Here's Ch 143-Pt 2-K&K
"Sure thing, Tracey. Soon as I change that is. How about some lunch before we go?" trilled Lt. Naturle Badgiruel.
"Why not? Anyone else wanna join us on the course or just watch even?" trilled the 'Kaguran'.
In the end all of them went with Tracey and Nat but only those two, Keisie and Jett were playing. The rest just came along to watch. The match itself would be Nat and Trace vs. Keisie and Jett. They were to use 'Best Ball/Alternate Shot' rules for the match and since I explained match play in a much earlier chapter I will not go into it here again.
"Why don't we take the 'Gammeran Prince' to the course like we did with the shttle last time we were here?" trilled Faye.
"I don't see why we can't. I know 'Kagura' so you must mean the 'North Star and Southeern Cross' club. Am I right?" trilled Gene.
"Right on, Starwind." trilled Keisie.
"Better get Cy, Robbie and Saavie to top off our fuel. This ship ain't got the speed of the 'Angel' or any of her shuttles either. Shall we have our lunch first and then meet up later in the bays at 1330 hours?" trilled Jamie Wilson.
"Oro about a tee time?" trilled Rally.
"Harvey Birdman will be glad to squeeze us in, I'm sure." trilled Spike.
"The last time we were there we set the football field on fire, wrecked the golf course and almost got Sango totalled (Actually she just broke her leg but hey- you know how cowgirls exaggerate things)! He'll be thrilled to death!" trilled Faye Valentine.
"Don't forget that the 'ISSP' is picking up our tabs so he'll be paid well for his troubles!" trilled Goat Smith.
"Your teetime is 1500 hours er three o'clock in the afternoon. You will use the gold course and the red tees and Harvey says hello to all of you. Keisie and Jett already have clubs but we'll have to rep some up for Tracey and Nat. Let's get moving, gang." trilled Cagalli Athna.
"Oro do you wear to watch a golf match?" trilled Flaysie Allster and Faye made a face.
"Can't we leave her behind?" trilled the cowgirl ruefully.
At 1430 er 2:30 PM the ship touched down on a wooded copse beside the 14th fairway. Of course the 'Prince' had no cloaking capability. They piled into skysleds and shot towards the clubhouse. After checking in there they all headed over to the first tee.
The order of play was to be Keisie, Nat, Trace and Jett. The first hole was a 400 meter par 4 straightaway with a creek 210 meters out. The fairway trap (a trap is a bunker, a hole filled with sand) was 190 meters out. The approach shot to the green was fairly simple as there was only one bunker guarding the green on the starboard side. An easy hole designed to lull the unwary player into a false sense of security since the holes got tougher especially on the back nine.
Keisie had the honours and she swung her driver hard and fast much like her 23rd Century counterpart Boss Kei did with a devil-may-care attitude. Her shot sailed high, her ball riding the wind and easily clearing both hazards (trap and creek) before dropping onto the port side of the fairway a mere 100 meters from the green.
"Nice shot, pardner." congratulated Jett and she replied "Another lucky one."
Next up was nat. She had no problems with distance, however, she tended to 'hook' the ball by moving it too far to the port (left) side of the fairway when she drove so the lieutenant decided to use a long iron, a '2' instead. She'd sacrifice some length but should achieve better accuracy in the trade off. The brunette's swing was slow and easy (the exact opposite of the 'K Twins') sending her ball low but quick down the centre of the fairway and she barely cleared the trap at 190 meters! She was lying dead centre and 200 meters out with 200 more to the green for Tracey to contend with should the duo have to use her tee shot.
Since Keisie was the only 'veteran' player of this course, Tracey decided to gamble with his '3' wood. A short backswing before he launched his entire torso into a full hip turn, his legs twisting into the drive for more power. He struck the ball forcefully, shattering his tee and finishing his follow through high on the tip of his right toe not unlike a ballet dancer. The ball flew both straight and true, clearing the trap with ease before hitting the turf and bouncing high into the air and sailing across the creek, striking the ground again, rolling and bouncing for an eternity before it finally stopped 310 meters out on the fairway's port side and a good 10 meters beyond Keisie's teeshot!
Nat breathed a sigh of relief. Yay! They'd use Tracey's ball and she'd only have a 'wedge' shot of 90 meters left to the target.
Jett was much more methodical. He scanned the horizon, checked the wind and teed up on the starboard side of the teebox. His choice was driver. His backswing was full and his swing quick and hard with almost no follow through. His ball arced to port but quickly caught the wind and pulled starboard to finish high above the fairway's centre. He cleared both hazards and struck hard turf 290 meters out where it continued to roll a good 50 meters past his partner's ball to leave her a gentle uphill shot of only 50 meters and Keisie grimaced.
"Great! He outdrove me and now I gotta play the next shot with his ball. It's gonna be a 'half wedge' or I could 'chip' or 'punch' it. Maybe a 'parachute drop' would work. No matter oro I decide on I'll have to impart 'spin' to the ball and leave Jett a decent chance at a 'birdie'." thought the redhead.
They were 'walking and carrying' rather than using aircarts so they strolled towards their balls. Nat and Keisie pocketed their balls because for the duration of this hole only Trace and Jett's balls would be used.
Nat played first and debated between a 'lob' or a 'sand' wedge. She chose the latter and hit the ball a mite too high. It slammed the green and scooted a good 20 meters past the pin leaving a very long uphill putt which 'broke' sharply to port for Tracey. "Hope Tracey can get that close enough for us to salvage a par at least." thought Nat.
Although only slightly more than half the distance of Nat's approach shot, Keisie's would be much much tougher! With a 'wedge' shot you need to leave yourself a decent amount of distance for a cushion and Jett's teeshot had not done that.
"That ball is way too close to the green but as it's an uphiller it may help Reds out a bit." whispered Tracey to Nat. Nat nodded and watched as Keisie chose her weapon- a '3' wood? "Good choice but a wood chip needs a good bit of finesse to pull it off." he whispered to his partner.
Keisie was gripping her club almost at the flex (That's where the grip meets the shaft) and she was 'soling' the wood just behind the ball and only a few centimeters above it. A short putting stroke and a sharp tap sent the ball 'bump and running' up onto the green and skidding across it to stop barely a meter past the pin!
"My turn now." said Trace debating on whether to 'charge' to the hole but realized a 'charge' could easily skid across the green and into the bunker. Instead he 'lagged' his putt to within two meters of the pin and sighed. "Sorry, Honey but any closer than that and we'd be past the cup a good 10 meters." he whispered. Of course it was still their turn so Nat putted and then watched anxiously as the ball disappeared into the hole for a par 4. Jett's putt dropped as well but for a 'birdie' 3! Jett and Keisie were 1-up over Nat and Tracey.
Play continued in much the same fashion with Nat and Tracey holding their own all the way to the 16th hole, Jett and Keisie clinging to a 2-up lead with 2 holes to go. "If we can take 17 the match is ours, Reds. We'll go 3-up with one to play and win the match." whispered Jett on the 17th tee.
The 17th was deceptive. Only a short 125 meter par 3 but the teebox was high above the green on a cliffside. The green wa sprotected by a ring of six bunkers reminiscent of the 'white faces of Merion', a golf course on old Terra in the American state of Pennsylvania. Merion was the site of Bobby Jones' famous 'grand slam' victory in the early part of the 20th Century there. The 17th was also guarded in front by a creek.
Keisie's '9' iron shot went high, port and out of bounds! After taking her one stroke penalty, her third shot found the portside trap 40 meters from the green.
Nat's wedge pitched up just short of the creek between two traps 20 meters from the green.
Trace's lob wedge caught a central bunker's face but then it bounced onto the green and rolled to bw within 8 meters of the flagstick! "Yay! I'll be putting his ball not mine!" thought Nat with delight.
Jett's high lob 'parachute drop' stopped dead when it hit the green's surface 'pin high' and only a few centimeters from an 'ace' (a hole in one eagle) which meant a tap in 'birdie' and victory is sweet!
Unless Nat could make some magic with her wand this game was up! Tracey and Nat read and re-read the putt. Finally she struck the ball and off it went- straight and true- and slid past the cup by mere centimeters! The 'par' was of course conceded and Nat pocketed her ball.
Cont in Ch 143- Part 3