Club 17 sat on the 17th hole of the Finch Golf Club. Adopted by lawyers in their 30s trying to live like a college frat, Jimmy banned the group from the Finch Golf Club after they set a golf cart on fire. The whole saga led to a TV court trial. Jimmy was considering scrapping the entire “Adopt a Golf Hole” program and was now being taken on a strange tour of the toned-down version of the adopted golf holes.
Jimmy approached Club 17 in a golf cart with different adopters of holes on the course. They were giving him a tour of the rejuvenated Finch Golf Club. Everyone was behaving and getting along. Jimmy was confused by the change in behavior.
As the golf cart approached the hole, a band started playing, and people were cheering.
“What’s going on?” Jimmy asked.
“It’s a party for you,” Nicktor, who ran the Haunted House hole, said.
“For what?” Jimmy asked.
Jimmy got out of the car, and a crowd mobbed him. All the people who worked at his club and all those who had adopted holes on the course were cheering. Confetti cannons went off. They started a chant of, “Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy.”
Jimmy surveyed the scene and thought, “What a strange group”.
Bryson, who had threatened to ruin Jimmy after he was kicked off the golf course, approached. Everyone got really silent.
“Jimmy, I need to apologize and thank you,” Bryson said. “We all do.”
“I accept your apology, but what are you thanking me for?”
“We were all really mad at you when you threatened to take away our holes,” Bryson said. “Then we had a meeting with Mikey, the golf instructor. He’s not just great at golf, he’s a great life coach.”
Mikey, dressed in his Hawaiian shirt, smiled and waved at Jimmy. “Three hours in a room and we solved all of our differences.”
Bryson continued. “Mikey made us see all that you did for us. Jimmy, you were tired of running a golf course, and so you put an idea out there. What if other people adopted golf holes? To you, this was a way to avoid mowing 18 holes. But to every one of your adopters, it was a blank canvas. What’s the perfect golf hole? What would you do if someone gave you land to build your dreams on? It allowed us to try things we never would have if not for your generosity.”
“I never would have been a TV court judge,” Judge Mulligan chimed in.
“I never would have reconciled with my husband over therapy on Hole 4,” yelled a guy Jimmy did not know.
“I never would have discovered that zodiac symbols can help your golf game!” Astrid, from the zodiac hole, said.
“You helped us all live out these dreams,” Bryson said, “even as we made your life and the golf club a nightmare. So we all got together and bought Hole 19 for you, to thank you!”
“What’s Hole 19?” Jimmy asked.
“Oh, of course,” Bryson said. “It’s that plot of land across the street. We’re going to move all of our craziness over there. Mikey, the golf instructor, is going to run it. Among other things, Hole 19 will have a bee sanctuary, a club, a haunted restaurant, TV sets and the craziest minigolf course you’ve ever seen,”
Max Megaphone, the influencer, yelled. “All of our holes here will inspire the minigolf course.”
Nicktor took over. “Plus, we’re taking over operations for the Finch Golf Course. The Reliable Insurance Agency will mow, the Decorating Committee will decorate, and the Pollen Sanctuary will plant flowers. That will give you time to live out your dream here on Hole 17—running a gourmet restaurant.”
Jimmy stood still, in utter shock. He could not believe this group had come together. All the chaos led them to actually make things better for Jimmy after all. “Thank you all.”
“So there’s only one question left,” Bryson said. He pulled out a contract for Hole 19. “Will you adopt us again?”
Jimmy grabbed a pen.
This is the final installment of the Finch Golf Club series. You can read other entries here.