Golf in Thin Air

Playing golf at the Lake Tahoe Golf Course recently, I hit what was for me a most impressive shot: a 270-yard drive with a 3-wood. Even with a bit of wind behind me and the thin air at 6200' above sea level, I was quite proud. I hit my wedge to the middle of the green and two-putted for par.

Then, a few holes later, after making a double bogey, I decided to re-attempt the shot that had put me into trouble and caused the extra strokes. I looked back down the fairway to make sure no one was approaching, but the next group was still back at the tee, 390 yards away. I swung the sand wedge, connected cleanly and executed the shot that WOULD have likely saved my par had I been able to do it properly when it counted. I walked onto the green, and as I was bending over to collect my ball, I heard a gentle thump behind me and turned to see a golf ball coming to rest, pin-high, just in the fringe of the green. One of the golfers had just struck an almost 400-yard drive, directly on line. Suddenly my 270-yard 3-wood didn't seem like all that big of a deal anymore.