More typical scenario than you’d think on the Peninsula right now.
Desperate for a game last Friday arvo and head down to the local, probably the cheapest option around for the holiday crowd. Not as packed as I expected and 3 groups let me through, and I arrive at the 6th, up hill par three, green 140 m away. Three adults, one cart, tight fit no doubt, 2 women and one alpha male. From the tee I see him chip from beyond the green, tough shot I know from experience, fast, down hill and a touchy bunker waiting. Can’t see the ball, eyes are too crap, but I do see him pound the club into the ground at least 10 times, he then assumes the hammer thrower mode and tosses the club at least 40 metres towards said bunker, flies over one woman’s head as she ducked, the other clearly understands what to expect and heads for the cart at the back of the green. Alpha male walks, apparently calmy, to the bunker, picks up the tossed club, I assume a hired sand wedge or 60, and takes his first shot from a pretty deep bunker. Pregnant pause. Then he takes one step forward and takes his second. This time it came out. He walks from the bunker, pauses and then hurls the club straight at the cart, 40 metres away, better hammer thrower than golfer. The club clatters into the cart where the other woman is hiding with her hands over her head. He then calmly walks to the cart, grabs his putter and 3 putts for a 7 and drives off, 2 women in tow.
He let me through on the next hole and I got a look at them. The bloke staring into the distance at a doom laden horizon was 40 something, Alpha Dad, the woman with a fixed grin clearly his wife, the one taking cover in the cart, maybe 14 year old daughter.
Basically a family holiday outing.
You have to laugh, because it’s so ridiculous. But you also worry about the wife & daughter in general. Most club throwing I’ve seen over the years has been far directed internally and directed far away from other people. Throwing deliberately in the direction of family is very concerning
Very extreme. I’ve thought about it a lot since Friday and wonder if one or both of the women laughed or giggled at the errant first shot, or maybe that the wife said something along the lines of “Top shot, Tiger”. Not sure, but daughter who went straight for the cart knew what was brewing.
Did you see them at the end of the round?
No, they were pretty slow and I was solo. Not sure how the conversation would have gone. I mean how would he have responded if I’d asked him if he used a bent or “Modified” club in the bunker after he pounded it into the ground and tossed it about. Penalty strokes might need to be added, Good Sir. Must have been hire clubs.
PS The previous group were well back when they let me through so I suspect he had no idea he had an audience. He was “in the moment” as they say.
Nah, not going until Tuesday. Most likely playing on Wednesday.
How’d the golf go SB? I was there yesterday and it was in good nick. The rain drains very well on the course.
TM Qi10Max and Ping G430Max10k the next couple out, both claiming to give you the most forgiveness ever or something
Peter Finch just reviewed both in the same Tube vid and has the Ping winning comfortably.
Give it a few years and the Golf Lords will cut the size and/or mass of heads, absolute monty.
Agree. Probably 400cc first, then wind it all the way back to about 300.
And on “the Ping winning comfortably”, that’s obviously for him. As they say YMMV. For all of these it can be different for different golfers.
Played the east course of Royal Melbourne yesterday. My goodness, those greens. Chipped on at the first. Well timed chip (or so I thought) and just kept rolling into a green side pit. I hit the ball super high and still couldn’t land balls on the green - needed to land them in front of the green and hope for a nice roll. Tough.
Having said that, absolutely stunning course in brilliant condition.
May be the greatest place on earth. You can play out of your mind and have 100, and still love every minute of it!
It was great - was in superb condition. Very lush and green. The putting surfaces were a little slow for my liking but they were holding pretty well; I did not hit the ball particularly well but I was able to chip the ball close on many occasions and managed to come up with many good par saves.
Aesthetically it was very well-maintained and pleasing to play, although I wouldn’t say I found many of the holes particularly memorable or strategic. But it was more than adequate and the people were very nice, although I was a little surprised when a couple of guys joined me for a few holes and were playing in white t-shirts and sandals. I felt a little overdressed.
I was actually there yesterday; I went back in the afternoon to play the pitch and putt with my 14 year-old. So if you saw a stocky guy in a Packers visor carrying a red Ping bag and a lanky kid with bright red Sideshow Bob hair walking around, that was us.
There need to be more practice ranges with AFL posts. Like it should be mandatory.
How’d you set THAT up?
I haven’t played either course at RM yet but I’ve been on the grounds a couple of times - once at the Presidents Cup and then I went down there last year to take photos and videos for Trackman and got access to the entire place, although I obviously couldn’t play it.
I’ve seen the well known Composite holes dozens of times so I was familiar with them, but I was much less up to speed on the outer paddock holes, particularly the bulk of the East Course which I think really holds its own; whilst that part of the course is more residential and certainly on less extreme ground, I still found myself really wanting to play it and was insanely jealous of those who were there. I was watching these old ladies playing Scotch foursomes and it made me smile; I knew I was in a place that was different.
That’s great to hear. Yeah the course setup is a bit dated, there’s plenty of scope to change up some holes though. Also think they are looking at building a new club house soon, it’s very out dated.
I won’t get a chance to have a hit for a bit, currently at the hospital with the misso in labour.
I’m lucky enough to be a member at RM. you’d be surprised to know that the greens are quite a bit slower than for tourneys. RM greens are very hard naturally so apart from being fast, the first bounce is often the thing that surprises visitors. The bounce is very high and races off. Invariably good shots end up in bunkers and that’s the courses natural defence given generous fairways etc. getting drives in play is ‘easy’, being in the right portion of the fairways to give you a chance at accessing pins or hitting greens is McKenzies genius.
It’s a national treasure and its architecture still amazes me all these years later.
One of my best mates is a member. I very rarely hassle him for a round as I know he cops it from many. Had played the West many moons ago and this time back on the East. Really is a special facility.
Now my older son has the bug, so I am looking for a pitch and putt / par-3 course but I can’t seem to find anything that isn’t on the wrong side of town. Even Studley Park looks like a chore to get to for me.
The golfer definitely feels a little bit lonelier in the north and west.