For many years, I’ve wanted to play in one of the Pro-Ams with a touring golf pro. On Monday, it finally happened.

Brad Fallon, Jeff Paul, Jim Fleck and I were fortunate to play in the AT&T Classic Pro-Am with PGA Tour Pro Craig Bowden. We thought we prepared for the pressure of this event since it’s played on my home course - TPC Sugarloaf and I live on the 4th green. Brad, Jeff and Jim had played the course with me before. We should have no excuses. After all, how tough could this really be?

Keep reading.

Standing in front of the 4th green - (L to R) Shawn Casey, Jim Fleck, Craig Bowden, Brad Fallon and Jeff Paul.
My house is in the background.

How tough? That turned out to be a stupid question. Because it could be very tough. We all managed to get off the first tee without actually embarrassing ourselves. In fact, everything was going along okay until I had to hit my 3rd shot from the greenside sand trap. I completely missed the sand and picked the ball cleanly out of the bunker, straight over the flag, over the green and over the heads of the marshals behind the green. Oops.

I’d love to tell you we played great. We didn’t. This game is way harder than the pros make it look. Those guys really are good.

I’d love to tell you I played better than Brad. I didn’t. Hopefully, he never sees this post.

But we did have a lot of fun. And we’re definitely going to be back next year.  Craig Bowden is a great guy who went out of his way to make sure we enjoyed the day and gave us a few valuable swing tips. His caddy Ray was spot on with the yardages we were supposed to hit. Supposed to. <grin>

I’d suggest you go to Craig’s website or blog to wish him good luck this weekend. But…GASP….he doesn’t have either. We’re going to help him change that. But if you’re in the Atlanta area and come to the tournament this week, be sure to look Craig up and cheer him on. As I write this, he’s two under par after four holes so it looks like he’ll be having a great tournament.

For the golf fanatics who want more details and pics…

Here’s the overview of the 4th hole. You can see that you hit over Old Peachtree Creek into a wide open fairway. Your second shot has to avoid landing in the creek which wanders down the fairway. The approach shot is tricky because anything left is either in the tall weeds or the creek.

The wide open 4th fairway. It looks so easy from here.

Craig is putting for birdie on the 4th green. Of course, he makes it. He’s a pro!