Twin Links (Mount Prospect, IL) - North Course

July 22, 2006, afternoon

Alma and I were hoping to make up some time on this, the third course in our mini golf odyssey, and we were able to, breezing through the North Course in just over 20 minutes.  It helps when you're playing great.  I started with a bogey at the first when I pushed my drive to the right and had a tough approach over the metal bumps, but I birdied #8 and didn't make another bogey until #12.  I played the par threes on the back nine well; after making par on the first two, I birdied the remaining three.   By all rights I probably should have finished under par, but for some reason I struggled on the 18th, where I hit a terrible drive (I think I grounded the club) and ended up scrambling just to make double-bogey.  Still, the birdie barrage enabled me to finish at even-par 43.  Alma tied her own personal record - set earlier in the day - for lowest overall score with 50, and broke her record for best score in relation to par with a +7.

April 23, 2006, afternoon

After his huge collapse over the final four holes on the south course, Drew commented, "You've got all the momentum now," and I promptly holed an ace at the first tee.  As it turned out, that was where the momentum would end.  As annoyed as he may have been after the south course, Drew settled down once he started playing well, and got on an incredible roll - after making 3 at the first, he carded eight 2s in a row to lead by three shots at the turn, and held it as we both put up 21 on the back nine.  I nearly holed out the 14th, ending up an inch from the cup, but Drew sank a long putt for a 2 as well.  I pulled within one when Drew bogeyed 15 - his first bogey since #1 - but at the 16th I apparently got the yips and awkwardly yanked two consecutive putts.  Drew had given away three shots on the last two holes on the south course, but no such thing happened here; we both finished with consecutive 2s and Drew rolled to the course record.

July 1, 2005, afternoon

The courses at Twin Links, I was pleasantly surprised to note, were similar to, if not quite as awesome as, those at Par King.  Drew and I started our 72-hole mini golf tournament here, and it was indeed competitive.  The front nine saw us battling back and forth with nothing but twos and threes on the card; I took the lead as Drew bogeyed four and five, giving a shot back at the ninth to lead by one at the turn.  Drew then surged ahead with a birdie at 10 and a par at 11 as I bogeyed it; my approach shots on the back nine left a lot to be desired, but I kept myself alive by draining long putts at 13, 14, and 16, the latter two for birdies.  The birdie at 16 put me back up one; an ace at the par-3 17th left me two-under for the back nine and two ahead of Drew through the tournament's first round.