Not literally actually because I don’t think she plays cricket and besides I think she passed, but I was bowled over by her role in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie which I watched this week. Her performance is extraordinary and so is the film and the wit of Muriel Spark, which I hadn’t quite realised. What a wonderful wit. Would that I could have met her.
Anyway that’s about as random a start to a golf blog that you could get right? So let’s get onto the footy now. The World Cup is warming up like the UK weather and my golf sometimes. Scotland play Brazil tonight and this as we know could go anywhere. Such is Scottish football. If anything we know that the Tartan Army will win.
Now I am going to start my rant at the authorities who are in charge of making the decisions about the Old Course.
Of course we all remember the patio disaster in front of the Swilcan Bridge a couple of years back. So this doesn’t exactly inspire one with the judgement of the decision makers in charge of the Old Lady right?
So this year they have added a few extra bunkers, the most significant being the 2 large ones down 16 in order to deter the pros hitting down the 3rd hole. Except I don’t think it will as they can just lay short of them still. One single deep pot bunker somewhere 50 yards in front of these would have been far more effective in my opinion and been easier to do. Bunkered magazine thought so too as they posted my letter and I won a bottle of whisky for it. Whey hey!
But now to my latest gripe. This year they have tarmacked the road behind the 17th. This is ok in theory but it is pretty concave and the ball is sometimes rolling into the grass verge and leaving an almost unplayable lie. I say ”sometimes’ but for example it happened 2 times out of the 3 matches of the St Andrews Golf Club Championship Finals on Friday night! My point is made.
It could have been the deciding factor in the 1st division final had not the ultimate winner, who did look more than unhappy with his lie, not rather fluke a putt off the bank up to about 6 feet from the pin. This could so easily have ended differently. I would hate to see the reaction of a McIlroy or a Scheffler at finding themselves in such a lie courtesy of Tarmac.
So if I can bring this issue on the Road Hole to the attention of those in charge of the Old Course then I will be most satisfied. I will start by penning a letter to Bunkered and hopefully win another bottle of usqua’bae. But please please not another Glen Moray.
My golf by the way is on the verge of a huge sea change. As I said before I can’t fully explain it at the moment. It’s too big. Too valuable. It’s a combo of Nelly Korda, Miguel Angel and that Bobby Jones chappy. Keep it steep and deep.
Fare forward passengers.