Reluctant gallery

Golf tournaments are a symphony of small sounds that make for a lovely audial experience. The rattle of clubs when a golf bag is dropped and when it is lifted again. The polite call of "Stand, please." The clank of a metal driver hitting a ball. The civilized padding of quiet applause. The now-rare tinks of metal spikes on a cement cart path. Only seven LPGA players use them, including Natalie Gulbis and Christina Kim. The tweeting of birds in the trees.

A distant roar on a far away green. Sneakers scraping on grass with a few pairs of flip-flops providing staccato as the gallery advances. The whir of a passing golf cart. The donk as a ball hits the green. The clicking of cameras. A collective groan as a putt misses its mark. The ball bouncing gently around the inside the cup. But my favorite today was when a ball crashed near a flock of ducks and set off a stampede of angry quacking.

-- Chris Penberthy