Bakersfield Life’s Dream 18 might have been the most difficult story I’ve ever put together. It had nothing to do with finding people who were willing to talk to me about their favorite golf holes or writing about the difficulties in playing each hole.

The reason it was difficult was simply because I did it with a broken leg – a tibial plateau fracture that was suffered on a golf course. But that’s a different story altogether.

I started the story while I was still on crutches and went out to take pictures ranging from five country clubs and courses in Taft, Wasco and Arvin after being taken off the crutches but still hobbling around.

So I was writing about golf, talking to people about golf, taking pictures of golf courses – or, as my wife says, my life was golf golf golf golf golf golf golf. My life was golf, that is, except for the fact that I wasn’t playing it. Instead, I limped around the Bakersfield area taking pictures of great holes like Sycamore Canyon’s 13th while watching everyone else play the game.

It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life.

The good news is that last weekend I went out to play the game I love so much for the first time in four months, and while still not completely healed, I didn’t play too amazingly horrible. OK, I actually was horrible, but that’s beside the point. The key is that I was able to get out, have fun and sort of enjoy the great game of golf again.

Aside from not being able to play the game myself, Bakersfield Life’s Dream 18 was a joy to put together. Gary Johnson, Assistant Pro at Buena Vista, and Rio Bravo Country Club’s PGA Head Professional Jim Kiger gave insight that I hadn’t thought of about the local area’s golf courses no matter how many times I had played them.

And the amateurs – from near-pros to hackers – I discussed this project with offered opinions about certain holes that weren’t relevant to my game, mostly because I’m not as good as them, but that made a huge difference in the way this all shook out.

The truth is, it was sad to leave out Kern River’s 3rd hole, RiverLakes’ 18th hole, Sundale’s 7th, 16th, 17th, 18th and others, or any number of holes from Seven Oaks Country Club. We had several unanimous choices (Rio Bravo’s 11th, for example), but when all was said and done, the number of holes nominated for this feature listed at an impressive 68.

All in all, I guess that means that Bakersfield really has a massive amount of quality golf in the area, and that’s nothing to complain about. But even more importantly, I won’t be complaining because I’m finally going to be able to get out and play all of those great golf holes again.

I just hope my swing comes back soon…