First TGA Tour Event

I played my first TGA golf tournament at Belmont Golf Club in Richmond, Virginia. We played on Saturday 3-25-2006. Although the tournament was run very well, my game was not. Let's just say it was probably my worst round I've played in Virginia.

The temperature was about 48 degrees with some wind now and then..mostly now. It was cloudy with a 30% chance of rain. I have played Belmont about 4 times and I have never played on greens this fast. It was probably 12 on the stimp meter, if not more. The greens were hard and nothing was holding. I couldn't even get anything to check.

Needless to say, putting was very difficult. I think I had 5 three putts! I don't think I have ever had that many. I had and eagle putt on #9 and three-putted for 5.

Well I didn't finish in the money, but I did manage to win $150 on side bets. I won a Gross Skin and a Closest to the Pin on #13.

Since it was my first tournament with TGA, I think I had other mental thoughts on my mind instead of playing my game. Now that I thought about it, I really wasn't concentrating on my game. I just kind of fished around the course. However, I managed to make 3 birdies. One of my playing parters, Paul, eagled #10 from the sand trap. Our highlight of the day. Good shot Paul! Needless to say, he won the skin for that hole.

Now that I have started this Tour, watch out guys because I am coming in full board on future tournaments. I will eventually win one or more, or at least be in the top ten.

I'd like to thank Dennis Baca; president of TGA, and the staff for welcoming me to the tournament. See you all on the links. Shoot Well!

The 2005 Chronicles

Well I guess it's about time to catch up. Let's just say that 2005 was a life-changing time.

We took a small vacation to Richmond back in March 2005 to look for homes and work. We actually didn’t find anything while we were there, but Lisa found our home on realtor.com when we returned. A bold move, but so far it has worked out pretty good. The house is 15 years old, 4 bedrooms, 3½ bath, two-story, approx. 3000 square feet on about 1/3 of an acre.

Tommy, Adam and Jesse all stayed in San Diego. Lisa, Nick, Sarah and I are together in Virginia. Jesse was considering moving with us, but decided to stay. Jesse and his girlfriend Jen visited us at the end of July for about a week. It was hot, humid and lots of bugs. We all visited Busch Gardens and Water County. It was actually raining when we were at Water Country, but the park stays open unless there is lightning, so we all got to play in the rain.

Jesse, now 21, is working at MSI in Mira Mesa. They provide equipment for various stage productions throughout the country. Jesse has a new 2005 Toyota Prius Hybrid and loves it. He is living in Mira Mesa, enjoys playing disc golf in Balboa Park and also loves to play Mahjong (a typical Filipino).

Adam is 25. He is working with my brother Michael for MWR. Adam’s role is to assemble and connect computers together within the base facility so that the military personnel can use the Internet, email, video gaming and other computer & electronic related activities. His spare time is usually with a Rubik’s Cube. He has built different type cubes and has sold them on E-bay. He has competed in cube competitions and his fastest time is about 25 seconds. Adam visited us the beginning of December.

Tommy is 28 and has a son, Gavin, who is almost four years old. Gavin lives with his mother Camille in Sacramento, so he doesn’t get to see him as much as he would love to, but he talks to him on the phone a lot. Tommy was working for Best Buy, but quit in January 2006 and has moved in with us, at least for the time being. He has fallen into some hard times lately. We do what we can, but any encouragement and some guidance from other relatives or friends can help him get up on his feet again.

Nick turned 15 on June 30. He is in the 10th grade and attends Monacan High School. Nick helped a lot with moving from California to Virginia. He is very good with tools and has worked on various projects in our new home. Nick is also interested in computers, video production and the culinary arts. Nick is also learning Japanese in school and seems to be doing real well. He also has this fascination for cows. CowUdder Productions is in his future.

Sarah is now 5 years old. She seems to be having a ball in her new home in Virginia. Harry Potter seems to be her favorite movie. She must know the whole script by now. Since Sarah’s birthday fell too far from the school cutline, she will start Kindergarten in September 2006. I think that will help her in the long run. Sarah is very active and you can’t shut her up. She is always talking about something. Sometimes it’s annoying, but most times it’s a delight to hear her take on the world. One of her favorite toy animals is Spot, a puppy dalmation. Sarah likes the outdoors and probably can’t wait for snow to fall. She likes to watch America’s Funniest Videos (she calls it The Funny Show). Once she starts laughing, it doesn’t stop until it’s over. Oh My!

Mystic is our Siberian Husky. She is 3 years old and has had a 3 puppy litter. She is a good dog and very funny. She seems to talk to us in her own way. We all enjoy her except that she sheds a lot. She has a big yard to run around in and seems to enjoy her surroundings, especially all the squirrels.

Lisa is the glue that keeps our family together. She keeps on going like the Energizer bunny. I keep telling her to slow down, but her non-stop frame of mind takes over. Lisa has been a stay-at-home mom since Adam was born. Lisa’s efforts in looking for our home in Virginia seemed to be endless. Many days and nights the past few years were spent calling different parts of the country in hopes of a place where life might be a little less crowded, less expensive to live, four seasons, and a place where Nick and Sarah could grow up and have the quality of life all kids deserve. Lisa has been busy with many house projects since we have moved. She has met all of our nearby neighbors who seem to be very friendly. A couple of our neighbors have brought snacks and desserts welcoming us to the area. Now that we have an even bigger house, Lisa is on the go even more. She does a lot to nurture our kids and care for us so we can enjoy our lives.

I am still in the engineering field (25 years). I work for Dunlap & Partners here in Virginia. The people I work with all seem to be friendly and have welcomed me graciously. I play golf about twice a week and also try to hit at least two hundred balls a week. Watch out Champions Tour! Since we have a bigger house, there seems to be a little more work to do around here, but I still manage to play. I found a gaming company here in Virginia called Dealers Choice. It’s the same type company I worked for in San Diego; Casino Knights. It’s just something to do and make a little extra cash. I am also playing in the Tournament Golf Association Tour in Virginia. We travel to many courses in Virginia and Maryland. It's a good start for my climb to the Champions Tour.

If you haven’t already heard, my mother passed away this year on November 18th. She was 71. It was so unexpected. However, she had been physically in pain for about two years. Some days were good, some were not. She was diabetic and that contributed to the series of events leading to her unexpected death. My sister Zebbie bore the brunt of this family crisis and I commend her efforts and strength throughout the whole ordeal. If you knew my mother, she was a kind, generous and caring individual. She is in heaven with God and enjoying her reunion with my father and all her loved ones that have passed before her.

That's the quick 2005 Chronicles, but so much more to tell. So, call me up to chat and we'll catch up. And don't forget, if you want to comment on anything I have written, please do. Look for more of my posts this year. I've still got lot's to say and lot's of opinions. Life is really a big game..Play It!