Pat’s Adventure Log: Theology, Tech, and Tee Times at Spyglass

Location: Monterey Peninsula, California
Time: 12:15 PM, Pre-Round Lunch

If there is one thing more frustrating than a three-putt on a fast green, it is trying to argue theology with BigBoyDan when he’s on a winning streak.

We were sitting on the patio grabbing lunch before our tee time, and for the last forty-five minutes, Dan had been hammering me on Calvinism. He had his Bible open right next to his club sandwich, pointing emphatically at Romans 9 and leaning entirely into the concept of the “elect.” According to Dan, the roster was set before the foundation of the world. No changing the lineup.

I pushed back. Hard.

I laid out the case for unlimited atonement — that Christ’s sacrifice was entirely sufficient for all of humanity, even if it is only effective for those who exercise faith. Grace is a gift, but you still have to open your hands to receive it. Dan just shook his head, tapped his copy of Romans again, and told me I was relying too much on human free will.

We were getting heated until we found our peace treaty: the Middle East.

No matter where we land on the mechanics of salvation, Dan and I are in complete agreement that standing with and supporting Israel is a definitive, non-negotiable biblical mandate. Once we agreed on that, the Bibles closed, the sandwiches were finished, and the conversation pivoted to the true source of the morning’s tension.

The Golf Situation

BigBoyDan has beaten me two rounds in a row.

I’m currently sitting across from him projecting the most relaxed, supportive smile a human being can fake, while internally I am absolutely boiling. Dan’s game is historically chaotic — he usually plays golf like a man trying to kill a snake with a garden hose. So yes, part of me is genuinely proud to see him finally making clean contact and keeping the ball in the fairway.

But I have now spent the last 48 hours listening to him provide a shot-by-shot, slow-motion verbal replay of every single winning hole. He just spent five minutes describing a chip-in from yesterday like he had just slipped on a green jacket at Augusta.

The Afternoon Strategy

I am not losing three in a row.

To reset my head, I took a quick glance at my portfolio on my phone. Seeing the heavy tech positions — MSFT, AMZN, and PLTR — all sitting comfortably in the green this morning brought my blood pressure back to normal. The tech sector is humming. Now I need my irons to do the same.

Today we’re teeing off at Spyglass Hill Golf Course. It’s an absolute monster of a track, heavily guarded by the Del Monte Forest and notorious for punishing erratic drives. Dan’s newfound confidence is going to get tested the second we step into those trees.

I haven’t felt this dialed in since that spectacular afternoon detailed in my Pebble Beach Front Nine Recap. The strategy today is simple: play smart, keep the ball below the hole, and let Spyglass slowly dismantle Dan’s ego.

I’ll let him talk about his “elect” status all he wants on the tee box — right before I out-drive him by thirty yards.