On this opportunity, Lance and his friends, Adam and Nicholas, from Texas not only hunted with Pointer but also played golf.

As they were staying at La Loma Lodge, a driver was arranged to pick them up at 9:30 and 30 minutes later they were at “La Paz” golf course. A beautiful and new course situated at Jesus Maria city, just a few miles from where the guys were hunting those days. La Paz is a traditional Argentinian Estancia of more the 500 hectares which were owned by Julio Argentina Roca, twice president of Argentina at the end of the nineteenth century. The Estancia includes dwellings, polo fields,  stables, football pitches, tennis courts, fishing lakes and,  of course, a golf course. I got there by 9:15 am and when the guys arrived by 10 we were all set and anxious for a great sunny and funny day at one of the nicest golf course in the country. 

We decided to play a Four-Ball/ Match Play (best ball). So basically, the team who wins more holes is the winner. Is not per strokes. Once we checked the golf cars had enough beers, sandwiches, and snacks we went to the hole one tee. Lance was going to play with Adam while I was doing team with Nick. The first tee is a par 4 and Lance was the first one. It was a good shoot but it went a little to the right. Adam headed straight but shorter. Nick explode his driver in a sweet straight line and I did a short iron hook. So the guys played Lance ball and we played Nick’s. We ended up winning the first hole. 

The second hole is a par 3. I was at the flag distance but again, I went to the left outside the green. But one more time we used Nick’s ball. He didn’t make a clean contact but that doesn’t matter when the ball is on the green just a few feet from the hole. Adam & Lance made a good shot but a little right from the green. 2 shoots after we were 2 holes up.

The third hole is a nice and not an easy par 4 where Lance killed his ball with the driver setting their second shot from a very good distance to the flag. The guys won that hole. 

We were already getting out of beers so after calling Franco (the guy in charge at the course) a lady came two holes later in a golf car full of beers and more snacks. This was at hole 5. We still were one up with Nick. But Lance was getting better and better hole after hole. And the thing was that when he had a bad shot, Adam was there leaving his ball in a very good position for them. And it was mostly because of Nick that the match ended, after the front 9 holes, only 1 up for us. I did well just for a few holes at the beginning but then I started using my hands instead of my body so all the balls were going to much to the left (hook). Anyway, that didn’t stop me from having a great day with the guys. We were playing golf among friends with cold beers and great country music, coming from Nick’s phone (we took a Bose speaker to our golf car). This was a Thursday so there were not many people at the course we could bother at that moment with the music. 

Not that I have been playing in many different courses in the country, but this one is the first course I played in winter time that even been all yellow (except for the very good looking greens of course) the fairways were in a very good shape so you can hit the ball with no problem at all. 

By hole 16 the guys were winning the match by 2 holes. So our only chance at this point was a draw, by winning hole 17 and 18. We were optimistic until Lance took the driver and did an awesome shot. There was a mark at the 17th hole for the long drive competition. And Lace killed it for like about 20 yards. Franco told me that morning that we were able to write down our names in case someone hit it farther. They usually do this at tournaments and you play it in one hole only. There is a mark with a paper on it so if you hit your ball longer from where the mark is, you just take it out and move it to where your ball is. So yes, Lance name was at the bottom of that list. Lance & Adam won the match and after a great day with the guys, the driver took them back to the lodge by 18hs. 

Juan Aguiló