3 Guys, 2 Courses and an Ascot (Part 1 of 2)
Posted by mojoe4u
It began as a rendezvous at the Jack’s Truck Stop and Western Wear parking lot in Good Hope, AL. The plan: meet up with Jeremiah and Stephen, head to Sparkman Park in Hartselle, maybe grab a bite to eat and be back before lunch. Plans are subject to change.
I can only make it two plates into the breakfast buffet at Jacks before I have to throw in the towel; looks like it’s time to head to Hartselle. Thirty minutes later, we pull into the deserted parking lot adjacent to some baseball fields and it is already smoldering outside; it’s not even noon. Four holes into the course and drastic times call for drastic measures – I rocked an ascot. My standard attire usually consists of a Grateful Dead bandana, sweat band on the wrist, Sperry’s, collared shirt and comfortable shorts. However, it looks like I may have just added a little flavor to the usual ensemble from here on out. Beware.
This is the first time any of us had ventured to the Sparkman Park and overall I was not impressed. The ongoing premise shared by all is that it would be a good practice/home course but definitely not somewhere to drive out of your way to.
Highlights
- Concrete tee boxes – made every drive a pleasure
- Bathroom on site (and not a portable one – wow)
- Easy to locate discs
- Lack of poison oak
- Not many obstacles to throw around (trees, shrubs, etc.)
Disappointments
- No signs for the majority of the tee boxes
- Baskets were not numbered
- Due to the prior two bullets, we were unable to find the last three holes – only played thru 15
- There was a lot of trash – this was probably due in part to the close proximity of the parking lot, baseball fields and local school
We left Hartselle and I felt incomplete. The course didn’t meet my expectations and we hadn’t played 18. Jeremiah and Stephen had already planned to play at least 1 course in Huntsville that they had not played on their last visit.
Count me in.
– Joe