A February round in Michigan – The streak is at 132

Players came to Huron Hills by the dozens during a lull in the February weather.

A sudden warm-up and overnight rain washed away weeks of February snow, prompting dozens to come out yesterday to play at Huron Hills in Ann Arbor.

Huron Hills is open year-round and has an honor box for a fee when no one is in the modest clubhouse. I have seen people on the track in freezing weather and when there is more visible snow than grass (maybe I was one myself).

The staff probably expected a lot of play on Wednesday, because there were actually two gentlemen behind the counter.

The price to go around and shake off the winter rust was only $5.

One of the best Lincoln’s I’ve ever owned.

When I turned off around noon, it was gray and fifty degrees. By the time I started my second lap of the seven open holes, the sky was sunny and I ditched the sweatshirt for a cardigan and the winter hat for a summer one.

I’ve been working diligently on a major swing change for the past month, and today was the first live fire test. It went well. I struggled a bit off the tee, but hit the hybrid and two irons I brought along pretty well.

On winter days I find that a bag of five clubs is all I really need. I have a driver, a three hybrid, a seven iron and a pitching wedge for some height. I actually considered skipping the putter and putting with the wedge edge, but thought better of it at the last minute.

Winter rounds are not about scoring well or working on your game. They’re about being outside after being cooped up for weeks. Every shot – no matter how bad – is a victory.

There was more snow on the ground than I expected, which made for some interesting rollouts. I consider snow to be “casual water” – what the USGA calls “temporary water.”

Under the Abnormal Course Conditions rule, a player can receive free relief by dropping within one club’s length of the nearest point above the water, not closer to the hole.

What is snow, if not frozen water?

Apart from the snow, the course was also very wet, as you would expect with an overnight rain and sudden thaw. On a few greens, a rooster tail of water flies behind the ball on the left.

The bottom of many of the cups was full of either water, or a wad of ice.

After almost losing a white ball in a snowstorm, I switched to an orange and yellow Vice sunset ball.

I saw what I’m pretty sure is one of the bald eagles that call the Huron River valley home. I have seen a bald eagle over the Washtenaw Golf Club several times.

Huron Hills also had the carcass of a deer.

My playing partner thought it might have been frozen under a snowstorm. I think it’s more likely that he was hit by a car on the nearby road and then staggered onto the course.

Temperatures will drop again in the coming days, but the 10-day forecast says temperatures should rise towards 40 degrees again by the end of next week.

That’s warm enough. Hopefully I’ll get another round before March arrives.