Dick & Eddie are two of the best shot makers in the Midwest. Walk 18 holes with them, feel each shot,hear their conversation, and all from your favorite chair.
Two ( 2) Chapter Excerpt from:
The Dick & Eddie Stroke Play Series,
Book I, Dick & Eddie at Eagle Glen
Hole No. 1
Par 4/353 yards from the Blue Tees/330
yards from the White Tees/Handicap-11
“I saw our competition hitting balls at the range when I drove in,” Dick said as he opened the trunk of the car to get his golf bag and shoes.
“I found out a few years ago if the two of us hit balls before a round we’d never get past the eighth hole. I would’ve needed a nurse and you would’ve died,” Eddie added.
“We’re still dedicated though,” Dick insisted.
“What do you know about them, Dick?”
“A couple weeks ago I watched them play all day in the group ahead of me out here and thought I had better check their handicaps. One guy was a four and the other a six,” Dick said.
“Did they play well? Can they beat us?” Eddie asked, while scratching his head with the bill of an off-brand golf cap.
“Tom Colton has the four handicap, and Lou Slagle the six, and both generally play to their handicaps. Colton was smooth and easy going, Slagle, hot-tempered and quick to rile. Slagle could be the better of the two except for his nature. King Lear with a golf club. The only thing he’s ever killed was the ground or one of his clubs. Slagle has been medalist in the men’s city tournament on more than one occasion, but nonetheless, he choked when the matches got under way, particularly when things heated up. Colton was unfailingly cool and collected. He won the city tournament twice and could be a calming influence on Slagle when he recognized Slagle’s growing impatience. Sometimes Slagle erupted without warning, and during a quick eruption, Colton couldn’t consistently calm him down. The guy was an enigma. They’ll beat themselves,” Dick responded, a glimmer of hope in his eye.
“Well, they’ll be loose and have no excuses,” Eddie replied, while he adjusted his golf cap, then hitched up his slacks and finally looked toward the morning’s beautiful, sea blue sky.
Dick loved people like Slagle, since they were wonderful targets for his subtle routines.
I’m Stewart Averal Quigley and I’ve been friendly with both Dick and Eddie for over twenty-five years and that makes me the logical choice to tell you about this round. I probably know their games as well as any man alive, and on this particular day, guess who was caddying for Dick? That’s right! Watching every shot and putt, and privy to most conversations, the chore provided all the ammunition I needed to pass this story along to you. This was not the first time folks had heard from me about a round with Dick and Eddie.
Golf has always been one of the most complex, individual sports on the planet.
Through the years new players had described golf in numerous ways: They’re surprised at the difficulty involved; they’re baffled by forever repeating the same mistakes and amazed at the precision, concentration, rhythm and focus needed; most were filled with anticipation at the thought of their next rounds.
One-moment golfers were pleased with the direction their games had taken and the next they were frustrated and upset over a dumb shot, to the point of having nearly walked off the course.
Following a round they go home and analyze each hole. By the time they’ve finished, they’re ready to play another round, vowed never to repeat those lousy swings, dropped shoulders and short putts. The game had them hooked.
Anyone who’s never played golf, and only watched it played on TV, can imagine it simple to master. After all, the pros make it look as easy as riding a bicycle. One steps up to the ball and hits it forward. It’s all a matter of repetition. Well, nothing could be further from the truth. A few people acquire the skills more quickly than others but learning to play the game takes years. Dick had a mantra;
“Mastering the game of golf can’t be done. No one has ever been able to do it.”
He adds,
“I will say a man or woman can come close to mastering a particular feature of the game.”
Golf demands complete concentration, exact timing, coordinated movement of various parts of the body, and the focus, rhythm and physical skill to put all of those attributes together without actually thinking about them as you play. Dick had always said, “above all else, to play good golf, you must keep your eye on the ball.
“Only you can stop you from being the best you can be,” Dick says with certainty.
The summer before, Dick and Eddie were resting at the 19th hole having a couple of iced teas at a course called Deer Valley. They overheard two gentlemen discussing their invincibility. The “Slick Brothers,” they called them, were telling two other guys how they’d suckered a couple fellas by playing mind games all the way around the course.
“Those two guys were fresh to have fallen for the double talk they were being handed,” Dick declared.
Shortly after the two chumps left the table, Dick and Eddie wandered over and struck up a conversation. The routine was generally the same every time one of these situations came up. When Dick finished with those guys (their names were Paul and Wayne), they begged Dick and Eddie for a game, as if it were their own idea all along. Eddie, meanwhile, playing the devil’s advocate, wasn’t sure if the game should take place.
They played two weeks later and Dick and Eddie beat them by eight strokes. They saw neither hide nor hair of them again. Â Â Â Â Â
 “Today reminds me of the time we whipped those two lads up at Hawk Bluff Golf and Country Club. They were stunned, didn’t expect to be beaten by the likes of us,” Eddie replied.
A creek crossed in front of the tee on the first hole, before getting to the fairway. The fairway doglegged left at about the 150-yard marker, and the creek crossed the fairway again twenty yards from and directly in line with the green. The pear shaped green sloped from back to front. The hole had no traps, but from the back of the green to the property lines was only fifteen yards. Austrian Pines growing on the course guarded the homes and made shots in or around them difficult. There were openings between the trees, but any shot from the area must be hit low and running. A mis-hit could leave you halfway to the green, and a ball hit too hard caused you to run through the green into the light rough guarding the front side of the green, coming up from the creek.
A few long hitters, right and left handed, have hit tee shots over the creek and into the light rough between the creek and the green, but most don’t attempt the shot; mis-hit balls go into the creek, duck hook, or fade left into a groundskeeper’s equipment barn.
Dick asked, “Are you gentlemen ready to conduct business?”
Tom Colton and Lou Slagle looked at Dick with half grins on their faces.
Tom stepped up to the tee with a six iron in his hand; his favorite shot off the first tee. He made a smooth take away and shoulder turn, and his transition move at the top was well executed. His move down and through the ball, initiated by his snapping left hip toward the target, provided good acceleration at impact. The ball landed on the right side of the fairway, inside the 150-yard marker.
“He uses those cord grips, Eddie. I have never liked the feel of them,” Dick remarked quietly to Eddie while shaking his head.
“I’ve tried them at golf discount places. They sting my hands,” Eddie remarked, scratching his head with the bill of his cap.
Dick looked at Lou who had been at the back of the tee; Slagle walked forward to tee up his ball.
“Eddie, Slagle has continually re-adjusted his grip. He’s unsure of how to hit the shot,” Dick said with a curious look.
Lou’s address was a bit awkward. He bent his knees and could not decide where to place the ball in his stance. He took a couple practice swings and addressed the ball again. He set up with the ball in the center of his stance.
 “I hope he doesn’t play every shot the same way,” Eddie remarked quietly to Dick, scratching his head with the bill of his cap, and wiping his brow.
“I love this guy,” Dick snickered to Eddie from behind his glove hand.
Eddie looked at Dick and grinned.
“Are you O.K, Lou? You’re acting jittery,” Tom asked with concern.
“I’m unable to get set,” Lou replied disgustedly.
Finally, Lou bent his knees and had a good take away. His backswing took him parallel to the target line. His downswing accelerated from the inside, and contact with the ball was perfect. His five iron carried the ball to within five yards of the creek and dead center on the fairway.
“All the grip pressure and adjustment he went through, he should’ve used his normal grip, the result would’ve been the same,” Dick remarked looking at Eddie.
“I think he’s scared of you, Dick, your reputation and all, “ Eddie suggested with a grin.
“I’ve always had pretty good luck with the five metal off this tee, Eddie.” Dick was smiling while he looked at Tom and Lou.
“Yes you have, Big Boy,” Eddie agreed while he finished wiping perspiration from his forehead with the back of his hand.
Dick’s address and take away were unique. He always set up on the left side of a tee with an open stance. His belly stuck out a bit and he compensated for it with an upright take away, and on the way down, he’d cut across the ball hitting a left to right fade. It had served him well for years. You could tell from his club selection he played from experience. The five metal powered the ball into the heart of the fairway, and it stopped short of the 150-yard marker.
“Good shot, Dick, right in the heart of the fairway,” Eddie remarked,
as Dick grinned in triumph.
“Me and you Eddie, get inside of my shot and we’re off to a good start.”
Eddie stepped up to the tee with a four iron in hand, hitched up his slacks and then teed up to the ball.
“I’m comfortable over the ball today, Dick,” Eddie said while taking an extra waggle.
Tom and Lou turned to one another and shook their heads.
“These guys have already started,” Tom told Lou with a queer grin.
Eddie had a smooth take away, his left arm stayed straight, and he made a good shoulder turn. His downswing transfer was excellent, and he drove through the ball with acceleration. The ball rose gradually with a nice draw and landed left center in the fairway about 140 yards from the green.
“Good shot Eddie,” Tom applauded.
Dick and Eddie had exchanged glances and shaken their heads by then.
They walked side by side to Dick’s ball and discussed possibilities for Dick’s next shot. He was 160 yards from the center of the green, and had to hit his five metal or take a chance on the three iron. If he choked up on the five metal, his ball would hit below and release up to the hole; he’d hit the same shot many times before. He had to hit the ball solid and decided upon the five metal.
“I’ve been lucky from here,” right Eddie?”
“Yes you have, Big Boy, it’s a joy watching you work from here.”
Dick wasted no time. He stepped up to the ball, took one practice swing and let the club do the work. The ball landed on the green and stopped 12 feet below the cup.
Tom stepped up to his ball. He was inside the 150-yard markers and decided to hit an eight iron. The wind was calm; It was the correct club choice. A clean take-away, followed by an accelerating downswing and solid contact, left his ball about five feet below the hole.
“Great shot Tom,” Dick told him happily.
“Thanks!”
Eddie stepped up to his ball. He thought about it for a moment and pulled the seven iron. He took the club away with no indication of trouble, but came through the shot with an open clubface that popped the ball up into the air. It flew the creek, but landed in the grass short of the green.
Lou was ready to hit. He had chosen a pitching wedge for the shot. He made a short backswing and punched the ball. It was mis-hit and landed two feet off the right side of the green. He wasn’t happy, but remained in control.
“I haven’t seen you mis-hit a shot for a long, long time, Lou,” Tom declared with a surprised look on his face.
“The contact didn’t feel right.”
“Forget about it, nothing we can do now,” Tom replied indifferently.
Eddie arrived at his ball prepared to chip and run a wedge up to the hole. He hitched up his slacks, took a shortened backswing and hit the ball onto the green, halfway to the hole.
“Tough luck, Eddie. You looked like me hitting the ball,” Dick told him.
“I don’t get it. Maybe I’m not concentrating.”
Lou was at his ball and had pulled his wedge. He chipped the ball to within two feet of the hole and elected to putt out for a four.
Dick was ready to putt. He’d already taken a couple practice putts. He took the putter back low and slow, rolled the ball down to within one foot of the cup, stepped up and tapped it in.
“Good putt, Bud,” Eddie told Dick while giving him thumbs up.
Eddie had a putt of 10 feet left. He took one practice putt and rolled the ball straight into the cup.
Tom was up. He took one practice putt and rolled the ball up to the cup. It lipped out, and he also registered a par on the hole.
Scores on 1:
Tom Colton-4 Lou Slagle-4 Dick Patterson-4 Eddie Caldwell-4
Hole No. 2
Par 5/552 yards from the Blue Tees/524
yards from the White Tees/Handicap-3
“Well, Eddie, we did okay. I bet they never dreamed in a million years I’d come away with net birdie on the first hole?”
“Yes! I was surprised myself. “When you put the five metal 12 feet below the hole Slagle’s eyes lit up like it was Christmas.”
“When you made a net birdie, Eddie, I thought they were going to need a tonic. It’s to bad we have to record fours on the score card.”
“May I say, with reverence, you were wonderful on the hole, Dick. Who said someone with limited skills can’t play good golf.”
“Yeah, right. Well, it’s a fool’s mouth you’re barkin from now, spoutin’ clever like you had a brain,” Dick replied with a grin, while he waved Eddie off.
“I don’t believe the banter going on between Dick and Eddie, Lou. We haven’t played with guys like this before. They switch between concentration and joking around like it’s been scripted for them.”
“I know, Tom. If these guys can play as well as we’ve heard, they go about it in a peculiar way.”
“That may be, but what the heck do you think they were doing on the first hole Lou, taking a walk in the park?”
The second hole was a long par five. The elevated tee gave an unobstructed view of the green. There was the creek to contend with again, but it was only fifteen yards from the tee and seldom came into play. The rough, on the left, ran the entire length of the fairway. It was about 10 yards wide and ran up to a fenced-in farmer’s field. On the right were a few small trees. They’ve been a bother in some games but for the most part were not in the way of advancing the ball. A player could take the ball down and outside the line of trees or up the fairway toward the green. About 30 yards from and directly in the path to the green was a mid-sized bunker with a high back. Over the backside of the green was trouble since the balls generally ran downhill. The green sloped sharply from back to front. The result was balls rolled right down to the front, or worse, off the green. Tom and Lou had the tee. Tom stepped up determined.
Tom had taken the driver from his bag and set it up when a bird flew past his face. He backed off and re-addressed the ball. The take away was suspect, but he righted the ship and the downswing looked brilliant, with tremendous acceleration. The ball landed about 275 yards off the tee, right-center in the fairway. A great shot!
“Boy, you hit the ball with authority there, Bud,” Dick cheered and patted him on the back.
“Thanks, it felt good.”
Lou fumbled with his grip and then stepped away from his ball. Tom had hit the ball too well. Lou used a bigheaded driver with no more than 9.5 degrees of loft. He addressed the ball more comfortably this time. The take away was fine but his club released too quickly, and the ball hooked and ended up 270 yards off the tee in the left rough with a poor lie.
“Well, I can remember when I couldn’t get it across the creek here, Eddie,” Dick recalled, with a peaceful look on his face.
Dick’s take away was quickly up and away and transfer to the downswing was well executed. The ball was hit flush and landed in the center of the fairway 180 yards from the tee.
“Good shot Dick,” Eddie was saying while shaking his head.
“Yeah, well struck shot Dick,” Tom agreed.
Lou shook his head.
Eddie stepped up to the tee with driver in hand.
“Be careful you do not turn it over too much, Bud,” Dick advised.
“Right, Dick, I’ll try and stay focused.”
Eddie’s take away was well executed. The downswing came from the inside out, and the ball flew down the right side of the fairway, drew toward the center and landed about 230 yards off the tee. His drives generally ended up 265 to 280 yards off the tee.
Dick was away, took out his three metal and had to hit it with everything he had. He lined up left of the target and on the downswing came across the shot. The ball flew down the left side of the fairway, worked its way back to about two inches inside the right side of the fairway, and landed in front of the 150-yard markers.
“Good shot, Dick.” Eddie said happily.
Eddie stepped up to his ball with a three metal and hitched up his slacks. He took no practice swings and hit short of the bunker, 30 yards from the center of the green.
Lou was up and the rough caused him a problem. He finally pulled out a three metal and a mis-hit shot left him in the rough about 20 yards ahead. He set up to the ball again and wasted no time. The ball landed short of the bunker 40 yards from the green. Lou smacked his club on the ground.
Tom was 277 yards from the green and 247 from the center of the bunker. There was an area of fairway 10 yards wide between the bunker and the rough on the left, and he lined up to hit a fade. His three metal take away was fine and he transferred to the downswing with a good shift. His hips fired off toward the target and the three metal came into the ball with tremendous club head speed. The ball landed where intended and he was now 20 yards from the green, with his next shot from the front and back to the left of the green.
Dick Patterson stepped up to hit, took one practice swing with his five metal, set up to the ball and nearly missed it completely. The ball rolled to a stop about five feet forward.
“Nuts! Nice shot genius,” he muttered.
He walked up to the ball, took two deep breaths, and hit a shot squarely on the face. The ball landed five feet deep on the putting surface, 15 feet left of the pin, mid-green.
“Good shot Dick,” Eddie assured him as he clapped his hands, then scratched his head with the bill of his cap.
“I had to do something after goofing up the way I did,” he responded.
Eddie pulled a wedge from his bag, stepped up to the ball and hitched up his slacks. He made a three-quarter backswing and came through the ball off balance. He bladed the shot, and it flew over the back of the green, landed in the grass, and stopped before the hillside.
Lou was 40 yards from the flag and in the center of the fairway. He took out the sand wedge and hit the shot. The ball landed five feet below the hole and backed up to the front edge of the green. His face was red as fire.
Tom was 20 yards from the flagstick. He took out a wedge and hit a low punch shot that checked up and stopped quickly 10 feet below the hole.
Lou had to get down in two to save a six and if by chance he made the first putt, so much the better. He read it for some time and then stepped up beside his ball. He rolled the ball to a stop one foot below the hole, stepped up and putted out.
Dick had a side-hill putt of 15 feet that moved with a left to right break. Hit firmly, it had a good chance to go in the cup. He took his normal two practice putts, relaxed and putted the ball to within one foot of the cup. He could not believe the good roll. Eddie gave him thumbs up as Dick quietly walked up and putted out.
Tom’s putt read straight up the hill, with no break. He made a good stroke, and the ball rolled true but stopped on the edge of the hole. He tapped the ball in the hole.
“Tough break Tom, it should have fallen in the hole,” Eddie remarked to him.
He glanced at Dick, who was shaking his head in agreement.
Eddie was ready and chipped downhill to a pin cut in the center of the green. He had too much speed and the ball rolled down to the front of the green. He looked directly at Dick, walked down to his ball, set up, and then rolled the follow up putt to a spot eight inches below the hole. He walked up and tapped the ball into the center of the cup.
Scores on 2:
Tom Colton-5 Lou Slagle-6 Dick Patterson-6 Eddie Caldwell-6
Read more about The Dick & Eddie Stroke Play Series and Dan De Ment HERE.
Copyright 2008 Dan De Ment. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.
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