Dave and I were at school together and started playing golf at the same time. He was always a far better sportsman than me though, being much more athletic and naturally gifted, although we both played in the first team at rugby and cricket.
He was a superb full back with a huge boot, an awesome fast bowler and a mean, big-hitting batsman.
It was no surprise then that he got much better at goff than me. In fact he came top spot in the Qualifying School for the European Tour.
He didn’t make a success on tour though. In fact he said he lost a pile load of money and bagged a divorce into the bargain.
However, he landed one of the best pro-jobs on the planet as head professional at the Carnegie Club at Skibo Castle. He’s been there for seventeen years now.
I was in contact last week, as I would like to go up and play the course with a view to writing an article on the place.
I think it’s a pretty rum idea to be honest. Dave and I could have a game and we could catch up on the last 45 years of our lives and compare our very different career paths. Dave kind of concentrated on golf whereas I meandered through university, bumming in the Alps, primary school teaching, ski teaching, golf teaching (well animateur at Club Med!), chartered accountancy, wine salesman, jobbing gardener, investment banker bod, insurance clerk, breakfast chef, florist, cafe owner, golf caddie, turf speculator, failed restaurateur, failed ski rep, roustabout, ski and golf company operator, plongeur, blogger, columnist for a golf magazine in Hong Kong, now defunct. Shall I go on? No.
So we would have a lot to chat about.
And of course, I wouldn’t be averse to sampling the menu at Skibo Castle either and having a wee peep at the wine list over a G@T in front of their big log fire.
In fact it would make a rather nice weekend, all told.
I wonder if Dave is thinking the same?