Hard to concentrate today...mishap on the course

I normally keep score when I 'm practicing. Occasionally I'll just go out with the intent on working one particular thing...might tee off every hole with a 3 iron, just to change things up. I don't usually track pars and birdies on these days. But even on a normal day when I'm keeping score I will hit a lot of extra shots, particularly around the green, out of sand traps, from thick rough, etc. Today was that kind of day.

I was 2 under after 3 holes when I teed off on #4. I put a 3 wood in play, then grabbed a driver to bang a couple of practice shots. It's a good hole for me to practice fading the ball on, because the hole moves gradually from left to right. I hit one particularly hard, but it got away from me out into the street. When I got over the hill I was horrified to learn that I had hit a young man in the head. He was on a mower mowing the common ground. The company he workes for had been hired to maintain the common area around the main entrance to the property. It must have been a bit of a glancing blow. The knot on his head was big, but a direct hit from a ball moving that hard could have been very bad. I received a call a few minutes ago from his father, letting me know that the CAT scan of his head was normal. He's really going to hurt for a few days, but no actual damage, thank God.

Over the years I've been hit a dozen times or so, but never that hard and never on the head. I've always actually been terrified of taking a ball to the face or head. I can't imagine how bad the guy hurts this afternoon. I tried not to let it rattle me, and for the most part I was able to put it out of my mind. Seems cold, I know, but you have to be able to focus, and re-focus if something distracts you. The putter was a bit off today and I only shot 2 under, which leaves me at a total of 14 under over the last 4 days. All things considered I am very pleased.

Next Wednesday I'm going to play golf in Memphis with a friend of mine. I've never played with her before, but she's a pretty good athlete and I imagine she's decent. She was one of Jennifer's ICU nurses in Memphis, so I got to know her pretty well, although the circumstances around our meeting was pretty stressful. I just have to be careful not to step in her line, or bother her. She's a 3rd degree black belt and I'm quite certain she could kick my butt without much trouble. At least I'll have a nurse handy that day in case I pop somebody else in the noggin!