December Newsletter

It didn’t do my “golfing ego” much good to have produced my best and then to be out-driven by a twelve year old .

The latest Newsletter December 2009

EDITORIAL: “HISTORY  -  THE GREAT TEACHER”

About thirty years ago I was having a late afternoon hit, as was my custom and had driven, what I considered to be, a rather good drive for me, down the seventh fairway. I was about a nine iron out from the green in the centre of the fairway so I spent a little time of self-congratulation before preparing to play my next shot. Just as I was about to do so, a ball dribbled past me. Who could this “gorilla” be, who had just out-driven me?

I looked back up the fairway to sight a little kid of about twelve years of age in the form of Mark Pavey. I’m not sure what handicap (if any) Mark was on at that stage but I was off 7 and it didn’t do my “golfing ego” much good to have produced my best and then to be out-driven by a twelve year old .

Fast forward twenty five years and I’m playing on the tail of the field hitting off on the back nine. When we had got to the eleventh I remember I smacked a reasonable drive down to the 150m mark, nicely in the middle of the fairway. I was playing with Keith Pitty at the time and we had to wait for the green to clear. Behind us was a lone little kid following the field so I waved him down. “De jevu”, the ball ran past my drive!
“Do you know who that kid is ?” I asked.
“That’s my son Alex”, said Keith with a rather proud fatherly look.
“What’s his handicap?” I asked.
“He hasn’t got one yet”, said Keith with a smile.

Once again the golf ego takes another hit.
The skinny little kid is now a skinny big kid and is our Club Champion and what a fine champion he is.
It was good to talk briefly with Alex at the 75th. Anniversary Dinner, where, a wonderful display of club memorabilia had been set out by the office staff and the Lady Golfers Committee. I was impressed with the way Alex was attempting to absorb some of the history of the club and to realise just what sort of a club it was, of which he was the champion. Knowing something about the many champions who have preceded you, gives you a better perspective of what it is you have achieved. Observe the way Adam Scott looked at the names on the Australian Open (Stonehaven Cup) Trophy. Our championship may not be in the same league as the Australian Open but Wyong has had some very fine champions, one of whom, Colin Bishop, represented Australia in the World Teams Championship in Germany.

In fact it would do us all good to appreciate a little more about our club history and realise what a privilege it is to be members of Wyong Golf Club. As we have said previously, “we stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before”, who have made the “hard yards” and allowed us to enjoy “the fruits” of their labour. The fact that we have this foundation to build on, is something for which we should be forever grateful.
John Elder

P.S. We have quite a few men and women golfers in the over 80’s category, in our club and can I say to them, that they are an inspiration to us all as they “keep on keeping on”!