Thursday, December 28, 2023
Sweetens Cove Golf Club
36-45 degrees, chilly in the morning and turned AB by lunch
Ryan Atwell, Quinn Cannington, and Wes Huntsville
Sweetens Cove Golf Club. South Pittsburg, Tennessee
We pulled into the gravel parking lot at SCGC at 7:45 am CST with the excitement of two kids heading downstairs to see what Santa had left under the Christmas tree. The air was brisk and cool and the parking lot was mostly empty. As the sun peeked over the mountains, more cars (actually trucks, every vehicle was a truck…) ascended on the little course that could and guys layered up to bare the elements for a day of golf.
Joining me on the inaugural stop on this journey was “Q” and A-Hole/Alabama Frontal/Ryan. Ryan and I enjoyed the 2:15 drive down from Knoxville. We discussed family, work, and HS hoops- maybe not in that order but the conversation made the trek seem like a quick trip to a gas station and not a 120+ mile journey. Q came up from Atlanta and had already texted me the obligatory, “LFG”, a few times so I knew he would hop out of the car eager to take the course by storm. We made our way to the practice putting green and from what I observed, we were in for a fun but daunting day. The green resembled a ride at Six Flags and any putt would be a mind bender. It was like putting on my driveway and over Mount Everest all rolled into one.
The starter summoned all the brave soldiers to the Shed at 8:00 and gave us our marching orders. He was trying to be funny but you could tell his speech was on repeat and he had very little time for any small talk or BS. He was direct and firm. With only 25ish golfers man enough for golf in late December, the course would yield many holes and a good pace. We were told to report to hole 3 and start our round there.
We spent the next 9 hours in pure golf bliss. In a group of no single digit handicaps, we each had to be sharp to avoid absolute disaster on every hole. It was exhilarating and a hell ride from start to finish. Only one birdie on the day and it wasn’t from Q or Ryan… My lone birdie came on the 5th hole of the day after I hit a crisp 9 iron from 102 yards (chess, not checkers) that landed softly and took the slope of the green and nestled a cozy 2 feet from the cup. We traded jabs and engaged in an intense pillow fight for the rest of the day.
Q and Ryan, poetry in motion
Sweetens Cove is a golf playground. It twists and turns and slopes and rolls all around and over itself for 9 glorious holes and 70+ acres of land. You nervously putt from 15+ yards off the green (that’s what Sgt Starter told us to do so we obliged, except for hole 7 where I laid my sand wedge open and clipped my 2nd approach shot to 3 feet and made par- more chess moves…). We arrived at each tee box with excitement and laughter. We were more interested in enjoying the day and the company than the score on the card- sound advice for life. Enjoy the people you are with and don’t worry about the results. You’ll actually end up having more fun and won’t get so uptight about the swings, the highs, or the lows.
We were joined by Wes Huntsville on our last few holes. He was your average looking 30 something year old man. Not overly athletic in appearance. More postman than pro golfer. He proceeded to drive the 293 yard 5th hole and had a tasty 2-putt from 100+ feet for birdie. I thought maybe Wes was on his way to prep for the “Florida swing” on the PGA Tour when he bombed his drive on #6 about 320 yards and proceeded to dump his 80 yard approach shot in the cup for an eagle. We all ran and high fived Wes like we had been best buddys since the 3rd grade not acquaintances for 15 minutes. He could not have been a nicer guy and there’s another lesson on the day- invite strangers into your group, celebrate their successes with them, and don’t judge a book by its cover.
Q, Me, Wes, and Ryan on #9. Last hole of the day
As the daylight faded and the chill in the air returned, we didn’t want the day to end but we each were thankful for the experience. We “had stolen one” and played about as much golf as we could muster on this surprisingly gorgeous late December day.
As we backed our golf carts into the appropriate position- leaving the place as we found it and maybe even better and headed into the Shed to buy some merchandise, we all had a sense of accomplishment and joy that can only be experienced when you focus on others and not yourself.
I hugged Q in the parking lot and told him I loved him. I’ve known him for nearly 20 years. Watched him grow up, work around the world, get married, and settle down. He’s gone from student to friend. He’s an absolute stud. He is witty and talented. His golf game is improving- he has a John Rahmish backswing without the results but it’s a thing of beauty. Hits a consistent low stinger and plays the game with a smile on his face. He’s great to be around on the golf course. He never takes himself too seriously and naturally puts others at ease. His whole life is ahead of him and we will have more SC days in our future.
I’m ready to go back and definitely will in one year. Until then, I’ll keep my swing loose and long and make putts when it matters most. Play on Playa!
The Back Nine 