The Pure Joy of Summer Golf

mjsc1970

Rarely a comp on in our place on a Sunday, so not that many play.

Was there about 7 chasing the greenkeeper from green to green.

charlieIRL

charlieIRL wrote: »

Am due to play at 5:34 today, glorious sunshine here at the moment but according to forecast - I think I'll be heading home instead. Fingers crossed its not too bad, I don't mind rain, it the lightening that would put me off.

Didn’t get to post about this yesterday. So much for summer golf!! We were only playing about 30 minutes when the thunder started and just as we were walking off the 9th the sky lit up with lightening. Not long after the heavens opened and that was the end of that for the day. ☹️

Going out tomorrow morning so hopefully the forecast is right again and it stays fine.

davegilly

On my holidays this week and played two opens eaely in the week at Killeen and Corballis before heading away with family. 23 points and 25 points (highest ever total!!) It was so nice to be able to enjoy the round in beautiful weather, walking around in shorts. Pity it can't be like this all the time.

I've played 5 qualifying comps in total since I started last summer, 16, 21, 20, 23 and now 25 points!

Looks like I must be getting better

Dero123

5th Saturday in a row to play in shorts don’t ever remember doing that in Ireland before. Makes a chance from playing with layers of clothes on

FixdePitchmark

"It was in the year of eighty-eight, in the lovely month of June,
When the gadflies were swarming and dogs howling at the moon"

What a day on the east coast - played St Anne's on Dollymount Strand. The sun has created that unique golden brown links color you rarely see - a sign of a great Irish summer, when you have it June.

The course was empty - the ball was flying in a warm wind from the north. The game is a dream in Ireland when you get one like that. The perfect conditions illustrated by the clear views of Howth Head and using your pinseaker you could see the mountains for as far as the earth's curvature would allow, to Wicklow.

I had a few flashbacks from the past looking at Howth - summer days when young - golf in Deer park - The long waits for a round with the Dad drinking a pint, admiring the stunning Dublin Bay ("this is like heaven here son" - he would say) and getting your first par or birdie - then a 10 straight after, in this horribly difficult game. You could feel brilliant and terrible in one day - but them days ingrained in the brain - a memory of joy in the past. Time.

So many rounds of golf since then - but the game still holds a surprise in store every time you go out. Will you be good, will you get a par , will you get a birdie and these days happily- is an eagle on ?

And the game was easy today - the ball getting to places you struggle to remember getting to before. 9 irons and 8 irons onto par 5s. Wind and heat and carry and time in the air. Time, Time, Time.

12 holes with 1 eagle putt and 8 birdie putts in there. Golf of dreams. But the ball just wouldn't drop.

The frustration of the game is still perplexing, not a 10 like the past , but why, why they fall one day, why they don't another - your arms - your follow through - your mind - your hands - the way you woke up - they way the earth turns or is aligned in orbit at that exact moment in time - who knows.

Time , time , time.

Was asked recently a tough question - "why do you play golf ?".

Genuinely hadn't the answer - why?

It is probably the deepest question someone has asked me. Most people see this game as something to do - entertainment - fun - a laugh - friendship - a challenge - a walk - to pass time ?

Is there ever going to be an epiphany at some point, where the answer to why any of us play golf is discovered.

I don't know.

But you practice and spend time in the cold and rain and dark - for days like today.

Time changes again - and we turn a corner with hope after a tough year for weather.

" this place is heaven son ".

Great days.