Hit the green, get a par. Get it in the circle, it's a birdie.
Hit the infield for a bogey. Miss completely, it's a double!

Teeing off from home plate that year, after a nervous walk towards our 7:00am tee time, I started doing the math. "What's 396, divided by three, quick?"

As it turns out, the first shot that year was less than 125 yards, since the green is in front of the center field wall. As I nervously fumbled through a bag of Callaway gear -- the coffee still kicking in -- I pulled out a ladies 9-iron.

"Wait a minute, take this one," said one of my friends working the event for Callaway.

The 48 degree "sand wedge" style club was perfect for that shot, and as the first member of the group I settled down and hit the green. The rest of the day was filled with laughter, a couple of shots into the stands, and the resounding feeling that we wish the day would have taken longer.

Yup, you heard correctly. This is probably one of the only times when I wish the 9-hole round could last an extra hour. (It takes about 1 1/2 hours to go through.)

Fast forward three years and the fun of participating in this brainchild of Callaway and the San Diego Padres hasn't diminished one bit. The layout has changed, and the shot from home plate now comes mid-round. But popping shots around Petco Park is still a blast, so much so that after participating in Media Day on October 4, we're going to hit "The Links" again on the final day, October 10 -- this time for a night game.

YOUR TURN TO PLAY!

Want to join us?

We've got three, and we're looking for a fourth. We will draw the winning name Sunday night on Facebook -- all we ask is that if you enter you plan on being in San Diego for our 7:30pm tee time.

If you love baseball, and golf, you don't want to miss the chance to participate on the final day of this special event. Enter at www.facebook.com/amateurgolf -- please follow the page, comment, and share to be qualified as an entrant.

MORE INFORMATION

As in previous years, each round includes scorecards, player caddies, music, hole-in-one prizes, and hole attendants. Players use brand new Callaway equipment and golf balls, and hit 2 shots on each hole. They also receive a free limited edition Links at Petco hat, and golfers who purchase the premium package receive a custom Callaway Wedge.

This year's event is also highly focused on charitable contributions. Pro Kids | The First Tee of San Diego is selling mulligans for the second consecutive year. At the 2016 Links, the money raised by Pro Kids allowed them to upgrade their programming to include a variety of golf business, and engineering opportunities, and more educational workshops for their members.

Golf Fights Cancer, K9s for Warriors, and Puppies Make Me Happy are also non-profits for The Links this year.