carrello

Missed birdie there, missed par with a bad chip on eighteen, returned my carrello to the smiling caddy master, and went home to recuperate.

The Italian Summer Roland Merullo 2009

I rented a carrello though, in my haste, I mistakenly asked for a carrollo from Emilio, an older caddy master who was on duty that day in place of The Smiling Matteo and whose Italian was spoken as if he were holding in his mouth some of La Baitas creamy pasta boscaiola.

The Italian Summer Roland Merullo 2009

I left the required euro coins on The Smiling Matteos desk, carried the carrello down to the parking lot, and began the enjoyable ritual of moving small objects from the pockets of my pants to the pockets of my golf bag, and vice versa.

The Italian Summer Roland Merullo 2009

As I rolled my sacca and carrello down the fairway, I was embraced by pleasant memories of the courses Id played around Rome.

The Italian Summer Roland Merullo 2009

And as I returned my carrello to The Smiling Matteo and lugged my heavy bag down to the gravel lot to wait for Amanda and the girls, I thought: I could break 80 on this course without much trouble.

The Italian Summer Roland Merullo 2009

I left my carrello on the path and climbed up to the tee.

The Italian Summer Roland Merullo 2009

Emilio ducked into the caddy masters shop and brought me out a carrello.

The Italian Summer Roland Merullo 2009

But while I was thinking these things, making my fast chip onto the green and missing a makeable eight-foot putt for par, one of the gentlemen drove over to my carrello and took hold of it from the drivers seat.

The Italian Summer Roland Merullo 2009

I loaded my bag onto the carrello, accepted an embrace from Juliana and Alexandra, wishes for a good round from my wife, and headed down the path.

The Italian Summer Roland Merullo 2009

This did not bode well for a quick round, and the first three strokes of the day did not bode well for breaking 80, and I confess to having the fleeting thought that the golfing gods were sending me a message: wheel your carrello back up the hill, put the clubs in the trunk, and go home.

The Italian Summer Roland Merullo 2009