[caption id="attachment_965" align="alignright" width="300" caption="The grass is getting green."]<a href="http://mikerappaport.net/onevoice/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/20110324_14.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-965" title="20110324_14" src="http://mikerappaport.net/onevoice/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/20110324_14-300x199.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="199" /></a>[/caption]

It was an interesting day on the golf course.

Now that spring is here, the Bermuda grass on our lawns and the golf course has started its annual turn toward the deep green it will be all summer.

The last three times out, I have walked instead of riding, but I've only played nine holes. Today I went out early enough to try and walk 18 holes, pulling my clubs behind me in a pull cart.

As I have become more and more familiar with the course, and playing more regularly -- 1-2 times a week -- I have been getting fairly good scores. In two of my last three outings, I've shot 42 and 43 on the front nine. Monday was odd. I had three double bogeys, but parred five of the other six holes and shot 43.

The weather was great today, although it was a little windy. I parred two of the first three holes, which was a good start for me, but then I bogeyed four holes in a row. Not bad, but not great.

Then things got really interesting. I parred the last two holes on the front nine for a 41, and then did something I've never done before. I parred the first three holes on the back nine and was only five over par after 12 holes. I had a bad tee shot on the 13th hole and bogeyed it to end the string of pars, but then I came back and parred the next two to leave me only six over par after 15 holes.

I have never broken 80.

I have never come close to breaking 80. My best round ever in California was an 83, but I shot 45 on the front nine in that round, so there was never any chance that I would break 80.

But today, with three holes remaining in my round and nine pars already in the book, I needed only to par two of the last three holes to shoot a 79. One problem: I have never parred any of those three holes. They're a quirky par three and two longish par fours.

Well, I still haven't. I gave myself a chance on two of them, with putts in the 11-12 foot range for par that I didn't make. I finished bogey-bogey-bogey for a 40 on the back nine and an overall score of 81.

After walking -- and pulling my cart -- for 18 holes and 4 1/2 hours, I was pleasantly exhausted and extremely happy with the way I had played. But I didn't get to go home with a good feeling. Apparently, one of the club pros had noticed for the first time that I was pulling my clubs.

I found out -- God knows why -- that my golf course does not allow pull carts. You either have to ride in a golf cart or carry your clubs on your back.

Oh, well.

It was still a pretty good day.