Another Par 5 for Another Birdie Try? Thistle Do: “Breaking Par with Charlie Rymer” Episode 42
Fresh off snapping his lengthy par streak with a breakthrough performance at Oyster Day, Charlie’s got another par 5 in his quest to start a red-number streak – this one on the 4th hole of the Stewart nine at Thistle Golf Club in Sunset Beach, N.C. Tune in to see if “The Big Timer” can make it back-to-back birdies!
Charlie:
Cancer knocked me down, but not out. Now, I’m cancer free. The recovery? It’s been tough. I’ll need patience, a lot of humor …
(Did I mention I made birdie there?)
… And support from friends and family. Over the last two years, I haven’t played much golf, but there’s no better place to get back in the game than on 66 courses in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. We’re keeping score, but just teeing it up means I’ve already won!
(You go Google “perfect,” and see if that shot doesn’t come up right there!)
Join me on my journey to break par!
Take a look at this one, another par five and another big test as we wrap around a big lake. The fairways are wide but if we’re willing to challenge the water and the dog leg, we just might be able to get it home in two. Either way, you don’t want to get pinned up against the walls of those stack side bunkers on your approach.
Today we’re at Sunset Beach, North Carolina, just above that North Carolina, South Carolina line. We’re very close to Calabash, one of my favorite places. I love those fried baby shrimp they got there. And another one of my favorite golf courses, this is Thistle Golf Club. It’s a 27 hole facility. It’s absolutely spectacular. Clubhouse is magnificent. The staff is as friendly as they can be and they take great pride in this golf course. It is always in wonderful shape.
Now, this golf course, it’s a lot of fun to play. As you can see, there’s some great scenery here. It has a Scottish heritage so you’ll see a lot of revetted face bunkers around the golf course. You don’t want to get up real close to one of those edges. Maybe not as hard to get out of there as you might think but still, they have a wonderful look.
This is a fourth hole. It’s a par five they tell me, it’s a par five. I’m going to see if I can get home in two. Obviously, I got to keep it somewhere left of the water. Let’s see what we got. Yeah. That’ll do right there. Did y’all get that one? That’s deep, right down the middle. Little baby cut. Yes, sir. We’re off to a good start here.
I love coming out here to Thistle. It’s actually an emotional place for me to come to, a longtime golf professional here was a dear friend. I’d known him since I was probably 15-years-old, Gene Weldon. Gene passed a few years ago, cancer got him. His brother, Eddie Weldon, was my golf coach in high school, up in Fort Mill, South Carolina. And we would come down here and practice from time to time.
Gene, he was quite the man. He also taught Kelly Tilghman, who you know for many years at Golf Channel. And that’s when I first met Kelly. She’s a couple years younger than I am so I’ve known her since she was probably about 13. Emotional place. I was an honorary member here for a long time when Gene was a golf professional, and just really tough when he got cancer. He didn’t make it. A lot of memories for me here. That cancer is a mean thing.
All right, let’s see what we got here. Pretty big drive for me. I won’t be able to get in here with a mid-iron. What a beautiful place. Gut some, baby. Keep gutting. All right. As they say, we’re dancing. Can’t hear the band but we’re dancing. Got me an eagle putt. Pretty happy I missed that bunker in front there. Just a great look, love it. Revetted, don’t ask me how to spell it. It’s a revetted face bunker. I think it comes from rivets that hold airplanes together. Or maybe not, I could be making that up. Rivets, revetted, I have no idea what I’m talking about. It is a revetted face bunker though.
Stock set, stacked sidewall. Revetted. R-I-V… I don’t know what comes after that. All right. We got an eagle putt. Man, these greens are in great shape. Got a little eagle putt here, left to right in it. Of course, you got to get eagle putt to the hole. You just got to. Hold on. Hold on.
Well, didn’t make that one but gave myself a pretty good shot at it. I like going quick on these short ones for birdie. All right. There we go. Pretty golf hole. Pretty easy birdie. I think it’s time for a snack, don’t you? Hey, how you doing?
Sharon:
[inaudible 00:05:41].
Charlie Rymer:
I appreciate it. I’m Charlie.
Sharon:
All right, I’m Sharon, nice to meet you.
Charlie Rymer:
Hey. Sharon or Sherry?
Sharon:
Sharon.
Charlie Rymer:
Sharon.
Sharon:
Yes.
Charlie Rymer:
I made birdie there.
Sharon:
All right.
Charlie Rymer:
That impress you?
Sharon:
That was very impressive.
Charlie Rymer:
Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. What I like to do after I make a birdie is have a snack. What I was hoping to get is a steak sandwich. I like New York strip, medium rare. I got to have sesame seeds on my bun and I like a little bit of red onion and some Miracle Whip. Not Dukes, but Miracle Whip. But I like that on the seeded side of the bun. Can you hook me up?
Sharon:
Well, not in the beverage cart today, but possibly in our wonderful pub.
Charlie Rymer:
Okay. But I’m hungry right now. Can I at least have some peanuts?
Sharon:
Yes. You may.
Charlie Rymer:
All right, that’s all I need.
Sharon:
Okay.
Charlie Rymer:
Thank you.
Sharon:
You’re welcome.
Charlie Rymer:
Did I mention I made birdie there?
Sharon:
With extra peanuts.
Charlie Rymer:
That’s all I need right there.
Sharon:
All right.
Charlie Rymer:
Thank you. I’m going to get a steak sandwich. Red onion, medium rare.
Sharon:
You got it.
Charlie Rymer:
Miracle Whip. Thank you.
Sharon:
You’re welcome.
Charlie Rymer:
Man, I’d kill for a steak sandwich. I’m hungry for another run of birdies too. Let’s see if we can keep these red numbers rolling as we head to our next stop in Calabash!
