Date: July 21, 2007
Sport: Long Drive Golf
Location: Lancaster, Pennsylvania
It was a beautiful day at the Overlook Driving Range located between Lititz and Fruitville Pike in Lancaster, Pa. Here, I competed in a LDA Tournament (Long Drivers of America).
Long Drivers of America is sponsored by Re–Max. The object of this sport is to register your longest drive. Each golfer is given 6 balls to register a drive, which must end in a grid. The grid starts at 270 yards and measures 40 yards wide.
After plucking down 2 Andrew Jackson’s for entry into the contest, I warmed up using my SMT 455 grooveless driver, made for long drive.While practicing, I noticed the fairway was dry and decided to go with a lower trajectory shot, which would roll further. After hitting 40 plus balls, I hear my name called to report to the tee box. Here, we go.
In today’s competition, golfers were paired, each alternating tries. OK, my turn. OB – left. OB means out of bounds. That’s not good. Again, OB. Come on Scott, I tell myself. Finally, on my fifth try, I connected for a 295 yarder. Not bad. But, not long enough.
I leave the facility and have lunch with 2 friends I’m visiting, Scott and Mike Mancini. They ask, “Are you going again.” I know I can hit it longer. I reply, “Of course, I am.”
We come back into the park and hear the leading drive is 356 yards by Dan Osborne from Downington, PA. I throw down another $40 and here we go again. This time, on my second hit, I scorched a medium trajectory shot that worked its way left to right coming to a halt in the grid at 323 yards. That’s more like it. My all – time high.
Although, I fell short of qualifying by 33 yards to move onto the districts, I leave with a sense that I can compete. I’ll work on my swing over the winter to gain more clubhead speed and come back in 2008 with the goal of making it to the next level of competition.
To learn more about the sport of long drive golf and how to enter,go to (www.longdrivers.com).