I gotta tell this Joel Otto story. 2 actually. Both were when I was a member at Heritage Pointe. Joel was a regular fixture there, and I crossed paths with him a few times.
1) I am playing the 5th hole on the Pointe nine. Hardest hole on the course. It's a super long double dogleg par 5 with an elevated green the size of a frikkin postage stamp..... that crosses water twice. Anyone who has played that hole, knows how ridiculous it is. It's almost a cruel joke. I am playing a round with my dad, and playing like garbage.
So anyway the green for the fifth 5 that I am shooting at is on the side of a hill, the tee box for 6 is higher up the hill. So Joel, Peter Maher, and a couple other guys I don't know are standing in the tee box for 6. I am at the 250 yard marker with a 5 wood in my hand, and since I am playing like garbage, I figure, "F-it I'm going for it." Without barely addressing the ball, and without a practice swing, I crush my 5 wood. I could see it heading straight at the pin, but because it's up hill I couldn't see it land. I hear a bang, then Joel, Peter, and the other 2 guys standing on the tee-box up the hill start clapping and waving their clubs in the air. I figured I hit the pin and was going to be putting for a birdie. I get up to the hole and they are all still waiting. I find out I holed out from 250 + yards for an Eagle. Joel Otto comes up to me and says "That's the nicest shot I have ever seen." I respond "It's the flukiest shot I have ever hit." Then he does what most golfers does, looks in my bag to see what I am using. Yeah, a set of low end, perimeter weighted Joe Bloe Nike irons and woods. Meanwhile he has bespoke fitted titlest forged blades. I let him know he can borrow my Nike's any time he wants to drop a couple strokes. He politely declines.
2) A few weeks later, I am standing on the driving range at 8:00 at night. And Joel comes walking out from shadows. He lives on the course there I believe, but it is kinda funny just thinking Joel Otto materializes out of the shadows. Anyway, we are hitting balls, and get chatting about the Hitmen. And I go "Hey man, do me a favour, give me the famous face-off death stare." He just laughs it off, and says no,no.... then like 2 seconds later, he lifts his head from looking down at his golf ball, and stared a hole right through me, and anything that was directly behind me until that hate stare reached the horizon.
Then he chuckles, and just keeps hitting his bucket of balls.
Joel is one of the good guys.
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