It was a bright and marvelous spring Wednesday at Angel Oak, a bluebird sky and 70 degrees by noon. The sort of rare day where one is simultaneously warm and cool.
As Director of Golf Spike Lemon stood on the front porch of the golf shop a storm cloud was brewing in the form of third generation member Ms. Sue Ellen Lagare, a formidable woman in any arena.
The golf shop, a long and narrow brick structure painted white with dark green shutters betraying it’s past as the club’s horse stables, sat just across the path from the long ago rebuilt clubhouse, a victim of the great fire of ’32.
She was walking very fast, even for a person of her considerable size.
“Mis-ter Lemon!” she sneered.
“Yes Ms. Lagare, how are you this fine morning and may I be so forward as to say you appear to have lost some weight?”
The truth was closer to the opposite of this remark, but after all this was Spike’s 23rd year at Angel Oak…flattering the membership was more than slightly responsible for the last ten.
“Do you know that my Grandfather, Governor M. Tubby LaMoore, was a founder of this club?”
The way she said “founder” made Spike’s skin tingle slightly, immediately engaging his golf pro radar. This was by no means Spike’s rookie season after all…no he was ready to take some heat and kiss some ass.
“Yes Ma’am!!!” was Spikes cheerful response, “and what a short game the Governor posessed” , he lied, “best in the state I always said”
“Well then, don’t you think it horrible my umbrella is missing from my golf bag?” she questioned.
“Atrocious and worthy of a full inquiry…yes indeed Ms. Lagare!” was Spike’s sincere response, index finger fully extended, straight as a Wilson Staff 1-iron.
“Crum???” bellowed Spike.
Around the corner hobbled Crum Gregory, the oldest and by far most respected caddiemaster this side of Cypress Point. Crum was a pro of the highest order, not to mention one of the finest little ballstrikers to ever come out of north central eastern Pennsylvania. A man of character, at least as much as a Yankee could be.
“Yes SL?”
“Oh and hello Ms. Lagare”
