Firm rye hides an open spine until the ball starts right.

We do not own a barrier island. We own a strip of rye and a memory of how Gulfport actually sits: winter rye that stays slow, summer bermuda that gets glassy after a squall, Point Cadet lies that lean toward the water.

If your watch card says you live on firm afternoon turf, the clock call gets stricter. An open four is a right miss waiting for the next Ship Island gust. We would rather clock an hour in April than hear about it in June.