Disc Golf at Pender Island

Saturday broke cool and clear. Pat and I had arranged to have coffee at his place before eight, then head off for Pender, to catch the 9:45 ferry. We got there, waited for a while, then boarded ship and sailed. A better day could not have been requested: water was calm, the air was cool, the sun bright, and the islands just sparkling.

It’s a short trip over to the Otter Bay, about 35 minutes. And we were on our way. First stop was in the plaza along the way, a pretty modern place with a books tore, a few clothing places, a grocery, a gas station (which Pat informs me sells discs). We went to eat at Jo’s Place, where they sere up hearty fare with a smile, and good cooking. By the end of that, it was almost 11:00.

Then off to the golf course for a round of 27 holes! I admit I was a bit concerned that my old knees wouldn’t do it, but then I realized that the holes were only a few hundred yards long. And Pat was a great teacher. He was gentle, constantly positive, and supportive. 

The first nine were sort of a practice round. On the second or third, I almost stopped the day, by slipping on a moist bit of rock and coming down hard on my back onto a rock. It literally knocked the breath out of me, so I could not breathe for about 20 seconds (it felt longer). But I had landed perfectly: straight onto the flat rock, flat onto my back. It would have been nicer not to have fallen, but this was okay. We went on, and I even succeeded in getting a few birdies.

So we did the 27 holes, me with very little skill, and a bit of back pain, but lots of enthusiasm. Worked up a thirst, and we decided to go to the pub at Port Browning. This was a short drive, and a beautiful spot. We walked the beach for a while, stared at the water, and finally went for our beer.

Then back to the ferry and on home. Because of the marathon, we had decided to drop off the car Saturday evening, so it was after dark when we got home to Pat’s place. After a left-overs supper that was pretty darn good, we talked a bit and cleaned up. I was going to sleep on his floor, so had to get the air mattress and sleeping bag set up. I was coming down with a cold, so I wanted to go to bed early. Pt went out to a friends while I settled into bed. I slept my last night there hearing the sounds of a Saturday night, and the preparations for a Sunday marathon.