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16 July 2011

Posted by DMC on 16 July 2011 in Diary |

Chloe was a great help this afternoon and assisted me to bring the printed version of this blog up-to-date. I have made three hard copies from the very beginning  -one for each of the children and one for ‘my lovely’ – so  that there will always be a record for any future member of the family who might be interested. I don’t expect much of this present generation but who knows in 100 years time someone might find it of interest.

With the British /Open in full swing I thought the following little golf story would be apposite Recently a friend of mine was invited to play in a golf tournament..’No thanks, ’he said, ‘I’m already play 2 or 3 times a week.’Then they said  ‘Come on, it’s for handicapped and blind kids.’Then he thought… ‘Wow , I could win this’!!. I can categorically confirm that the person invited a was definitely not either Griggsy or John Gray!

As for the British Open itself the weather was atrocious today, rain and swirling wind. It was an entirely different game to that of yesterday with double and treble bogeys prevailing and anyone getting par was very happy and with a birdie they were up  absolutely delighted. The irony was that the players with the worst scores went off early in the morning and had to suffer the appalling weather throughout their round, whereas the best players went last when the rain had virtually stopped and had for easier conditions to play in. What’s known in golfing terms as ‘the rub of the green’. The field is still very tightly bunched at the top of the leader board  and any of the first 20 names or so could still win it tomorrow. Our man Rory McIlroy – winner of the US Open -  is 5 behind the leader and although not an insuperable mountain to climb he will have his work cut out,

I’m ashamed to say that with the weather outside being than less enticing I was perfectly happy to stay indoors and, after finishing our updating task, spend some time watching the golf. Of course, on the whole, the Americans are just not used to playing in this sort of weather although, in the event, in this particular tournament ,they fared better than the British players -the world number one and two having missed the cut.

I played at Aberdovey golf club in North Wales, for around 40 years. This is a typical links course running along the edge of the sea and invariably there was a strong wind blowing on most days. Being Wales it was also, more often than not, bucketing down with rain. Every August they had a Men’s week with a competition morning and afternoon and in 1977 I was fortunate enough to ruin the Cave Silver Medal for you lowest medal score ever 36 holes (135, five under par). In those days all 36 holes were thoughtlessly played on in one day – something like  9½. Hours of golf in atrocious weather.

The wind and rain driving almost horizontally from the first tee  and by the time I reached the first green  was already pretty well soaked through, winning the prospect of yet another 35 holes to go. It was on occasions like that and I agree with my friend Plantagenet Somerset Fry  -a failed history student from Cambridge -who, aping Oscar Wilde, used to say that ‘whenever I get the urge to exercise, ideas lie down until it passes off’.  The maddening thing about Aberdovey is that when you reached the ninth hole, at the furthest part of the course, the wind would often swing round and you find yourself fighting it the way back home as well.. I suppose what I’m trying to say is that I don’t feel too sorry for these young golfers I’ve been there and got the T-shirt!

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