Feb/Mar 2006 - Texas Golf
After "suffering" through the only cold snap of the winter, about 10 days of "January" weather in mid-Feb, we headed south for our annual golf trip to Texas.
We left MN and traveled to see our friends, the Northups, in Mound City, MO. Spent the night with Russ and Rita and then on March 1, drove further south where we spent a couple nights at Big Cedar Wilderness Lodge in Ridgedale, MO, just south of Branson. Cathy and Norm Durflinger met us there as they were heading to TX to celebrate Norm's brother's 50th birthday. While there, they were "induced" to buy into the Blue Green Vacation Club. (It is great to spend some of Durflinger's money for a change!!)
On Friday the 3rd, we headed for Edmond, OK (and Durfs headed for Houston) and spent the night with friends, Doug and Dolores McNiven. After dinner at a Middle Eastern restaurant, we went back to the house and watched a Jeff Daniel film, Escanaba in da Moonlight. This story of deer hunting in the UP (Upper Peninsula of Michigan) was written, directed and starred in by Daniels, and relates the ritual of the annual deer hunt. If anyone is a participant in any hunting for fishing "trip" of a repetitive nature, a viewing is highly recommneded. (Alert: there are certain referenced to bodily activities and functions amongst the humor. AND, it does get wierd at a point about 1/3 through the DVD.)
Saturday about 6 pm, after stops at the Nut House in Norman, OK and the Collin Street Bakery in some town in TX, we arrived at Walden on Lake Conroe and our time share.
Sunday morning we hooked up with a couple guys and played 18 holes. As I was making t-times for the next few days, they stopped by the desk and said they were going out again for a second round in about an hour, and invited us to join them. Joan declined, Paul didn't.
Monday we awoke to another great day of sunshine and temps in the low 80s. This is the first time in our four or five years coming here that we have not had a lot of rain. As a result, not only can we drive the golf cart on the fairways, but there is actually some roll on the ball. This is great when one needs all the help one can get to shoot a decent score. We played another 18 holes in the morning, finishing just after the Durfs arrived from Houston to spend the night.
Monday afternoon we drove to Spring, TX, where, unfortunately, the stores were all closed on Monday (sob!). So, to make up for this we went back north of Conroe to the outlet mall and spend a few hours. After supper at Big Bertha's, a joint just up the road from the condo, we watche the Wedding Crashers.
Tues am, Durfs headed back to IL and we played golf again at Walden. We hooked up with another couple from Minneapolis who have bought a lot on the golf course and will build when they are retired.
We found out after arriving this time that the agreement the time share company had with the golf course was termined at the end of last year. However, since our maintenance fees on the time share include free golf, the club was allowing owners to play the course for guest fees. Talking with the folks we had been playing with up to now, we also found time share owners were being offered a non-resident membership with no initiation fee, if interested. Since our cost to play had gone from $25 to $120 per round, I was interested in at least the concept of the non-resident membership. However, since we are (currently at least) only here for a couple weeks in Feb/March, it would have to be a great offer to make it worthwhile.
When I discussed the situation with the time share manager, she said they were making t-times at other local course, again at least for this year, where we could play for free (as it was in the past.)
Wednesday we tried one of those other courses.
We left MN and traveled to see our friends, the Northups, in Mound City, MO. Spent the night with Russ and Rita and then on March 1, drove further south where we spent a couple nights at Big Cedar Wilderness Lodge in Ridgedale, MO, just south of Branson. Cathy and Norm Durflinger met us there as they were heading to TX to celebrate Norm's brother's 50th birthday. While there, they were "induced" to buy into the Blue Green Vacation Club. (It is great to spend some of Durflinger's money for a change!!)
On Friday the 3rd, we headed for Edmond, OK (and Durfs headed for Houston) and spent the night with friends, Doug and Dolores McNiven. After dinner at a Middle Eastern restaurant, we went back to the house and watched a Jeff Daniel film, Escanaba in da Moonlight. This story of deer hunting in the UP (Upper Peninsula of Michigan) was written, directed and starred in by Daniels, and relates the ritual of the annual deer hunt. If anyone is a participant in any hunting for fishing "trip" of a repetitive nature, a viewing is highly recommneded. (Alert: there are certain referenced to bodily activities and functions amongst the humor. AND, it does get wierd at a point about 1/3 through the DVD.)
Saturday about 6 pm, after stops at the Nut House in Norman, OK and the Collin Street Bakery in some town in TX, we arrived at Walden on Lake Conroe and our time share.
Sunday morning we hooked up with a couple guys and played 18 holes. As I was making t-times for the next few days, they stopped by the desk and said they were going out again for a second round in about an hour, and invited us to join them. Joan declined, Paul didn't.
Monday we awoke to another great day of sunshine and temps in the low 80s. This is the first time in our four or five years coming here that we have not had a lot of rain. As a result, not only can we drive the golf cart on the fairways, but there is actually some roll on the ball. This is great when one needs all the help one can get to shoot a decent score. We played another 18 holes in the morning, finishing just after the Durfs arrived from Houston to spend the night.
Monday afternoon we drove to Spring, TX, where, unfortunately, the stores were all closed on Monday (sob!). So, to make up for this we went back north of Conroe to the outlet mall and spend a few hours. After supper at Big Bertha's, a joint just up the road from the condo, we watche the Wedding Crashers.
Tues am, Durfs headed back to IL and we played golf again at Walden. We hooked up with another couple from Minneapolis who have bought a lot on the golf course and will build when they are retired.
We found out after arriving this time that the agreement the time share company had with the golf course was termined at the end of last year. However, since our maintenance fees on the time share include free golf, the club was allowing owners to play the course for guest fees. Talking with the folks we had been playing with up to now, we also found time share owners were being offered a non-resident membership with no initiation fee, if interested. Since our cost to play had gone from $25 to $120 per round, I was interested in at least the concept of the non-resident membership. However, since we are (currently at least) only here for a couple weeks in Feb/March, it would have to be a great offer to make it worthwhile.
When I discussed the situation with the time share manager, she said they were making t-times at other local course, again at least for this year, where we could play for free (as it was in the past.)
Wednesday we tried one of those other courses.
posted by Paul and Joan at 2:52 PM
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