Maltese Missing Links Chapter 11: Fantasy Golf Safari of 1939

* Historic Action Adventure Short Story !
This chapter from my upcoming epic novel features the greatest men and women players from the Golden Age of Golf on a world tour of the most fantastic holes ever imagined! It is an exotic blend of Indiana Jones action and pulp fiction adventure laced with mystery and romance.

Chapter 11
Maltese Missing Links
Malta
Hole 10

The golfers repelled down the ropes like amateur spelunkers from the sea cave into the subterranean cavern. The men landed on a rocky outcropping first and then came the women. Lexi kept her long legs together like a good little girl, while Dixie kicked her feet in the air like a jungle girl swinging through the forest.
The spit of land was surrounded by impenetrable darkness. The echoes of falling pebbles made the players think that they were closer to Hell than Heaven at that moment. They froze in place as they got their bearings.
The only bright spot in view was the green. A wide shaft of sunshine broke through an opening high in the cavern ceiling. Its beam expanded to outline the entire thirty foot round area of the pin. The gulf between the fairway and the green was at least seventy five yards of nothingness.
All of the players' balls were grouped together behind them on a narrow section of sand beneath an opening high up in the cavern wall. A reflective pool of water gave off an amber light for all to see. A calcium covered stalagmite rose out of the center of the glowing pool.
What would have been a piece of cake shot above ground was a virtual nightmare far below the earth's mantle. If the player hit too high, the ball was bound to strike the multitude of stalactites and then fall into the abyss. If the player hit too short, the ball would miss the sandy putting surface and then tumble out of sight. It would be lost forever.
Benny the host said, "This shot requires precision placement. You might choose to undercut the ball to give it backspin. That would guarantee that it should stay where it lands. Or you could bounce the ball off of the back wall of the cave and hope that it rebounds onto the green."
Lawson the sports reporter feverishly scribbled notes as George read aloud from over his shoulder, "The hole is a spelunker's seventh heaven with spectacular stalagmites and stalactites, hidden pools and enormous caverns. The atmosphere is exciting and alive. I would presume that a one below par on this hole would be called a bat instead of a birdie."