole-In-One

Majestic Springs Golf Club in Wilmington, OH will forever be in my memory. My first hole-in-one was on it's hole #3. A short par 3 playing 112 yards that day. I used a pitching wedge and took a little off my swing to cut down the yardage. The ball landed two feet in front of the pin and went in on the first bounce. It had rained that morning so the greens were soft. The divot from the ball was quite large and we were not sure if the ball was sitting there all muddy, in the hole, or had bounced over the green (the pin was only about 5 yards from the back of the green). Once we walked up to the pin I just knew it was going to be my day once I did not see a muddy ball in front of the pin. Sure enough, YIPEE!! Finally got one. After hitting flag sticks on the fly and rolling on the green, I got one to go in.

My two playing partners (witnesses) were Tom Hassig and Charlie Poeppelmeier. Charlie had kidded around that he was going to hang with me score wise that day. And he did for one hole. I told him later that if he had not challenged me I may not have rose to the occasion and aced it just to show him who was going to shoot what today. :-)

Earlier this month I holed a 170 yard shot from the fairway of a par four for eagle. That shot was a blind shot, all I could see was the top of the flag stick. It may have been a better shot but it was just an eagle. Hole-In-One just has a better ring to it. It has been a good month for golf memories and the month is not over yet. Could there be another shot out there waiting for me?

Virginia Wineries - 2010

Two years ago I blogged about several Virginia wineries we visited. We visited 3 different wineries on our trip this year and were not disappointed.

Our first stop was at Barren Ridge Vineyards as we were driving in. All of the grapes from their wines come from within a 25 mile radius of the winery. I was impressed with the quality of the wines. The one I was most impressed with was their Cab Franc, my wife liked their Viognier and Dessert wine. They have a nice area with a beautiful view to sit and enjoy a glass.

Just outside Gordonsville, VA we visited two different vineyards. Horton Vineyard has a long lineup, around 40 wines. The building itself was a site to see. Their wines had an average price below the other vineyards. They had many fruit and desert wines including ports in their lineup. The wine I was most impressed with was their chocolate wine called XOCO. It had a nice chocolate flavor and was not overly sweet. I had never tasted wine like this one before. They also sold Norton wine which I like but I must admit most people probably will not like Norton. It has a strong and unique taste and is on the dry side. It makes a great wine reduction sauce if you do not like it out of the glass.

Our favorite vineyard of the three was Barboursville Vineyard. The vineyard also has an Italian restaurant on site and we would like to try it on a future visit. We liked most all of the wines. As is usually the case in Virginia wineries I liked their Cab Franc. The also had a nice Cabernet Sauvignon. The wines were a higher quality with more complexity.

Manada Golf Club - PA

In our 2010 Memorial Day trip to Hershey, PA we wanted to golf without breaking the wallet. Hershey Resort had a few top rated golf courses that looked absolutely beautiful, but came with a high price tag. After a quick search we found Manada Golf Club. Does it compare to Hershey Resort courses? No! However my wife and I had a great time golfing here. They were running a promotion so it only cost us $50 with cart for both of us. I liked the course. It was a nice mix of open and hazards. Some holes you could swing away, others you had to pick the right club off the tee. If you like birds you will get a bonus playing here. They had birdhouses all over the course. Over all you should score well on this course but still feel like you were challenged.

Food - Hershey, PA

In our Memorial Day 2010 trip we found some great eats. Fire Alley is a local restaurant that rated high for us. My wife had Prime Rib that was awesome and did not break your dining budget. If you like good food at a reasonable price Fire Alley is your place. This will be a repeat visit for us on our next trip here. In our Bluegreen Resort there was a local pizza place that delivered, I will add the name once I remember it. They advertised that they had the best Stromboli. I agree that is was very good. I am not sure I have ever had Stromboli prior to this trip so I have no point of reference except to say yum!

Wine - Pennsylvania

Went to Hershey, PA over Memorial Day weekend 2010. We had a great time and as usual we stopped by a few local wineries during the trip. We did not find any real gems. The wines were more sweet to semi-sweet emphasis. None of the wines had long complex finishes so they were all on the low end of the price range.

Wine - Hilton Head

If you like wine, and find yourself in Hilton Head, then you have to visit Wine Times 4. This wine bar successfully specializes in serving over 72 wines by the glass due to its state of the art preservation system. You can purchase a taste, half glass, full glass, or a bottle. When you walk in you by a card that works like a debit card. You can then use the card to get the wine you want and the amount you want. If you run out of money on the card you can always add more, or tie it to a credit card. They had a nice blend of wine and a nice blend of price ranges. It would be tough to not find one you like. We found several we liked. Nothing like trying it before you buy it.

Wine Times 4

Free Christmas golf in Myrtle Beach

My wife and I spent Christmas in a condo in Myrtle Beach. The condo was in Sea Glass Tower which is one of our timeshare options to stay at. We both like this place because it has floor to ceiling glass walls facing the ocean, which makes for a nice view. It was a nice short getaway. We had hoped to spend Christmas with our kids and when that fell through we headed to the ocean. We both love the soothing sounds of the ocean.

One pleasant surprise I found out about was free golf at one of the golf courses in Myrtle Beach, Myrtlewood. They have opened their course up on Christmas day for many years now. No carts available so you must walk. I forgot to bring my pull cart so I ended up walking 18 holes and carrying my cart bag. I felt it by the end of the day but still well worth the price. Thank You Myrtlewood.