Golfing in Arizona is the most amazing thing this time of the year.

The weather is perfect. No one is passing out from 115-degree temps. The snowbirds have not yet arrived so the courses are not crammed with oldsters. Prices are extraordinary. You can get green fees and a cart at public courses for $35 to $45–and cheaper depending on the course.

I played Mesa del Sol in Yuma on Friday and had a great time except that my driver totally bailed on me. Generally my driving is the best part of my game. But I couldn’t get anything off the tee box. My timing was a total wreck. But my short game showed up out of nowhere. I was plunking greens from 100 yards and inside with ease–not my usual chunking and skulling.

So I ended up shooting my standard 101. It goes to show that this game is as fickle as anything.