Clubhouse Grille (*** NO LIV DISCUSSIONS ***) (*** NO POLITICS/RELIGION ***)

[tolmij]

> @Reasonability said:

> Hello gents.

>

> Can anyone get me up to speed? What's the latest here at the Grille?

 

Well we are looking to be entertained, but the swinger man has been on holiday looking after his family. Hoping it’s all going well, apart from that life in the Grille is a little quieter but still insane.

[tolmij]

> @scomac2002 said:

> > @Reasonability said:

> > Hello gents.

> >

> > Can anyone get me up to speed? What's the latest here at the Grille?

>

> Well let's see...

>

> @SixtySomePing is now 7-0 in league play!

>

> @Conrad1953 has been enjoying his retirement by the poolside while @scotee has been away camping

>

> @Wriggles drops by on occasion looking ever dapper in his green jacket and bringing us up to speed on his neighbour's adventures with the old Dodge Monaco.

>

> @billh17 , @"BIG STU" , @Qqq123xx and @BicknellCC drop by on occasion to see what we've been up to and add their two cents worth. I think we even had the makes of a discussion on the golf swing at one part or more like an attempt at it in the effort to get the @Reasonability radar sounding off.

>

> @Fellaheen51 is still MIA.

>

> And finally @tolmij and myself have been doing our best impression of Statler and Waldorf...

>

> [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

 

 

Hey, I resemble that remark.?

[SixtySomePing]

Welcome back Reasy, so good to see you on here again, not the same without you.

I won again last night, 8-0. We finished with looming purple skies, a thunderstorm rolling in, which made the last hole quite exhilarating to say the least.

Great music sco. I really like cover music. I've been Fleetwood Mac'ing for a while for whatever reason, there is a good band from the UK called Rumours of Fleetwood Mac, who pretty much exclusively does their stuff, they sound amazingly like them...

Dreams:

You Make Lovin Fun:

[scomac2002]

Oh my Sixty; it's uncanny how much those two girls sound like Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie! Great stuff there, just loved it!

[SixtySomePing]

> @scomac2002 said:

> Oh my Sixty; it's uncanny how much those two girls sound like Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie! Great stuff there, just loved it!

Yeah, the girls are pretty much spot on as well as is the music... https://rumoursoffleetwoodmac.com/the-band

"Sara" I think Jess sounds almost more Stevie than Stevie on this one...

Go Your Own Way

Rhiannon

 

[scomac2002]

Just had to go to their website to get some more of this great coverband.

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAGt1ibzsJ8]

When you blow this up to full screen it's pretty obvious that Jess has a little more in a certain department than Stevie ever could hope for... :blush:

 

That said, I seem to have developed a crush on the long legged one, Emily Gervers. Nevertheless, _The Chain_ is probably my favourite Mac tune.

[SixtySomePing]

> @scomac2002 said:

> Just had to go to their website to get some more of this great coverband.

> [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAGt1ibzsJ8]

> When you blow this up to full screen it's pretty obvious that Jess has a little more in a certain department than Stevie ever could hope for... :blush:

>

> That said, I seem to have developed a crush on the long legged one, Emily Gervers. Nevertheless, _The Chain_ is probably my favourite Mac tune.

 

> @scomac2002 said:

> Just had to go to their website to get some more of this great coverband.

> [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAGt1ibzsJ8]

> When you blow this up to full screen it's pretty obvious that Jess has a little more in a certain department than Stevie ever could hope for... :blush:

>

> That said, I seem to have developed a crush on the long legged one, Emily Gervers. Nevertheless, _The Chain_ is probably my favourite Mac tune.

 

Yeah, a very good song, side by side, I won't post any more of their stuff as not to bore anyone but to hear each of them is pretty cool...

No one could ever replace Lindsey Buckingham. Too bad they tried to replace him with two guys this last 6 months, didn't work...One thing I always thought was so unique about him was that in all his lead guitar parts he never used a pick, whether Travis picking or just flat out blaring lead parts.

The Chain with the real FM

The Chain with the Cover FM Rumours

[Reasonability]

The kindnesses extended by my friends here are overwhelming. Truly.

 

Won't barf out what the last couple of months have been like for Mom or myself. The good news is there's an ironic side to dementia whereby a person sort of loses the ability to worry. She's pretty much coasting through it as well as could be hoped for. For all she's endured, the countless medical hand-offs, even having her purse robbed of cash, she's hanging in there. As for me. I have an axe and I know how to use it.

 

Thanks also for helping me catch up. The Grille recently celebrated her birthday. Sorry I missed the party but truly appreciate those who kept the lights on.

 

Fella, if it's in you, and you see this, I for one am turning to my buds for a little simple taste of life. Something that's been hard to come by of late. Sure would appreciate it if you'd hop back in long enough for your old buddy Reason to know you're ok.

 

As to golf discussions. Count me in. Haven't been able to tee it up much these days but did get a Father's Day round in and have managed to squeeze in one lesson in the last month. Lots of rust but I'm game for discussions just to get the juices flowing.

 

Enough about selfish me. I genuinely hope and trust you good people have been doing very well. You all deserve happiness and health. You've been missed on a level I have no words for.

[Conrad1953]

> @Reasonability said:

> The kindnesses extended by my friends here are overwhelming. Truly.

>

> Won't barf out what the last couple of months have been like for Mom or myself. The good news is there's an ironic side to dementia whereby a person sort of loses the ability to worry. She's pretty much coasting through it as well as could be hoped for. For all she's endured, the countless medical hand-offs, even having her purse robbed of cash, she's hanging in there. As for me. I have an axe and I know how to use it.

>

> Thanks also for helping me catch up. The Grille recently celebrated her birthday. Sorry I missed the party but truly appreciate those who kept the lights on.

>

> Fella, if it's in you, and you see this, I for one am turning to my buds for a little simple taste of life. Something that's been hard to come by of late. Sure would appreciate it if you'd hop back in long enough for your old buddy Reason to know you're ok.

>

> As to golf discussions. Count me in. Haven't been able to tee it up much these days but did get a Father's Day round in and have managed to squeeze in one lesson in the last month. Lots of rust but I'm game for discussions just to get the juices flowing.

>

> Enough about selfish me. I genuinely hope and trust you good people have been doing very well. You all deserve happiness and health. You've been missed on a level I have no words for.

 

We're happy you're back!

 

Some swing talk has popped up and your name was called on to chime in.

Of course, you would have to skim the posts now to find the swing related

ones but they are there.

 

I share your concern about Fella and have voiced it a few times. It's been a

good while since we've heard his unique take on things. It would be good if

he would drop a word or 2 in here to let us know he's OK.

[howellhandmade]

> @Reasonability said:

> The good news is there's an ironic side to dementia whereby a person sort of loses the ability to worry. She's pretty much coasting through it as well as could be hoped for. For all she's endured, the countless medical hand-offs, even having her purse robbed of cash, she's hanging in there.

 

 

That’s kinda my mom at this point. Just starting to circle the medical vortex, serenely. Part of me wishes she could/would fight harder, but then she wouldn’t have the acceptance.

 

Swing talk: since I returned to golf after a 15-year hiatus for kids, I’ve struggled with letting go of the club at the top and re-gripping during the downswing. I think this gave me a sense of the length in my swing that I used to have before the hiatus, but has made me horribly inconsistent. And a big wearer-out of golf gloves. This past week I think I’ve found the feel to break that habit. The feel is a death grip at the top/in transition, then relax through impact. It has made the swing feel very short and quick, but I track driving distance with my gps watch, and it certainly hasn’t hurt. Today made It on two par 5s in two and finally drove a drivable par 4.

 

 

[Conrad1953]

For those celebrating............have a wonderful 4th tomorrow!

[Reasonability]

> @howellhandmade said:

> > @Reasonability said:

> > The good news is there's an ironic side to dementia whereby a person sort of loses the ability to worry. She's pretty much coasting through it as well as could be hoped for. For all she's endured, the countless medical hand-offs, even having her purse robbed of cash, she's hanging in there.

>

>

> That’s kinda my mom at this point. Just starting to circle the medical vortex, serenely. Part of me wishes she could/would fight harder, but then she wouldn’t have the acceptance.

>

> Swing talk: since I returned to golf after a 15-year hiatus for kids, I’ve struggled with letting go of the club at the top and re-gripping during the downswing. I think this gave me a sense of the length in my swing that I used to have before the hiatus, but has made me horribly inconsistent. And a big wearer-out of golf gloves. This past week I think I’ve found the feel to break that habit. The feel is a death grip at the top/in transition, then relax through impact. It has made the swing feel very short and quick, but I track driving distance with my gps watch, and it certainly hasn’t hurt. Today made It on two par 5s in two and finally drove a drivable par 4.

>

>

 

It's surreal isn't it? Your watching your own mom go thru things that not very long ago would have unleashed heavy reactions. But now that fighter is on the ropes getting pummeled with gloves down, just taking it. And we sit here watching it completely unable to stop it.

 

The last three fingers of my lead hand famously opened at the top of the backswing for probably the first half of my golfing life. Like you, I wore the heel pad out of countless gloves. Got that blister on the trail hand thumb and pointer finger to go with it, too.

 

What I won't do is:

 

* Proclaim to be cured (and with that also hint the cure saved me 20 strokes/round).

* Project on to you what you need to do or not do... especially given how you're clearly happy with things of late.

 

All I can share is for me personally, I discovered the handle wasn't quite deep enough in the lead hand fingers. The handle ran too much thru the palm. I actually wasn't searching for ways to avoid opening my fingers at the top and re-gripping in transition, but rather I was hoping to set my wrists going back and freely and fully release the club through the ball. By some whacky default mechanism, the grip change brought with it a more consistent grip pressure and less instinctive desire to open those fingers at the top. Wasn't fishing for that re-gripping issue per se, but that's the fish I caught via working on my grip.

 

The good news for us both is we're both happy with how it turned out - in our own individual way. Here's to both of us. And our Moms.

 

 

[tolmij]

Welcome back Reason you have been missed, one by one the Grille is returning to its previous numbers, hopefully Fella will read and decide to once again join in.

 

Sco and I have had some pleasant conversations whilst stopping Gus shutting up shop, back to the mill and happy 4th to you all, have a pleasant day.

[SixtySomePing]

Happy 4th everyone. Our State Fair starts in less than 3 weeks now, which is sort of a summer turning point for us in that it starts the chain for all of the county fairs which lead into fall and college football. Incredible how time flies.

[scomac2002]

Happy 4th of July to all my southern neighbours. I'm privileged to call you my friends! I hope that everyone is enjoying the day with family and friends. :smiley:

[scotee]

> @scomac2002 said:

> Happy 4th of July to all my southern neighbours. I'm privileged to call you my friends! I hope that everyone is enjoying the day with family and friends. :smiley:

 

Thank you Sco. Nice to have good neighbors. Hope you had a great Canada Day. My son in law is a dually as are the two grand kids. Some good perks there.

 

[billh17]

Best of the 4th to all of you ! Hot and humid here in southern Ohio. Actually got to play 9 holes today. The course was almost empty, thanks to the hot temps and it being a family type holiday

not much in the way of weather the last few days,and we are finally drying out a little !

[tolmij]

Was going to play today but rained fairly hard which is unusual for us in winter, also blowing very hard which is not safe on a gum tree lined course, large branches fall quite often, gum trees are not called widow makers for no reason. Early European settlers had many people killed because they camped under gum trees, we had four removed from our front garden when they shed branches that totally closed the road.

 

Hope the 4th went well for all of you, the friendship in the Grille is heartening to see, stay safe Grillers.

 

?????‍♂️?

[Reasonability]

When did you gents play your very first round of golf? Who if anyone was there with you? Is that course still there?

[tolmij]

> @Reasonability said:

> When did you gents play your very first round of golf? Who if anyone was there with you? Is that course still there?

 

Early 20s, played with a factory social group, around 20/30 players, many really good golfers but I had never picked up a club. They grouped together and made us a set, three of us, put me on the first tee and said hit it that way, pointing down the fairway. Obviously they put us on maximum handicap, no idea what it was but I remember it was a score of 19 on stableford. Played two rounds the same day, tee off around 6am, lunch in a local pub then teed off early pm for 2nd round. No problem as fitness was not a concern as at that time I was in the middle of my judo career. Round about 8pm when we finished not dark until nearly 10 pm in an English summer. Finished the day with a few more in the local Pub.

 

Course is still there as it is in a non build zone, next to Birmingham international airport.

[Wriggles]

> @Reasonability said:

> When did you gents play your very first round of golf? Who if anyone was there with you? Is that course still there?

 

I may have regaled you gents how I started to play golf, hitting a few balls with a pal's late grandfather's 3w and 5i. Played miniature golf with Dad before the real thing for a year or so, around age 11. At age 12, (1964) Dad took me to a real golf course, Pettibon's Raccoon Golf Course, one of the public courses. Dad only played golf a few times in his life, and didn't own clubs. We rented a set of LH beat up clubs for .50, and green fees for me was $1. Dad walked along free of charge, (no more free walkers now anymore) listening to the ball game on his Admiral transistor radio.

I hacked the ball all over the place in the course of nine holes. i wouldn't guess how many strokes, several hundred, I guess. Dad got snacks at the end of the fifth hole, right near the clubhouse. Usually a Nehi grape or RC Cola for me, along with a Bun Candy bar (vanilla) and a bag of Spanish peanuts.

We had many nice times together golfing. The golf course closed up in 1969, to make way for the first local shopping mall. Now, the entire area, about a 15 walk from Aunt Mildred's home, is more like a shopping center mecca. Used to very rural, where you heard roosters crowing and barnyard animals while golfing or visiting Auntie. A walk now to the heavily travelled four lane put in around 1970 would put your life in danger.

Got clubs piecemeal one at a time, with birthday and Christmas money, putter, 5Ii, 3W, 3i. by 1966. In 1968, Dad bought me a half set ($3) of pyratone Wright and Ditson clubs, in an ancient canvas Sunday bag. Used the Wrights until buying a set of Wilsons for work league play in 1975.

Didn't play much golf from 1968 on, after the course closed. Military, work, etc. Started to play regularly again, in the mid 1980's. Still was pretty bad, always last pick for leagues.

My game improved readily in the late 1980's. Due to my ongoing self employed/unemployed status, my game improved dramatically.

Just commented to myself yesterday, after two back to back birdies, "Not caring how you play is the best golf tip."

Cheers!

[SixtySomePing]

> @Reasonability said:

> When did you gents play your very first round of golf? Who if anyone was there with you? Is that course still there?

In the summer of '65 when I was 14. Baseball was my sport but I had been watching golf on tv for a while and liked it. I bought a terribly unmatched set at what we would call a flea market now, 3-5-7-9 irons, driver and putter. Plasticky bag and some balls. I had some friends who did the same. One of our Mom's would drive us to the course, and we would play on a lazy summer day, that's all it took, we were hooked. This was in North Tonawanda NY. So my first round probably would have been about this month after we moved from Ohio earlier in the year. I have no idea if the course is still there, it was somewhere on the edge of town, just a simple course, nothing fancy. We didn't know what we were doing but we learned fast, sharing what we saw on tv, we had hot dogs and coke, and maybe a snickers after the front 9, that was a big deal. Also, it didn't matter what our score was, we just went out to have fun, funny how golf has gone full circle...

 

[tolmij]

> @Wriggles said:

> > @Reasonability said:

> > When did you gents play your very first round of golf? Who if anyone was there with you? Is that course still there?

>

> I may have regaled you gents how I started to play golf, hitting a few balls with a pal's late grandfather's 3w and 5i. Played miniature golf with Dad before the real thing for a year or so, around age 11. At age 12, (1964) Dad took me to a real golf course, Pettibon's Raccoon Golf Course, one of the public courses. Dad only played golf a few times in his life, and didn't own clubs. We rented a set of LH beat up clubs for .50, and green fees for me was $1. Dad walked along free of charge, (no more free walkers now anymore) listening to the ball game on his Admiral transistor radio.

> I hacked the ball all over the place in the course of nine holes. i wouldn't guess how many strokes, several hundred, I guess. Dad got snacks at the end of the fifth hole, right near the clubhouse. Usually a Nehi grape or RC Cola for me, along with a Bun Candy bar (vanilla) and a bag of Spanish peanuts.

> We had many nice times together golfing. The golf course closed up in 1969, to make way for the first local shopping mall. Now, the entire area, about a 15 walk from Aunt Mildred's home, is more like a shopping center mecca. Used to very rural, where you heard roosters crowing and barnyard animals while golfing or visiting Auntie. A walk now to the heavily travelled four lane put in around 1970 would put your life in danger.

> Got clubs piecemeal one at a time, with birthday and Christmas money, putter, 5Ii, 3W, 3i. by 1966. In 1968, Dad bought me a half set ($3) of pyratone Wright and Ditson clubs, in an ancient canvas Sunday bag. Used the Wrights until buying a set of Wilsons for work league play in 1975.

> Didn't play much golf from 1968 on, after the course closed. Military, work, etc. Started to play regularly again, in the mid 1980's. Still was pretty bad, always last pick for leagues.

> My game improved readily in the late 1980's. Due to my ongoing self employed/unemployed status, my game improved dramatically.

> Just commented to myself yesterday, after two back to back birdies, "Not caring how you play is the best golf tip."

> Cheers!

 

Does no free walks mean that anyone with you not playing has to pay?. DW accompanies me to the course sometimes and drives the cart, no cost for her, they would have major problems trying to get money out of me for a non player

[scomac2002]

My first round of golf was in 1985 on our honeymoon. I'm not sure who's idea it was, probably mine. Gives you an idea of how romantic I was... :flushed:

 

It was mid April and we were honeymooning in Venezeula somewhere on the coast. Don't recall the name of the place, but it was a nice big resort type Eurpean hotel. Very fancy; we went there because it was a new destination and it was cheap. Cheap was important.

 

I booked the round mid week sometime in the morning and a car picked us up and took us to the course. They offered us caddies. I said no as we were first time players. Big mistake! We managed to drag our arses around what was probably a championship length course carrying our bags in 105° heat. She should have divorced me on the spot! We both got fried. I think DW was done after about four holes and I lasted maybe eight and then walked it in...

 

Despite that awful initiation, I would not be detered and played again sporadically, once or twice in the ensuing few years. In 1990 I bought a set of used clubs from a bowling buddy and that started me down the path of playing for real, although it would take another 17 years before I actually would take a lesson and start to try and learn how to play. I still have those original irons and fairway woods that I bought back then having refurbished them and played them several times in the last few years.

[billh17]

First played in 63. It was the summer after i tore my knee up. I played baseball for a lot of years wearing the 'Tools of Ignorance". One of the first things taught is to NEVER plant the spikes of the leg the runner is sliding into.....so after many many years of playing, I planted the foot of that leg and ended my baseball career,since back then they did not have knee surgery where i grew up. We were lucky to have a doctor. Cast for three months and done.

Took up golf,with borrowed/rented set of i believe Spaldings. actually hit a couple of what I thought were pretty good shots. The course had been a cornfield three years prior and the owner was every kids coach as we grew up. Very baseball guru type. Really nice guy.

He spent three years plowing,grading,planting,mowing ....and it was pretty decent.

9 holes,with a couple good ones. I just loved that course,which was the only one i played until

after my forced vacation in the Orient. It closed down five years ago,and i drove out there last year,and it is once again a large cornfield. Doing very well at that also !

[scomac2002]

> @tolmij said:

> > @Wriggles said:

> > > @Reasonability said:

> > > When did you gents play your very first round of golf? Who if anyone was there with you? Is that course still there?

> >

> > I may have regaled you gents how I started to play golf, hitting a few balls with a pal's late grandfather's 3w and 5i. Played miniature golf with Dad before the real thing for a year or so, around age 11. At age 12, (1964) Dad took me to a real golf course, Pettibon's Raccoon Golf Course, one of the public courses. Dad only played golf a few times in his life, and didn't own clubs. We rented a set of LH beat up clubs for .50, and green fees for me was $1. Dad walked along free of charge, (no more free walkers now anymore) listening to the ball game on his Admiral transistor radio.

> > I hacked the ball all over the place in the course of nine holes. i wouldn't guess how many strokes, several hundred, I guess. Dad got snacks at the end of the fifth hole, right near the clubhouse. Usually a Nehi grape or RC Cola for me, along with a Bun Candy bar (vanilla) and a bag of Spanish peanuts.

> > We had many nice times together golfing. The golf course closed up in 1969, to make way for the first local shopping mall. Now, the entire area, about a 15 walk from Aunt Mildred's home, is more like a shopping center mecca. Used to very rural, where you heard roosters crowing and barnyard animals while golfing or visiting Auntie. A walk now to the heavily travelled four lane put in around 1970 would put your life in danger.

> > Got clubs piecemeal one at a time, with birthday and Christmas money, putter, 5Ii, 3W, 3i. by 1966. In 1968, Dad bought me a half set ($3) of pyratone Wright and Ditson clubs, in an ancient canvas Sunday bag. Used the Wrights until buying a set of Wilsons for work league play in 1975.

> > Didn't play much golf from 1968 on, after the course closed. Military, work, etc. Started to play regularly again, in the mid 1980's. Still was pretty bad, always last pick for leagues.

> > My game improved readily in the late 1980's. Due to my ongoing self employed/unemployed status, my game improved dramatically.

> > Just commented to myself yesterday, after two back to back birdies, "Not caring how you play is the best golf tip."

> > Cheers!

>

> Does no free walks mean that anyone with you not playing has to pay?. DW accompanies me to the course sometimes and drives the cart, no cost for her, they would have major problems trying to get money out of me for a non player

 

It depends, but typically walkers that don't play must pay. Insurance reasons. That said, if you're a service person, then you get on the course free of charge as the accessability act demands that all people who want to, can play. For example, if you're vision impaired and you need a spotter, then that person can go on the course without paying as a service person. Typically though, most vision impaired players just use their playing partner as the spotter, so it's not really a practical issue.

[tolmij]

> @scomac2002 said:

> > @tolmij said:

> > > @Wriggles said:

> > > > @Reasonability said:

> > > > When did you gents play your very first round of golf? Who if anyone was there with you? Is that course still there?

> > >

> > > I may have regaled you gents how I started to play golf, hitting a few balls with a pal's late grandfather's 3w and 5i. Played miniature golf with Dad before the real thing for a year or so, around age 11. At age 12, (1964) Dad took me to a real golf course, Pettibon's Raccoon Golf Course, one of the public courses. Dad only played golf a few times in his life, and didn't own clubs. We rented a set of LH beat up clubs for .50, and green fees for me was $1. Dad walked along free of charge, (no more free walkers now anymore) listening to the ball game on his Admiral transistor radio.

> > > I hacked the ball all over the place in the course of nine holes. i wouldn't guess how many strokes, several hundred, I guess. Dad got snacks at the end of the fifth hole, right near the clubhouse. Usually a Nehi grape or RC Cola for me, along with a Bun Candy bar (vanilla) and a bag of Spanish peanuts.

> > > We had many nice times together golfing. The golf course closed up in 1969, to make way for the first local shopping mall. Now, the entire area, about a 15 walk from Aunt Mildred's home, is more like a shopping center mecca. Used to very rural, where you heard roosters crowing and barnyard animals while golfing or visiting Auntie. A walk now to the heavily travelled four lane put in around 1970 would put your life in danger.

> > > Got clubs piecemeal one at a time, with birthday and Christmas money, putter, 5Ii, 3W, 3i. by 1966. In 1968, Dad bought me a half set ($3) of pyratone Wright and Ditson clubs, in an ancient canvas Sunday bag. Used the Wrights until buying a set of Wilsons for work league play in 1975.

> > > Didn't play much golf from 1968 on, after the course closed. Military, work, etc. Started to play regularly again, in the mid 1980's. Still was pretty bad, always last pick for leagues.

> > > My game improved readily in the late 1980's. Due to my ongoing self employed/unemployed status, my game improved dramatically.

> > > Just commented to myself yesterday, after two back to back birdies, "Not caring how you play is the best golf tip."

> > > Cheers!

> >

> > Does no free walks mean that anyone with you not playing has to pay?. DW accompanies me to the course sometimes and drives the cart, no cost for her, they would have major problems trying to get money out of me for a non player

>

> It depends, but typically walkers that don't play must pay. Insurance reasons. That said, if you're a service person, then you get on the course free of charge as the accessability act demands that all people who want to, can play. For example, if you're vision impaired and you need a spotter, then that person can go on the course without paying as a service person. Typically though, most vision impaired players just use their playing partner as the spotter, so it's not really a practical issue.

 

I suppose insurance reasons are more important there than in Australia where we are privy to completely free medical treatment. As a pensioner with no health insurance we are very well looked after by the public hospital system. The only difference between public and private in Australia is being allowed to choose your doctor and faster service for non urgent procedures. Because of DW having health problems we had to use our local hospital several times over the past 10 years and could not have wished for better attention.

 

I think also there is not the same propensity to sue in Australia, the litigiousness in your continent must send shivers through every owner if anything happens to someone on the course, the Australian “She’ll be right mate” attitude more or less accepts it was an accident and no ones fault

[scotee]

> @Reasonability said:

> When did you gents play your very first round of golf? Who if anyone was there with you? Is that course still there?

 

Good subject Reasey. I am enjoying hearing the stories and the fact that some of us have so much in common.

 

I started playing in seventh grade (1964) with two uncles and a great uncle. My dad played once or twice a year but generally thought golf was a waste of time. He was a workaholic. My brother and I kind of rebelled and take much more time for leisure than he did. He did kick our butts and made sure that we got an education. We both went to dental school. He dropped out of high school but later went back for an equivalency to get into Barber college.

 

We mostly played at two burned out cheap tracks in Riverside and San Bernardino Calif. I looked on Google Maps and found the one in Riverside. It used to be called Springbrook. It is still there but looks abandoned and not in use. It was wide open with flat parallel fairways that we walked. We learned to hit it far and go find it. I had a mix and match half set of used clubs until I saved up for a full set in college.

 

I found this pic of my Dad and I and a cousin in law and his step dad. It was the last round with my Dad in Arizona 4 years ago. It will most likely be our last together. He is very short of breath and weak after a heart attack two years ago. He is 87 and the one with the turquoise hat and glasses. He never took golf seriously but had a very athletic lash at the ball very much like Arnold Palmer. He was very bad at keeping score and loved to look for golf balls. He sometimes embarrassed my brother and I when he would go wading in the pond for those free balls.

 

I am glad that golf is still a good part of my life. I have enjoyed it for a long time.

 

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Riverside,+CA/@34.0085275,-117.3619756,1455m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x80dca6df7ff47dbb:0xf7a1d705135e0ae8!8m2!3d33.9806005!4d-117.3754942

 

[Conrad1953]

Well, a friend down the street from me when we were kids............his dad

was an avid golfer and played a lot at El Dorado golf course in Long Beach,

CA.

 

He would take us with him to the course on the weekends and we kids

would fish for bluegill in the water hazards (in safe carefully chosen places).

We caught a lot of bluegill every time we went and had loads of fun.

 

https://www.eldoradoparkgc.com/

 

The course is still there and going strong (it's a muni) as part of the City

of Long Beach parks and recreation dept. A few years back I think MC

posted a video of Monte playing the Long Beach Open there.

 

I can't remember when I actually first took up a club and started playing.

When we were kids we looked at golf as a game for old people, lol, and

were not interested in playing.

 

I think I was in my early 20s by the time I actually played a round of golf.

Most certainly it was with my dad, who took up the game and wanted me

to join him on the course, and also play in the games with his real estate

buddies......so my best guess would place my first official round sometime

in 1977 or so, with my dad, on one of the many munis in SoCal; I think

most of which are still there.

[howellhandmade]

> @Reasonability said:

> When did you gents play your very first round of golf? Who if anyone was there with you? Is that course still there?

 

My first round is not as memorable as my first golf shot. Maybe 7 or 8 years old, I bought one club and one ball at a garage sale from a neighbor across the alley. The transaction was unsupervised. I doubt I had more than 50 cents to my name so I don’t remember exactly what I paid and I have no idea what club it was other than it was an iron. My neighbor whose back yard adjoined ours was a retired dean of the community college and an avid golfer, went to the local country club nearly every day. I loved him and was probably a bit of a pest as I often talked to him as he practiced chipping in his back yard and watched for him to come home in order to run out and play tunes I had just learned on the clarinet for him. He was a kindly, scholarly gentleman, smoked a pipe, never sent me away or let on that I was anything other than fascinating, sort of filled the spot left by grandfathers who were departed on one side and a distant (in every sense) alcoholic on the other. I believe he and his wife were childless, and I still wonder why he never put a club in my hands and gave me a proper start. We didn’t have a TV so I had never seen a golf shot except for his little five- and ten-yard chips, but at least I knew what a golf club was and sort of what you did with it, so there I was in my back yard with my club and ball.

 

I had never swung a club before, so I don’t know exactly what happened except that somehow I absolutely flushed it. It felt like only a flushed golf shot feels, and the ball leapt off the club with unimaginable speed and at an unimaginable trajectory, straight and high. Unimaginable is key because if I’d had any idea what was going to happen I would have aligned myself differently. As it was, with nearly simultaneous exhilaration and horror, I put the ball straight through my parents’ bedroom window. Since my golf club was immediately confiscated I didn’t bother to ask for the ball back, and in a total elapsed time of ten minutes or less my early golfing career was over.

 

My dad probably wasn’t thinking of that episode when I was in college and he told me, “You know, son, you should learn to play golf. That’s where the deals are made, on the golf course.” He died just a few years later and I took up golf shortly after that, when a fellow clarinet grad student taught me to play. Despite playing a lot of golf I’ve still never made a deal. I do envy the swings and games of people who learned to play as kids, and I’ve often thought of my dad’s advice and what might have been if instead of being so angry about the window he had realized that he had a golf prodigy on his hands.