Crazy Golf

It was indeed crazy golf at the end of the women’s ANA Inspiration at Mission Hills, which saw Mirim Lee chip in for the third time of the day to secure a playoff place and eventually win at the first extra hole.

But that third chip-in was not the craziest part of the day. Because that centred around a tarpaulin ‘wall’ erected behind the green on the last. Officials seemingly wanted to recreate the feeling of the usual grandstand. But all they did was effectively provide a wide back-stop to dropping into the lake. It was so placed that it invited an over-hit second shot on the critical par 5 last and a free drop from the back of the green. Mirim seemingly hit a huge hook into it, dropped and as said, chipped in for her eagle.

But this is surely not cricket? Or in fact maybe it is more cricket than golf? Well at the least it was crazy golf. For such a situation in a major is just crazy.

The LPGA should have some serious questions to answer over it. They should surely have envisioned this farcical outcome?

And I suggest a wee rule change whereby this cannot again happen. You should not be allowed to gain advantage by intentionally hitting into a place whereby you gain the advantage of a free drop.

The kilted caddie rule.

Now, there’s a crazy thought?

Oh, I can just sense my destined calling to the Bautherwhillery Club becoming ever so much closer to a reality. Think I could make quite a rum job of it on the rules committee.

Crazy how things work out.

Watch your balls!

I was rather aghast and taken aback yesterday, as two older couples were party to stealing my ball which I hit to the front of the 18th green on the Old.

Not only did one of them steal it (one of the ‘gentlemen’ by all accounts), but they all denied it when I ran and confronted them! Blatantly lied to my face! How very pitiful. I had to make the salient point that we had all left primary school. Indeed way back.

Two guys, independently, who were looking on at the 18th green, attested to the fact that one bloke in that group had definitely picked up my ball. They willingly gave me their names and numbers in evidence.

I immediately phoned the New Club Secretary to complain and got a very sympathetic ear from the nice and helpful chap there.

The Links Trust chap, however, was not so keen to pursue the matter and asked me what I think he should do about it? saying that they were snowed under.

In fact he kind of irritated me a bit when he asked if I’d apologised for hitting into them! To which I rather pointed out that I was not going to apologize for hitting into them after one bloke had nabbed my ball.

Bit of a shame all round. It was the first time I’d driven the eighteenth and a wee birdie would have secured the match.

Such is my luck!

But it does still appear that the Links Trust and me are nay entirely on the same wavelength yet like?

Swedish virologist had huge point

Yes I remember listening with great interest to the Swedish virologist chap who masterminded that country’s alternative response to the Covid pandemic.

And what he said most presciently was that once you are into a lockdown, it’s very hard to come out of it.

I don’t think this was at the forefront of Boris and clan’s minds’ as they quickly put the UK into a full scale lockdown back in March. And I suppose that’s very understandable. But what truth is in the statement now as our country struggles to get back to work and find a coherent policy and way forward. It’s become a nightmare and you just feel that the political response is very unsatisfactory and just wildly shooting in the dark.

It bodes very badly for the UK economy for sure and I don’t see any easy way back now. You just have to be very surprised that there’s not been a much bigger hit on the stock market. The jobs market is getting dire and heaven help the many independent business’s on the edge of all this.

And in the meantime we seem to have forgotten all about Brexit.

But what a relief that is.