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There seems to be some interest in a Golf book that actually tells the reader what it's like to play for "fun". I have decided to open a thread here where over time I'll revisit golf courses and particular holes and the antics associated with game. The best place to start is to highlight my own golfing career. I served for 27 years in the Navy and every port we called in some sport would be played versus the locals (largely by invitation), which could range from Rugby to Volleyball to Golf to Football and the likes. The ship always had plenty of volunteers to play as there was always a piss up afterwards and most times we wouldn't win the game but did the piss up. In my early days I played a lot of contact sport when in ports but after a back injury suffered playing a league game, I found myself looking for another sporting outlet less stressful physically than the contact sports and Golf stuck it's ugly hand up. For the first few games I borrowed clubs, but after my mother died in 1988 I was asked by my father if I wanted to buy his clubs. So after I palmed him a quick $150, I was set to become a regular on the golf matches in ports and at home. The clubs were interesting. I dare say they were a size too small for me but figured they must be alright as the Old Man was a damned sight bigger than me and he could use them alright. They were a set of Ben Hogan wooden clubs (about 20 years old at least) and rusty irons and didn't seem to have too much hassles coping with my "power golf" so in the ensuing years I plugged along with these clubs. In 1989 I was posted to HMNZS Monowai, a survey ship that worked primarily around the New Zealand coast, so opportunities to play local courses were magnified and my true love of golf was kicked started. We were also on occasions sent to Australia and the Pacific neighbours, mainly in the Kiwi winter. I was also fortunate to find that Monowai had about a dozen mad keen golfers so when we did arrive in port there was always a full van heading off to the local links for a spot of Bash and Smash. I should note at this stage I had a handicap of between 31 and 33. I considered myself a cross country golfer, as I had a mean slice and sometimes a diabolical hook (trying to correct the slice). I soon got used to the Ben Hogan’s and started playing half decent golf, but not good enough to trouble the prize winners.
Another memorable "night" was the Night Golf tournament we helped instigate (some of the crew were involved in the Takapuna Night Golf experiment). Night golf requires a ball that "glows" in the dark, and Night Sticks on the flag poles for each hole. Normally played over 9 holes and with a bottle of spirits of your choice, the aim is to both play and get f**king pissed in the process. One memorable event was walking onto the 16th and finding a 3 iron embedded in the green from a previous group. The ship was always anchored off Russell and we had to be picked up from the Paihia wharf, usually well after midnight (the Fire Brigade Bar was also our nightclub) but while waiting for the boat to pick us up, we got into a routine of setting up balls on the wharf and hitting them out into the ether, which in this case was the moorings. Never once heard a returning echo of a direct hit!! I think we spent at least six months playing Waitangi, and never got sick of it. Next instalment - The Gang of Twelve tackles St Clair.
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(Unrated)
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