Seattle is a long way from DC so when we planned our summer vacation in Colorado, I decided to set up a quick trip to the Pacific Northwest to continue the quest. Things didn’t go as planned when Southwest Airlines decided my golf bag needed to take a separate flight in order to ”balance the load” on our flight.
On the 13th hole at Chambers Bay, I felt a sigh of relief when I checked on the location of my AirTag, and it was at the Seattle-Tacoma Airport. After wrapping up my round and bidding adieu to my foursome, I hightailed it up interstate 5 and was at the airport in no time. I parked illegally and hustled into the baggage claim area to grab my clubs and get to dinner. To my chagrin, I didn’t immediately spot my bag in the Southwest baggage office. My heart sank when a quick check on my iPhone revealed that the AirTag (and my golf clubs!) were now 8 miles away. Initially, I thought maybe someone had grabbed the wrong bag, would notice the error of their ways, and would return my clubs to claim their clubs. I informed the Southwest Baggage claim attendant that my golf bag was not there, and she immediately suspected someone had taken it intentionally. Downcast, I returned to my vehicle and contemplated yet another round with rented clubs and the possibility that I would be auditioning for a new set when I played Sahalee Country Club the next morning.
I’m confident that you could not find two more different golf courses than Chambers Bay and Sahalee Country Club. Remember when I commented that there was one tree on Chambers Bay? At Sahalee, all you see are trees. Big trees. Thick trees. Grab-your-errant-drive/approach-and-swallow-your ball trees. I’ve never seen a course with more trees and tighter fairways. And yet according to my playing companions and long-time members of the club, they’ve actually removed trees over the last few years!
I’d like to blame the rented Titleist for my dismal showing at Sahalee but that wouldn’t really be fair. Unlike at Chambers Bay, I simply couldn’t adjust to the new clubs, but more importantly, I felt the absence of golf shoes quite dramatically. I was hoping to buy a new pair at the club that morning, but unfortunately, they didn’t have a shoe in my size for sale. To be honest, I never realized how much of an impact golf shoes have on your swing (and I promise that is not just an excuse)!
The only memorable shot to share was on the par 3 9th hole of the South course. I struck my 7-iron pretty well, straight at the flag. The ball bounced at the front edge of the green and started rolling directly at the hole. The three of us all stared incredulously as the ball angled toward the hole. I truly believed for a moment that it could go in. Alas, it peaked in the hole as it hustled by, settling about 20 feet past the cup. (I missed the birdie attempt).
After the round, I checked on the location of the AirTag. It had clearly been found by the perpetrator and tossed to the side of the road. I was tempted to swing by to see if they had tossed any of the golf gear as well, but my better sense (and an impending departure time) convinced me to leave it be.
I’ve filed the claim with Southwest and now await their response. In the meantime, I’ve slowly replaced my clubs and gear so I can get back on the quest. I guess when all is said and done, I’ll emerge with better gear than I started with – which is not a bad way to complete this adventure!
MajorBucketList.com 