Saturday, 25 October 2008
Golf bore
For a long time I've been in the 'can't be arsed' camp regarding playing golf. I have tried many times, played corporate days, hacked around with mates, had lessons, done the driving range thingy, but simply in Chicago I decided at the tender age of *cough* 30 to give up and spend my free time drinking beer and writing a blog. So up yours golf bores.
But, then something happened. I moved to Bermuda with more golf courses per square mile than anywhere else in the world! There are 9 courses on the 21 square miles of land to be exact and after a month or two swinging it around in my mind, I came to conclusion like I have with a lot of things here that I should give it a go.
In short there isn't an awful lot of stuff to do here. If you like the ballet, you're buggered. Gambling, well buggered. Fast cars, er, very buggered. Ballroom dancing, night-life, real ale, shopping, all proper buggered. But beaches, tennis, fishing, sailing, diving, snorkeling, swimming and golf, well it is fair to say you are in some sort of heaven.
I have committed to myself to try all of these things, even deep sea fishing of which last time I puked for the entire 5 hours out on the water. It still sends a shiver down my spine to think of it but I don't want to be leaving this oasis without getting as much out of it as possible.
We therefore decided last Sunday to have a golf lesson. Darron Swan is the head golf pro at Belmont Hills Golf Club, just up the road from us. "You played before" he asked me? "Yes lots, but on and off and not for years," I replied. He asked me to take a couple of shots, I did and he shook his head and said that he will treat me like a beginner!
But it was enjoyable and we booked a block of lessons and I have another one Sunday and I'll expect to do some more after they finish. I don't want to be good, I just want to be competent, and I sincerely hope I'm not one of those blokes that practices his swing at the coffee machine or talks about his seven-iron like it's a newborn, god that would be so bloody boring. ¶ 10:00
But, then something happened. I moved to Bermuda with more golf courses per square mile than anywhere else in the world! There are 9 courses on the 21 square miles of land to be exact and after a month or two swinging it around in my mind, I came to conclusion like I have with a lot of things here that I should give it a go.
In short there isn't an awful lot of stuff to do here. If you like the ballet, you're buggered. Gambling, well buggered. Fast cars, er, very buggered. Ballroom dancing, night-life, real ale, shopping, all proper buggered. But beaches, tennis, fishing, sailing, diving, snorkeling, swimming and golf, well it is fair to say you are in some sort of heaven.
I have committed to myself to try all of these things, even deep sea fishing of which last time I puked for the entire 5 hours out on the water. It still sends a shiver down my spine to think of it but I don't want to be leaving this oasis without getting as much out of it as possible.
We therefore decided last Sunday to have a golf lesson. Darron Swan is the head golf pro at Belmont Hills Golf Club, just up the road from us. "You played before" he asked me? "Yes lots, but on and off and not for years," I replied. He asked me to take a couple of shots, I did and he shook his head and said that he will treat me like a beginner!
But it was enjoyable and we booked a block of lessons and I have another one Sunday and I'll expect to do some more after they finish. I don't want to be good, I just want to be competent, and I sincerely hope I'm not one of those blokes that practices his swing at the coffee machine or talks about his seven-iron like it's a newborn, god that would be so bloody boring. ¶ 10:00
