Ok I’ll admit that I’m a tad non-plussed. I was at Nicola’s leaving doo in Charlotte Square last week and was a bit annoyed at the women demonstrating about the destruction of their rights as a result of that GRB nonsense. In principle of course they have a point but what about men’s rights too?

In St Andrews I’m rather up against it on that front, all said. But now I’ve decided to try my hand at getting membership at St Rule’s (for the bridge), The St Andrews Ladies Putting Club (for the putting) and the St Andrews Ladies Bridge Club (for the gossip).

And I’m not going to fill out a gender recognition certificate to change anything. No chance.

Let’s see how this one swings?

However I think there is about as much chance of it as me getting ‘put up’ for the R&A. What?

I’m so glad though that they changed back the old Swilken and taken away the Dobbie’s patio extensions. That sort of thing only works on April the first chaps. It’s Feb.

Now, the next stop gentlemen is to revert the name of the shop by the 18th green of the Old, ‘The Open’, back to ‘Old Tom Morris’ and the poor chap may stop oscillating in his grave somewhat.

Pigs may fly of course. But hope springs eternal and all that.

You do wonder sometimes at the mentality of the powers that be at the Links Trust, the body that runs the golf in St Andrews. For now they have put patios either side of the Swilken Bridge. It’s awful. They have totally ruined the most iconic scene in the world of golf. Period.

Of course the Links Trust have a history of doing this sort of thing. A few years ago they renamed the wonderful ‘Old Tom Morris’ shop by the eighteenth green as ‘The Open’!

Sacrilege what?

And of course I do have my personal gripe with them as well for banning from me working down at the Old Course after I wrote a tongue in cheek article on the R@A. I have framed my final letter of warning from them on this matter. That is priceless. And I am rather proud of it. I quite liked that article too mind you. Shame they rather saw the wrong side of it what.

These chaps really have to get with it a bit. But this last act of desecration on the Old Course itself is a real shocker.

I imagine though that, like Dom Raab’s tenure on the front benches now, these Dobbie’s patios won’t be there for long.