Sunday May 15 brought a steady 25 mph wind out of the southwest as GBB loaded up and headed off to meet good buddies Rick Smith , Gator Cull and Robert MacAllister at Newport National GC in Middleton RI. Touring cyclists are unanimous when it comes to hills vs headwinds…..the hill will eventually end but a headwind can be with you all day. Give me a hill any day over a steady headwind. Pushing off early with 55 miles ahead it was going to be a push to make the 1:30 tee time.

Arriving with 2 minutes to spare the boys were waiting, loosened up and ready to go. Robert and I took on Gator and Rick with a $ 5 Nassau and $ 2 dots. Robert was horse today…putted lights out and kept us in the match all day.
Brother Nate was waiting at the 19 th hole and after quick brew we headed out for a bite eat and then he dropped me off at hotel agreeing to meet the next morning at Nate’s gym for a quick tour before pushing off for day two down to New London Ct.

Newport National began life in the early 19 century  as a 200 acre landscape nursery with rolling fields and several varieties of native New England hardwood trees. Architect Arthur Hills did a magnificent job retaining all the natural beauty including mile upon mile of pristine stone walls. Overlooking the Sakonnet Passage and the Atlantic Ocean in the distance, this link style course is reminiscent of the great  courses of Ireland and Scotland. Always ranked as one of the top public courses in the country, Newport National at 7244 yards from the tips with the wind howling from Narragansett Bay bought us to our knees on this beautiful Sunday afternoon with wind gusting to 40 mph.