POSTCARDS FROM EUROPE- GERMANY

TEEING OFF IN MUNICH

HypoVereinsbank Ladies German Open,

Golfpark Gut Hauser, Munich, Germany
May 18th – 25th, 2009

The business of being on the road for an extended time is dirty business. Quite literally dirty…and smelly…and full of having strangers see your unmentionables. Monday morning, the crew had only one thing on our collective mind. Where in this town can we do our laundry? It took a few inquiries but we didn’t waste much time finding the answer. Nowhere in Dachau. Our best bet was a little place half-mile from the train station in Moosah, which was five stops and a train change away. Off we went with an extra-large duffel bag full of dirty clothes. A rogue shopping cart found on the street corner was both practical and hilarious. Can you picture me jumping on the back of the cart at top speed and racing down the streets? It was only the beginning of a fantastic ride through Germany.

Not that we always knew where we were going, which begs the question, what do you do when you find yourself in a place that isn’t the place you expected to be? First, figure out where you are (some random, excellent Thai place near Karlsplatz station that we happened to stumble upon). Second, figure you where you want to be (the Player’s Party at Pacha in central Munich). Lastly figure out how you’re going to get yourself from point A to point B. It was this last question which divided us. Anyone up for an Amazing Race, Munich style? Gregg and Ben thought they could manage the subway system faster than traversing the cityscape on foot. Ha! If only they knew the experience with which I traveled this stretch of pavement before. Well kind of, but really I would gladly sacrifice a few minutes of my time and a few miles underfoot to soak up the energy of Munich rather then go underground. As dusk fell to darkness, the golden glow of Munich rose and blanketed the air with its warmth. Some cities are scary; Munich is not, not even in the corner of darkness or alone on a deserted street. While Dana’s gaze was fixed to her Blackberry’s Google Maps and our feet walked briskly along our course, my mind was quiet and my soul content. When I think of Munich, this is what I feel. This is my Munich.

Munich is not the only attraction in this area. The southern part of Germany, which includes the aforementioned towns of Dachau and Moosah as well as Munich, is known as Bavaria. And Bavaria is known for its outdoor beer gardens. What, you want me to attended a Welcome Party at a local Bavarian beer garden? The sun was still warm and glistening gently through the trees when we arrived. Rows of picnic tables were lined up in ranks easily measuring twenty feet. White linens with baskets of bread and soft pretzels were already waiting for us as were Dana and Gregg who had found seats for the four of us. An accordion player provided most of the night’s soundtrack with bits of conversation and laughter adding to the melody. The atmosphere was warm and jovial. Needless to say the weissbeer was flowing too.

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At first thought I can think of no straight hole on Golfpark Gut Hauser, a fairly recent addition to the German golfing scene and closer to the cow pastures than civilization. The architect must have been a man who favored the countryside and sharp turns of the ball. A hard slice off the 2nd, a duck hook off the 6th, and you can mark two fairways hit on your stats sheet. The par-4 7th can be feast or famine for players, as it is 90 degree dog-leg left with an uphill approach shot to a narrow green. Short (or safe) hitters are better off to hit 3-wood right of the dog-leg and play a lengthy second up to the green. Long (or crazy) players pull driver, aim over the corn field, and look forward to a flip wedge to the green. If they hit it left, they are reaching in their bag for another Titleist, as the farmer’s fields are out-of-bounds to golfers. A little wacky, kind of like the Germans.

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Have you ever made a Bucket List? You know it from the movie by the same name. A list of all the things that you want to experience before you kick the bucket? It’s something I was pondering a little this week. What is left on my Bucket List? Maybe it was Dana’s desire to stand under a waterfall before she died and I could think of nothing cooler to out-do her that got me thinking, I don’t know. But there was this one thing.

It was early Saturday morning as I was stroking a few short putts on the putting green and getting warmed-up for my round. The sun was out, the breeze calm and I had just pounded down a chocolate croissant and two cups of coffee which left me with little else to desire. My ears twitched and my next putt hit the lip. “Football (aka soccer), 2:30 this afternoon, Laura go,” just bits of conversation evidently involving me. It seemed surreal as Michael, one of the blue-eyed, blonde hair, HypoVereinsbank promoters offered me a VIP ticket to see FC Bayern Munich v. Stuttgart with a select group of players that afternoon. I have found that “Yes” in English means the same as “Yes” in German. The roar from the 69,000 person crowd when you walked into the stadium was out of this world. The decibels rose to a sheer shriek that pierces your eardrum so completely you can’t tell where it’s coming from, it just consumes. I’ve heard it a few times at concerts in smaller, more confined venues. This was the real deal. Real football fans in the flesh, with real me, watching a proper football match. Cross that one off my list.

The organizers in Germany I dare say, hands down, put on the best tournament for a girl who values her cultural experiences and interactions as least as much as if not more than the golf. My week was full of them. For as much as I’ve shared, I’ve kept as many in my pocket.

If you actually are interested in the golf, check out the website, www.ladieseuropeantour.com, to follow my progress and my scorecards. It appears writing about my golfing exploits is not one of my strong suits. If anything really good happens I’ll let you know but having a bit of fun, making the cut, and earning a small paycheck doesn’t seem very remarkable to me when compared to the rest of it. At least in my humble opinion.