Another day and another round of golf on the Thornbury Par 3 course.
It’s a kind of mini proper course. Much shorter than a full length course but littered with bunkers, long grass and trees to get in the way of someone, like me, who isn’t necessarily the straightest of hitters.
I met a very nice man called Frank yesterday. We played a few holes together and had a good natter, as you do.
Frank made my day when he said that the club ran a ‘roll up’ coaching session, “but only for the over fifties, so it would probably be of no interest to you!”
I had to admit that I had seen fifty some years ago and when I got home, a brief look in the mirror confirmed my fears. But then I have had my eyes ‘lasered’ so I probably see things he doesn’t.
I played rubbish yesterday, down in part to the fact I played behind the ‘Par 3 club’ which must meet every Tuesday morning. There were loads of them and they went out slowly and got even slower.
Of course, golf is good exercise, especially if you appear to be approaching death’s door, but my god it got very boring.
And as it got more boring, my concentration started to wander and my golf deteriorated.
On day, probably very soon, I shall be playing as slowly as the 70 somethings and I will drive everyone else mad.
Today, in contrast, there was hardly anyone out there until I caught up with what we golfers call a group of old codgers. Nine holes had passed in rapid time but now I was slowing down again as the men in front adjusted their pacemakers and stumbled around on their zimmers. (I may have made this bit up.)
And two hours later I was on my way home, sweating profusely after making a schoolboy error as to which clothes to wear. I settled on a rugby (league) shirt and thick three-quarters due to the absence of the sun and naturally as soon as I reached the first tee it came out and it stayed out.
“Don’t you get bored playing the same course over and over again, day by day?” people say to me and the answer is always no, I went to work for over 39 years and for most of that time I wanted to be somewhere else and everyday now I am somewhere else.
