On a normal Sunday Dutch would meet his three buddies for their 6 AM tee time at Meadowbrook. After the round Dutch always rushed home to get to church with the wife and the kids for the 11:00 service. This particular Sunday was different no golf in the morning; they were driving to Mille Lacs Lake as the sun was going down.
Dutch’s long time buddy, Billy the organizer, had found a golf deal that everyone in the group could afford. “We can play all of the golf we want – all day – for only $64.99 per person and we get free carts, plus lunch.”
“That is a pretty good deal,” said Butch. “What golf course is it?”
“Fiddlestix, up on the south side of Mille Lacs Lake,” Billy said.
Butch looked at Billy and said with his huge basketball player’s hand planted firmly on his hip, “hell man, we will spend half a day driving up there and back. That’s not such a good deal.”
The grin spread across Billy’s face exposing the front tooth that was chipped-off in the High School Football Championship game at the Metro Dome. He said as he looked from player to player, “the $64.99 includes lodging and continental breakfast but we have to stay Sunday night and play golf on Monday. I figure we could drive up on Sunday night, play golf all day Monday then drive home. I checked and they have openings the next two Mondays. Check with the wives and work and let me know. Soon.”
Two Sundays later they all met at Butch’s home at 4 PM. He lived on the north side of the Twin Cities near Highway 65, a direct route to Fiddlestix. An hour and twenty minutes later they turned into Fiddlestix where they had a beer and did a little putting before proceeding to McQuaids Resort Hotel. As they unpacked in their condo, (everybody had a bed), Butch chuckled as he finished his beer, “The greens are much better than I expected and these accommodations are great.”
Monday morning the public links foursome was enjoying a weekday off from work. They had made the turn, where they refilled their coffee cups. Dutch was watching a hen mallard and her brood of hatchlings as Billy was lining up a long birdie putt. Butch, usually the loud one, whispered, “what’s that,” as he pointed into the trees just off the fairway.
Their heads followed Butch’s finger. They froze, not fifty feet from them was one of Mother Nature’s truly unique creatures, an albino deer. She moved casually, but with a wary eye on our group of, now Nature lovers. They blinked in awe as he appeared. Now there were two. A big white buck with a nice rack had silently walking up beside her. They remained frozen in silence for a few minutes as the snow-white pair disappeared into the forest.
Still whispering Dutch said, “I got a few pictures on his iPhone. I will share so your families and friends will believe you.”
Still talking about the magnificent albino deer, they finished the pleasant round, vowing to shoot a better score next round. Now that they knew the really nice course. As they ordered an early lunch in the clubhouse, the waitress overheard the deer conversation. Then she said, “oh, are they back? There is a herd of white deer in Father Hennepin State Park on the shore of Mille Lacs. Once in a while they venture over here to the golf course where they stay for a few days then move on. A recessive gene causes those white deer. The parents of a white deer may be white or natural colored, but both parents must have the gene. Even if they have the gene there is only a one in four chance of producing a white fawn. However, when two white deer breed they will always produce a white fawn. The albino deer numbers seem to be growing, a lot of people see them.”
The group finished the second round at about 3:30 PM, but thirty-six holes proved to be enough for our weary group. After a beer and a pizza they headed back to reality with stiff backs, sore hands and a lasting memory of the albino deer of Father Hennepin State Park.
