Ghetto Cat Loop/Orange Street Loop

It's 89 at 9:51 a.m. Central, with a RealFeel® of 98, a warm Saturday morning even by Levy's standard. I walked the Ghetto Cat Loop in 32:20.

It was 94 at 8:15 p.m. when I started my walk of the Orange Street Loop, completed in 44:37. On today's Levy sports front, the Reds defeated the Braves 5-2. It was their first game nationally televised by a major network since, shit, maybe 1995; Na Yeon Choi improved from a tie for 22nd to a tie for 10th in the British Open. The neighborhood's excited. I noticed large parties on Orange, Maple, and Hillside as I walked this evening.

OVERHEARD
"Where'd you go?"
"Round the block. You got a problem with that?"
"You're a liar. That's what I got a problem with."
—conversation between a man and woman on 33rd Street this morning, after the man parked his pickup in the front yard

First Tee/Chandler Street Loop

Granted, this is easier said than done, but I will try to not golf until the weather breaks. It's too hard for me to play dripping wet. I played okay, sunk some long putts (six feet for par on No. 2 and 28 feet for par on No. 3), but my clubs were slipping, nothing was dry, and, after a 7:45 a.m. start, it was getting hotter by the second. I scored a 45, with 2 pars, 6 bogeys, and 1 triple, and used 16 putts.

The Reds trailed the Braves 4-3 after seven innings. They scored three in the bottom of the third to take a 3-1 lead and then didn't do dick, so I decided to shake things up by jogging and walking the Chandler Street Loop, which I completed in 38:43. Joey Votto hit a home run in the bottom of the eighth and the score is now 4-4 in the top of the 10th with two outs and goddamned Braves on first and second. Maybe I should go run some more.

38th Street Loop/Levy Loop

I walked the 38th Street Loop this morning in 30:36.

This evening, starting at about 8:30 Central, I walked the Levy Loop in 29:53. My legs felt a bit energetic; If only they feel like that in the morning, when I hope to play 18 holes at First Tee, as early as possible, before the heat index tops 110.

Levy Loop/Fort Roots

I walked and jogged the Levy Loop at noon Central in 28:19. Yesterday I hit my right knee with the heel of my putter and it hurt a little when I jogged.

My driver was a bit off in the Fort Roots two-man scramble this evening, but everything else worked fine. I hit one great drive, on No. 5, where my fade past the tree on the right rolled to within 40 yards. I followed with a pitch shot, using the 60-degree wedge Chris gave me two and a half years ago, to about three inches; fuck, it looked like it was going to roll in for eagle. Justin and I finished four-over and out of the money.

Chandler Street Loop/First Tee

I jogged and walked the Chandler Street Loop this morning in 37:22. It was under 80 degrees. This could be a decent day for golf.

But it wasn't. It was way too hot. I played nine holes at First Tee in 45, with 4 pars, 1 bogey, and 4 doubles. I used 18 putts. I then played all but the first hole of the Par-3 course with Jeff, Jill, and Kimmy Krupsaw. I had four pars and four bogeys.

Levy Loop

I watched the Reds lose to Milwaukee tonight, and then I walked the Levy Loop in 31:06.

Hash

The Hash ran from Two Rivers Park. It wasn't quite as hot as the last time I was there, when I was picked up and driven to the finish by someone driving a convertible Jeep, but it was nearly as humid. I walked with Tiny Tim Biggs for 48 minutes, almost exactly three miles.

York Gary Loop/Old Centerpoint Road/Nashville Country Club

NASHVILLE — Last night, at about 9:30 Central, I walked and jogged the York Gary Loop in 27:12. This morning, at about 6:30, I jogged and walked three miles out and back on Old Centerpoint Road in 35:54.

This morning and afternoon I played Nashville Country Club with my cousin Crutch; I scored 102, and Crutch 104. I had 2 pars, 6 bogeys, 5 doubles, and 5 triples. I used 36 putts. My short game stunk; this deficiency was evident from the start. The first hole is a 219-yard par-3, fucking ridiculous. After losing sleep over my opening tee shot in front of a bunch of members, I hit a three-wood pin-high, 15 yards left. Great. I pitched over, stubbed a chip, and two-putted from 15 feet for a double. Twice on par-4s I was within 20 yards in two and scored sevens. I once four putted from the fringe. I missed 3 three-foot putts. My driver, three-, and five-woods worked great, and I finished two-over for the last three holes, so, overall, I am happy, and sunburned. Heck, I am temporarily back to mediocre. Crutch and I had a hoot.

First Tee

I played nine holes at First Tee this morning, with Randall Hunhoff and Steve Beetstra, the dentist friend of Randall's I played with several times in 2008, and scored a 44, with 2 pars, 6 bogeys, and 1 double. I used 16 putts. I parred No. 8 for the first time in a couple of years, with two three-woods, a 52-degree wedge, a putt from the fringe, and a five-footer. My 44 was 18 strokes better than my last nine with Randall, 10 days ago. Read Ben Hogan's Five Lessons and ask what the Port Hawkesbury track coach thinks about it.

Crutch Aikman and I are about to drive to Nashville, where tomorrow morning we will play the Nashville Country Club.

First Tee/Sweetheart Loop

Golf is a lot more fun when none of, rather than all of, your shots land 30 yards left of the green. I hit a bucket of balls, and then played a loop of the First Tee par-3 course, hitting balls from the boys' and girls' tees. I played each in six-over 33. I had 1 birdie, 5 pars, 11 bogeys, and 1 double. I used 37 putts.

I just walked in from walking and jogging the Sweetheart Loop in 37:30. It is 97. Fuck.

Busch Stadium/Levy Loop/Fort Roots

ST. LOUIS — Last evening I walked for about 35 minutes over much of Busch Stadium, after losing $40 at Fairmount Park in Collinsville, Ill., and before watching the Cardinals defeat Philadelphia, 7-1.

Today, starting at about 1:15 p.m. Central, I jogged and walked the Levy Loop in 28:05. It is 95 degrees, with a RealFeel® of 105. This evening I might introduce my new Ben Hogan swing to the Fort Roots two-man, Wednesday night scramble.

It took me a few holes. A big, friendly guy named Jimmy and I scored a quadruple bogey on No. 9, our first hole at Fort Roots. I can't explain it. We played our last holes in five-over; so, the first hole in four-over, and the final eight in a total of five-over. Overall, I played well, and relative to my recent 62s at First Tee, fucking great. The highlight came on No. 7, the Par 5, when we played my 260-yard drive, my 6-iron from 150 to 15 feet right of the pin, and my eagle putt that missed by a foot.

OVERHEARD

"I just paid $32 for four beers. I'd be pissed if I had to pay $32 for a fucking thirty-pack."

—young man at Busch Stadium before the St. Louis Cardinals' 7-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. Tim Cooper and I later saw 30-packs of Keystone and Keystone Ice on sale at a minimart for $13.99

Levy Loop

This was a funny way of pushing it, which I haven't done in a while; I alternated four-minute walks with one-minute jogs and runs, with a walking start, to complete the Levy Loop this morning. I went through a mile in roughly 13:40. It included two jogs. Then I decided to try to break 26 minutes. I walked faster and ran to finish the loop in 25:51, with five minutes of jogs and runs.

Hash

It was 97 with a heat index of a million six for Basil Julian's Hash run this afternoon, set in Burns Park. I was out for 48 minutes and probably covered a little more than three miles.

Chandler Street Loop

To celebrate the Reds' 8-1 victory over Colorado, I jogged and walked the Chandler Street Loop tonight in 37:28, with splits of 12:21, 12:56, and 12:11.

First Tee/Orange Street Loop

After the second of consecutive nines of 62, I decided to start over from scratch. First, I reread Ben Hogan's Five Lessons. I changed back to his grip, except I still interlock. But what stood out most was on Page 48, with a drawing on 49: "Keep the elbows and arms as close together as possible through the entire swing."

Doing that felt fucked up Wednesday; nevertheless, I seemed to be making solid contact into the backyard net. Yesterday it felt a little more comfortable.

I played nine holes at First Tee this morning in 47, with 3 pars, 3 bogeys, 1 double, and 2 triples. I used 20 putts, including four three-putts. I hit four greens in regulation, but three putted two of them for bogey. I hit my drives and irons straight. I'm tickled, at least temporarily.

It's 9:33 p.m. Central, and 90 degrees. Fuck. I walked and jogged the Orange Street Loop in 42:07.

OVERHEARD

"Been golfing, or swimming?"
—woman to me, when I walked out of the First Tee clubhouse drenched from hair to feet

Levy Loop

I walked and jogged the Levy Loop this morning in 28:18.

Ghetto Cat Loop

This is more like it. This is what I fucking signed up for when I moved to Levy; at 12:13 p.m. Central, it's 93 with a RealFeel® of 109. I walked and jogged the Ghetto Cat Loop at noon in 26:38, and am currently on my couch in a lather.

First Tee/Levy Loop

I walked the Levy Loop this evening, in 34:17, after I returned from nine holes at First Tee, played in 62 with Randall Hunhoff. Again, I played awful. I scored a 62, again, with 5 double bogeys, 1 triple, 2 quadruples, and 1 pentagonal. I used 17 putts.

Now I will cheer for the National League in the All-Star Game; an NL victory is critical this season, since it will give the Reds home-field advantage in the World Series.

T Highway

VAN BUREN, Mo. — I walked and jogged out and back for two miles on T Highway, from Richard's farm to the end of the black top, Sunday morning and this morning, in 27:07 and 26:48. Today's run was in honor of Na Yeon "Big Apple" Choi, who tied for second at the U.S. Women's Open.

38th Street Loop

I walked and jogged the 38th Street Loop this morning in 27:45.

35th Street Loop

At 3:44 p.m. Central, it is 82 with light rain in Levy. I walked and jogged the 35th Street Loop in 49:17 to celebrate.

Levy Loop/Ridge Road Loop

Last night I walked the Levy Loop in 30:19. This evening, after losing $39.60 at Oaklawn Park and watching the Reds lose 4-3 in 12 innings at Philadelphia, I jogged, about 10 minutes, and walked the Ridge Road Loop in 54:33.

Levy Loop/First Tee

I walked and jogged the Levy Loop in 26:00 this morning, and played nine holes at First Tee this afternoon in 62. I had 1 par, 3 bogies, 1 double, 3 quadruples, and 1 nonagonal (a 14 on the par-5 eighth). It was hot and humid and I was soaked, but still, that doesn't explain why I finished with scores of 8, 14, and 7. I suck. That explains it.

Sweetheart Loop

After the Reds took a 7-1, fifth-inning lead over the New York Mets. I jogged and walked the Sweetheart Loop in 34:07. The Reds won, 8-6.

38th Street Loop/Hash

Yesterday morning I walked the 38th Street Loop in 30:23, and then spent two hours working on my yard. This morning I set the Milwaukee's Best Light Firecracker Fast 4K. Let's see; Jeff Thostenson won the men's race in 17:26, and Lacey Kelley won the women's race in 26:36. I am pleased to report that Na Yeon Choi birdied the last hole of regulation to make a four-woman, sudden-death playoff in the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic, presented by Kroger, which she won on the second hole, and that the Reds beat the Cubs 14-3.

35th Street Loop

This was a good day; Cincinnati beat the Cubs 12-0, Na Yeon Choi took a two-stroke lead at -11 in the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic (an ideal way for Na Yeon to warmup for next week's US Open, exactly a year after I began to fall head over feet for her*), I won $77.60 at Louisiana Downs on a trip with Tim Cooper, and I jogged the 35th Street Loop non-stop, significant considering my recent form, in 41:40, with splits of 10:42, 10:18, 10:20, and 10:20, and felt good, fueled by chicken thighs and French fries from the race track.

*check lpga.com. Na Yeon's its cover girl

First Tee/Sweetheart Loop

I was a double-bogey freak today. That's all I could do. Except on two greens hit in regulation, when I three-putted for bogey. And on two greens when I three putted for triple. Fuck. Playing with Randall Hunhoff, I scored 54 with 2 bogies, 5 doubles, and 2 triples. I used 22 putts. I pitched well. I will not play again until Tuesday.

Travis Wood, from Bryant, in his first Major League game, gave up two runs and allowed five base runners in seven innings for the Reds in their 3-2, 10th-inning victory at Wrigley Field. Then St. Louis lost to Milwaukee to fall 1.5 games behind Cincinnati; then I walked the Sweetheart Loop in 46:14.