25¢ Words

I’m Not From Here, I Just Live Here

James McMurtry, I’m Not From Here

I’m not from here
I just live here
grew up somewhere far away
come here thinking I’d never stay long
I’d be going back soon someday

Central Texas holds me in thrall this time of year. Wildflowers abound. The days are sunny but mild. And the weather is fickle, offering golfball-sized hail one day and cloudless skies the next.

Weekends mean disc golf and my friend Chris and I have been making the most of them, methodically exploring the courses within an hour’s drive. While Austin proper has surprisingly poor offerings, we are surrounded by gems, thanks in large part to John Houck. In the last few weeks we’ve played South Temple Community Park and Lion’s Park in Temple, the Texas State campus course in San Marcos, Williamson County Southwest Regional Park in Leander, and Steeplechase Park in Kyle. All have been pleasant outings, and all but the Texas State course merit frequent play. Pleasant as those rounds have been, this is the weekend that has been truly special. After more than two years, the course in Manor is now open for play.

Manor was designed by Mike Olse, who also redesigned Circle C and added the three newer holes to Pease Park. (Mike has become one of the top-rated players in Texas; once upon a time I could hang with him.) It’s simply a beautiful course, showcasing the continual variety of the native landscape.

It was a treat to play Manor for the first time with Chris. He put many hours of work into the course as it took shape with chainsaws and shovels and has been enthusiastic for the rest of us to experience it. Chris and I played the long tees yesterday, then returned with a larger group for a round from the short tees today.

This weekend also saw the reopening of Houck’s own Circle R courses, some of my favorite anywhere. But I’ll wait to visit them until the Am World Doubles crowd passes through.