Five Pars and Two Eagles

Above: Out of bounds at Pagago.
The fifth hole at Papago Golf Course saves the best for last. The hole is a standard par four; a good drive leaves you with @ 150 yards to the hole. The green is a beauty. It’s lies 50 feet above your second shot with all of the rise coming within 15 yards of the green. As you stand in the fairway the green looks like a lazy letter J with the hook of the J in the left-front side of the green. The stem of the J, is the center and right side of the green, which is narrow and is protected by two large, deep bunkers. Pin placements are as follows: a front pin is in the hook of the J in the left front. The bunkers aren’t in play unless you push your shot to the right. The back and middle pins are in the stem of the J and dare you to fly the large, deep bunkers. The green rolls and pitches. There are few, if any, straight, flat putts.

Yesterday’s pin placement was a middle pin. The pin was placed farther left than normal so a player who drove far right had to fly the bunkers. I hit the green with my second shot, a rarity regardless of where the pin is placed, and strolled confidently toward my putt. Rain during the night and week left course wet and the grass thick and clutching. The air was ripe with dew and had the consistency of a damp sponge.

Climbing the hill and reaching the green, I heard the piercing cry of a raptor. I looked up to see two, very large, golden brown beauties land in a eucalyptus tree. They squabbled over position on the tree and then they settled nicely on branches once the seating order was established.

I stood over my birdie put and hit what can only be described as a miserable putt. While walking toward my second put I looked up and saw that one of the birds had drawn a bead on something near the green. I stood over my second put and stroked a second putt that was equal to or less than the quality of the first. In an act of mercy toward me, playing partners gave me the third and so I picked up and headed toward the back of the green grumbling about my bogey.

As I am walking toward the back of the green, the large golden brown bird flashes by and lands on top of the jackrabbit that was grazing not ten yards from where I stood. Talons raised, the great brown bird either didn’t have enough speed, misjudged the size of the jack, or the jack did a quick two-step because the jack got away. Great bird stood there, incredulous, with me 10 yards away.

Great bird was bigger than I first figured. It’s head was the size of a tennis ball. It’s stood regal and fearless. I said to my playing partners, “boys we’ve got a golden eagle here." Great bird, now eagle, wasn’t interested in me. He was standing on the ground looking through the creosote. Jack made a sudden move. Eagle took off and never rose 10 feet off the ground, he dove between to bushes and this time he didn’t miss. Jack was for breakfast.