Leaving Lakin and headed to Garden City should have been 25 miles allowing plenty of time for 18 holes at Buffalo Dunes. I have been looking forward to this course for a while.
Remember in the last post where I explained I was willing to forego the reliability of a known bike route for golf? Well I got neither. I have been telling tales of misfortune since day 3 so I won’t belabor the day but for thoroughness, here goes.
It rained all night, ruining the “gravel” actually sandy clay roads. There was a stiff breeze that seemed to always be in my face no matter what direction I went. Even when I turned around and back tracked. Oh yeah I had to backtrack twice due to a private road (yes again) and a road that did not exist. At mile 40 (remember it was supposed to be 25?) I came to a bridge that was closed and the detour meant it was 15 more miles to the course. Did I mention it got to over 100 degrees? I have gotten used to riding in the heat but the difference between 95 and 105 is massive. Call me soft but I gave up. I would have hurt myself getting to and playing golf. More importantly I would not have enjoyed it. I learned today that Buffalo Dunes is under renovation and 4 or more holes are closed. This softened the disappointment and means I will just have to come back and see it when the renovation is complete.
Dejected and truly struggling physically, I limped my way to my motel. I was angry, dejected, and concerned about the rest of Kansas. Thanks Jason and Traci for taking my calls, listening to me, and cheering me up.
Today was totally different. Easy peasy riding for 50 miles to Dodge city and Mariah Hills golf course. This place is great. Set on rolling terrain it lives up to its name. Every hole had some vertical relief but never anything cartoonish. Several holes do however require you to land in the fairway and roll down hill (this course is long). The first cut of rough is like Velcro. Land there and not only will you be robbed of any roll out but you will also lose a stroke just getting back into the fairway. The greens were fast but true. Not much in the way of hazards. No water on the back nine (the front was full of the women’s Junior College team’s practice) and only a handful of bunkers that thankfully I did not visit. They had ice cold water at several locations and a well placed restroom that would allow you to visit several times during a full round. They have a full restaurant, a nice pro shop with the friendliest staff, and room to hold tournament events. I look forward to the opportunity to come back and play the whole course some time.
Oh yeah, two pars and several good iron shots. Putting is still objectionable.