In a week in a half, I will tee it up with three buddies at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio, whose South course is iconic, the site of what once was the World Series of Golf on the PGA Tour.

Even casual golf fans might remember Tiger Woods’ legendary “shot in the dark,” when he stuck? an 8-iron to about 2 feet from 168 yards on No. 18 as the curtain dropped on Aug. 27, 2000. That shot came on the South course at Firestone and clinched the WGC Invitational, a major-lite.

If there is a plaque marking the spot, there will be a photo of it and me on Facebook in about two weeks.

Firestone would not be on my bucket list of golf courses, which would begin with St. Andrews, end with Pebble Beach, and have Augusta National in the middle. But a longtime Lumberton buddy offered a deal that could not be refused, two free rounds and free lounging at Firestone for four folks. I accepted quickly because it is a great golf course — and I am not an idiot.

Thank you, Alex.

This opportunity did get me thinking about my own bucket list, which has never been itemized and, truthfully, I had difficulty assembling. So, I cheated, and googled “top 10 bucket list items,” which was not much help.

Most involved going to exotic corners of the world and doing things that could get you killed, such as river rafting or climbing a mountain. I would not mind seeing the world from the top of Mt. Everest but getting there is the tricky part.

The could-die part excluded most from my list, although skydiving I would consider, and swimming with sharks I have already done. You have too if you have ever gone waist deep into the Atlantic.

I decided to work on my own list, just one of which, fishing in Alaska, has been checked. We caught king salmon and halibut while the whales watched us.

On that list would be playing a round of golf with Roy Williams, the retired basketball coach of my Tar Heels who enjoys the game and sticking the needle in, which are also in my wheelhouse. Dean Smith used to be the featured person in that group, but I know that cannot happen.

I do have a plan for teeing it up one day with Ol’ Roy, so we will see if I can execute it.

I would put on my list drinking several beers with Bruce Springsteen. I thought about drinking a single beer with Bruce, but it is my bucket list.

I was a highly impressionable freshman at UNC in the fall of 1975 when the album Born to Run came out and took me on a ride I am still on. I have been a huge fan of Springsteen since, not only the musician, but the person. I do not want to climb on stage with Bruce and sing “Twist and Shout,” but would rather just have some access to his remarkable mind, the one that not only produces amazing lyrics, but has a unique vision of the world that he splendidly articulates.

As for a plan, I cannot produce anything beyond frequenting a dive bar on a New Jersey shore while he and the E Street Band are not touring and see if I hit the lottery. I can dream, baby, dream.

An impulse add to the list is to hang out with Jennifer Lawrence, which was inspired by a Tik Tok video I just saw in which the busty beautiful blonde tells David Letterman about her desire to play golf, drink Buds and then go fishing. Talk about the perfect woman.

What I really would like to do, and it is doable, is to get in a car during the summer months and hopscotch across America, stopping in all the cities that are home to a major league baseball team – a road trip of about 10,000 miles. I would spend an evening at each ballpark, sharing the experiences in a book or a blog.

Sadly, only one, Truist Park, is now checked off the list.

I need two things to make that happen, the time and the money. Buckets of both.