Golf

This is perfectlt true. I was looking at some old stuff and came across a golf card. This was the first time I played golf.
It all came about like this, I had a young man working for me for several years, I even started baking and selling bread rolls to keep him working all the year round. Well he decided to leave but told me that he found someone else who wanted his job. I however decided to close the bakery side and close for the winter months just concentrating on the restaurant side but still doing bread rolls for the restaurant.
I had become great friends with a man who had recently moved to the seaside and was in business too. Well we were together when a salesman who sold catering food came in. On finding out that I had closed the bakery side he stated that I would now have time to go and play golf. My friend stated that he had played golf and had been a member of a golf club at Shirland in Derbyshire. With that the salesman said to us that he would get us an application card, get it proposed and seconded. All we had to do was fill in our names and addresses and he would then pick up the application forms, hand them in and we would become members.
This was just before May and when May Bank Holiday had gone my friend suggested that we go to the golf club. I readily agreed and we duly went to the golf club. Funnily enough I had lived in the area for over 15 years and did not know where to golf course was. He had lived here around 1 year and knew where it was. We arrived there and my friend was showing me how to hold a golf club and how to swing . He had all the equipment well there was a shout from a young lad who turned out to be the golf professional. He stated that the practice area was not where we were and pointed out where it was. My friend stated we had not come to practice but to join. On hearing this he informed us that you could not just join like that. On hearing from my friend that we had the application forms filled and sent in by this salesman, he went straight to the secretary's office, came back and asked if we had any money. My friend had his cheque book so he paid for mine as well plus enough for me to get sufficient gear to start playing. That is half a set. We found out later that the salesman was actually a committee member.
Well by now the time was just after 11.00am and we started to practice, it started off being a lovely dull morning but the sun started to break through the clouds so that by noon there was not a cloud to be seen and hardly any wind at all. About 12.30pm the salesman came over to us. He was pleased that we had joined and told us that he would show us the golf course after he had a pint of beer.
Now I must tell you that although I had worked every day I did not go out and walk at all. After about 20 minutes he came and showed us the locker room made sure that we had a scorecard. He then said to me that I should put on my card"For handicap purposes". I did this and he took my card.
I do not know if you will believe me but my scores were as follows. First hole 11 second 6 third 10 fourth 9 fifth 8 sixth 13 seventh 8 eighth 12 nineth 14. Out in 91 Inward nine as follows. Tenth 8 eleventh 13 twelth 10 thirteenth 9 fourteenth 14 fifteenth 10 sixteenth 14 seventeenth 8 eighteenth 9. Inward 9 totalling 95. A grand total of 186 for a full round. It must be remembered that until that day, I had never picked up a golf club or had any idea of golf at all. I can tell you this though, I was completely shattered and to this day don't know how I managed to cover the last 2 holes. but could not wait to get out on the course again.
When we had finished the round, the salesman suggested that the card would not be used for handicap purposes. I readily agreed. This was by far the highest score I ever attained. I did improve over the next few years. So much so that I managed to get down to a single figure handicap golfer.
I was telling a fellow golfer in the clubhouse who was bemoaning his bad round of golf. I told him that my first round was 186 and that I had managed to get down to a single figure golfer. Well the stewardess, who did the work voluntarily heard me say this, she told a friend that she was going to take up golf, this was because I had started so badly but had improved so much. She did join and although did not get down to single figures played well to her handicap and enjoyed the game. That is what the game of golf is all about really.
Somebody asked me what I saw in golf. I just said to him that when you were young and you asked your Mother if you could go out and play and she said yes. You were so excited, well that is the feeling I get every time I go to play golf. Hope I have not bored anybody. More soon.