I have a friend who recently accomplished a unique feat: rounds of golf in each of the 12 calendar months in western New York. He did not set out to achieve this notoriety, but when unseasonable days in January and February presented themselves, the notion became more than a whim. As of last Friday, he was 11 for 11, and looking for the Dirty Dozen.

In a unique intermingling of fate and reality, the Bills were entertaining the Dolphins and I had tickets. Not since my days at Wake Forest had I entertained the notion of heading out to a prime-time football game. Free tickets, however, are free tickets, even if you have to purchase a car to get them.

So out we headed to Byrncliff, a low-key resort in the Allegany foothills, south-east of Buffalo. The course drains like a drain(?) and played somewhat fast, remarkable for any non-Summer month, especially December. In my bag were some TaylorMade F5 draw 3 woods that I am testing as part of a top-secret fairway metal preview. My experience with them in the dome has been exceptional, although dome play can be deceiving. One is shafted R, with other bearing an S stiffness. Funny thing is, I hit them the same. Either I’m screwy or they are. Actually, beggars can’t be choosers, as I hit them both better then the Sonartec I currently have in my bag. The anonymous website that I anonymously direct is testing fairway metals this year, a dying breed for anyone save Charlie Mandel and the lads and lasses at Rankmark. I’ve always felt hybrids are overrated and metals, under-so. Mandel’s scientific work proves me correct.

Anyway, the nut of the story is, I made better swings than I had all year, made more pars than I had all year, and was putting for eagle on the par-five second hole. Been a while since that happened, so thank you, TaylorMade. Just have to figure out how to KEEP that club! Actually, I was within twenty yards of the green on the other three par fives, too, so I’ll definitely have to find a way to get that F5 in my bag. After the round, we headed off for some haut cuisine and then on to Ralph Wilson stadium for the Bills game. Although the Bills barfed against the Titans this week and outed the last glimmer of hope for the playoffs, we were full of optimism at the Ralph for and after the Dolphins game. Just goes to show, anytime you can golf and game in December in the northeast, you steal it, baby.

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