WHERE PRAYERS ARE NOT ANSWERED

Well, this a story about golf. It's true. It happened in the 70's. To me. And it involves death.

But first, friend Virgil sent me an e-mail yesterday with a Rev. Billy Graham quote. He said,"The golf course is the only place I never experienced answered prayer." My story is about answered prayer. Perhaps.

Indian Hills in MTV is where I grew up playing golf. I say grew up, but I was 20 years old before I ever played a round. At Homestead in MTV. But most of my golf for 12 years was played at the Hills.

There seemed to be a very stubborn mole on the tee box of number 2. He had done damage other places, but this day he was on 2 just outside the mole trap that was set to the right of the tee box. Playing with my buddy Bob Noel, I had an 8 iron in hand due to a western wind in my face on a short par 3. While waiting to it, I saw movement directly in line with the tee markers.

Armed with my eight iron, I hit down hard into the ground. I flipped my club over and lifted some turf. Sure enough, the result was one dead mole. I left him there for all to see. I announced to Mr. Noel, "Look, a mole in one." I don't remember my tee shot after that, but it didn't go in the hole. Probably not even on the green.

There were no plaques, no bronzed club, no marker to indicate the spot, the date, the athletic achievement. In fact, that same club spent a Winter in the brush off the rough on Number 12 after a chili dipped shot on Number 11 a few years later. But that's for another entry, another time.