Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Author embarks on 15,000 mile round of golf

New Mexico Tech course was second stop on 50 state golf excursion

T.S. Last El Defensor Chieftain

Between bites of a Buckhorn Burger, Glenn Morgan speaks into a tape recorder.

"Wow, it was rated one of the top 20 burgers in America," he notes, reading from the menu at the Buckhorn Tavern in San Antonio, N.M.

Tasting green chile for the first time is just one of the many experiences Glenn will record in a book he's writing, tentatively titled "Fairbanks Fairways to Greenville Greens."

Glenn, 60, and his wife, Gloria, were in the area last Wednesday (April 23), making their second stop on a golf odyssey that will take them 15,000 miles to all 50 states over a seven-month period.

"One year, two duffers, 50 states, 900 fairways" is typed on the cover page of the Morgans' thick agenda. It's a golf excursion that took five years to plan.

"It's a chance for us to travel, explore the country, meet friends and play some golf," says Glenn a "semi-retired" physician who's been married to Gloria for 39 years.

This would be Glenn's first book. He's already been published, as the author of a column called "Medical Meanderings." He hopes to find a publisher after the book is written.

When considering a concept for a first book, Glenn thought about visiting all the major league baseball ballparks or all the state capitals, but those had already been done. His idea for a golf-travel guide seemed like a unique approach.

"I'm going to interview people who like golf, and I'm going to try to put humor in the book," says Glenn, whose wit reveals itself over the course of the meal.

Asked why he settled on the idea of playing golf courses in all 50 states, he replies, "Well, if we only did 49 states, that wouldn't be any good. Nobody would want to read a book that only had 49."

What could be construed as the longest golf outing ever is scheduled to come to an end when the Morgans, who make their home in Eugene, Ore., complete their round in the 50th state, Hawaii, on Nov. 9.

They teed off their trip April 22 at Apache Stronghold Golf Club on the White Mountain Apache Reservation in Arizona, where the couple lived while Glenn was a young physician.

Traveling in a small recreational vehicle, the couple plans to explore many of America's back roads. Glenn says almost all the towns they'll visit have populations of less than 30,000.

"I'd rather go to nice courses in small towns and relax," he says. "Small towns have a lot of interesting things to offer."

The trip will take them to small towns like Cooperstown, N.Y., home of baseball's Hall of Fame, and to Gettysburg, Pa., site of the decisive Civil War battle.

A history buff, Glenn also scheduled trips to golf tracks near the old stomping grounds of Teddy Roosevelt and Davy Crockett. He notes the first three stops on their trip take them to places with three diverse cultural influences: Native American, Colonial Spanish and Western.

After leaving Socorro, they hop on the Santa Fe Trail to Dodge City, Kan., to play at Mariah Hills Golf Course in what is the windiest city in America.

Glenn says he'll also play the northern-most golf course in the United States. Two days before the summer solstice he'll play North Star Golf Course in Fairbanks, Alaska.

"The tee time is 8 (p.m.), so I'll probably still be playing golf at midnight with the sun still out," he says.

Glenn picked the New Mexico Tech Golf Course after seeing it listed in Golf Digest magazine as a top public course. It fit the criteria he was looking for, including affordability.

"I tried to keep the fees under $100," he says. "I figure if I spend more than $100, I'm not going to enjoy it."

The Morgans aren't expert golfers by any means. Gloria has only been playing golf for three or four years. Glenn picked up the game long ago but says he's resigned to the fact that he'll never be any good at it. He figures he shot over 100 at the Tech course, though he isn't in the practice of keeping score.

"We're not competitive; we play golf to be out in nature and for exercise," he says. "Since I don't care about the score, it doesn't really matter."

Glenn does fill out a scorecard at the end of the day. He's devised a rating system he'll use to assess each course.

"The rating system is totally subjective and biased," he says. "We may place a different emphasis on some things than other people would."

For instance, the Tech course scored points with Gloria for the marble and tile in the clubhouse bathroom.

"She really liked that," Glenn says. "We don't even have that in our own home."

Although he hasn't yet gotten around to rating the Tech golf course, Glenn offers his initial impressions.

"The greens are generally tough — fast and uneven. I thought the design was very nice, and it has a beautiful backdrop with the mountains," he says.

Glenn was most critical of the fairways but was told they'll improve as the weather warms up and the summer fescue (a variety of grass) takes over.

The towns they visit are also evaluated. Glenn says the Socorro scored for friendliness and proximity to wildlife areas.

"We're avid birders. We actually like birding more than golf," Glenn confesses.

The Morgans started their day not far away from the Buckhorn at Bosque del Apache, where they carded a 69 in terms of the types of birdies they were chasing there.

Looking to add more local flavor to the book, the Morgans were back in San Antonio for a taste of a green chile.

"Spicy," says Glenn after taking a first bite.

For his complete assessment of a Buckhorn Burger, and the New Mexico Tech Golf Course, you'll have to wait for the book.

tslast@dchieftain.com

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