It was the St Andrews Club’s 175th anniversary autumn competition on the Old at the weekend and what fine company and weather we had.
As ever, my first tee shot rather challenged the cars and vans parked up alongside the 18th fairway. It elicited a loud ‘Oh’ from an onlooker behind which did amuse me. And I suppose ‘Oh’ is all you could possibly say about that golf shot and unruly swing.
My final tee shot did no better though. I think it landed somewhere in between the Rusacks Hotel, the St Andrews Club outside patio and a few elderly tourists. However, astonishingly, it also came back into bounds and without being injurious. Maybe the club should consider getting a red flag to raise when I am loitering around this part of the Old, with driver in hand.
I saw old caddie mates, Cologne Tom and Dave Jack, out on the course and had some hearty banter with these stout chaps. It is always nice to see cheery, friendly faces on the links and these two are definitely that. An enormous credit to the St Andrews caddie ranks.
Tom has obviously now read my blog post and nicknaming him ‘Cologne Tom’. I just hope the very favourable words I wrote about him in my HK Golf article (http://www.hkgolfer.com/features/tipping-point) get to his attention.
I have bet Javid as next Conservative leader at 4 to 1. Surely Boris will not get in? We can’t have a Soap Show like America? Please No. We don’t deserve two capacious hot air balloons at either side of the Atlantic. They would just try and out-hairdoo each other for a start and it would be most pitiful to watch. Can you imagine all that tousling, garbling and inane styled floppery? All the self aggrandizement and sugar coated, vainglorious sycophantic silliness? And listen, I am not just being envious of their hirsute attributes here. No. I’d much rather be bald and green than the blond bombshell that is Boris the Bold or Trumpy the twittering twit. Rich though they are.
England miraculously defeated India in the first Test at Egdbaston, which caused an upset and more than a few fumbles in the slips. I really must get to Edgbaston one day, as indeed everyone should read ‘England their England’ by AG MacDonell. It was my Dads and Ian Hislops’ favourite book. Most recommended. Excellent wordcraft.
I have never realized how important fielding, and indeed catching, is in cricket. I suppose the parallel in life is having sound friends, a good wife and an understanding bank manager. But let’s not delve too deeply into this.
It’s only a game of cricket.
But, I suppose life is actually.
And I’m just going in for tea.