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Friday 12 February 2016

Fore! - Sepia Saturday



When I started at St Andrews University in 1955 I had never played golf.

It was also the first time that I had seen the Royal & Ancient, fifty years after this photograph was dated.

R&A Clubhouse 1905
It may not have a foursome like those in our prompt but I will leave you to judge which ones are more appropriately dressed.


In my time at St Andrews, and a point that I regret, I never played there. Of course time on putting greens did not count,

Not a time to get the yips
especially when your opponent is your girl friend at the time.

It was 20+ years later that she became a golfing widow.
I was over 50 when, while working in Stavanger, I took up golf seriously - there is no other way to play it.

Over the years in between I suppose we played a few round of crazy golf but it was the 1990s, back in England, that I achieved a measure of success with the CEGB Canute Golfing Society and on Teesside at Billingham Golf Club.

A modest haul of trophies
Since then I've played in a number of countries including Scotland (of course - but not St Andrews), Denmark and the USA.

I never managed to beat my son-in-law.

Winter golf - Steven drives off at Oxford Hills, Michigan
And at the 13th it's my turn on this par 3 with a creek and a steep bank in front of the green.

Bobble hat and gloves - not shorts weather at all
I have struggled to beat my daughter, even on the Mountain Flowers Par 3 at the Homestead, Michigan's freshwater resort on Lake Michigan.

Rachel by the side of a Mountain Flowers green
Some holes on this course were quite a challenge.

The green may be only 190yds away but it's still a daunting drive.
On all courses however you will come across the posers.

One is a bronze!
Water is often a hazard to be avoided like this lake at Mulberry Hills, Michigan.


And in recent winters may make it necessary to close the course.

Flooding at Billingham golf course
If you hit a ball into water sometimes you may need a helping hand.

Or mouth
But the best water(ing) hole of all is always the one like this.

Approaching the 19th hole at Mulberry Hills
To see how others have succeeded with golf or other shots, visit the links at Sepia-Saturday-317

16 comments:

Author R. Mac Wheeler said...

My best golf was at the 19th hole. You've clicked my longing for golf. I first had a long layoff when I had one shoulder operated on, then the second cut on. Then I decided to give up the day gig and write full time, so I gave up the habit, since I didn't have any income coming in. I know I made the right decision, but I've given up so many golf games since 2007. Sigh

Wendy said...

That beautiful clubhouse reminds me of the one at a local course where my husband played once. Somehow the wind caught his ball and everyone on the porch yelled "DUCK." Yeah, I don't think he went back after that.

ScotSue said...

Good to see you back, Bob, on Sepia Saturday. I enjoyed reading the story of your golfing history, and had to smile at the photograph of the dog and little boy.

Lavender and Vanilla Friends of the Gardens said...

I have no clue about golf, but as you presented it, it looks like hard work but also success and fun.

Sharon said...

You have got me thinking.........my dad is a golfer but I do not have a photo of him playing! I will need to change that!

Love the picture of the boy and dog! That is certainly an Aaaawwww moment!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Bob - lovely memory shots. Golf courses are stunning aren't they .. I used to play - til it ruined my hockey and never started again. One of my brothers with his wife play when they can ...

Good family game - it must be lovely to play in the States - the course looks interesting! The floods - .. bet there was lots of flooded water around .. cheers Hilary

Anonymous said...

Great photos. But golf - making people healthy by plenty of walking.

kathy said...

Wonderful collection of photos. I like the reflections in the ponds. Stunning.

L. D. said...

The Royal is a very impressive building. It looks more like a castle built for the sport. I just don't play golf. I watch golf on tv when the endings are tight. We have a course in town about four blocks away.

Unknown said...

I'm with Sue and Sharon -- that shot of the little boy and the dog is a classic! You seem to be quite the golfer -- I'm impressed!

Kristin said...

I've still never played golf. Just seen it being played as I drive past.

Little Nell said...

That’s a great collection of golfing photos - how could you not join in this week?

Mike Brubaker said...

I'm not a golfer, but I'm fascinated at how a Scottish game captured millions of enthusiasts around the world from different climates. terrains, and cultural game traditions. I have a theory about how the game originated. Scotland has a rocky coastline that produces very round stones. Its sandy cliffs are also a natural habitat for rabbits and their warrens burrowed into the turf. Ancient Scots combined the two as a practical way to fill the family stew pot and that's how the game was invented.

Barbara Rogers said...

Great to see photos by a real golfer. Excellent covering, and I like the 19th hole (the only one I'd ever be found visiting).

Helen Killeen Bauch McHargue said...

I like Mike's theory. A great collection of golfing photos - good to see you back!

Tattered and Lost said...

I"m guessing those silos are not full of Whiskey for an end of the day pick-me-up.

I have heard my father talk about his mother playing at St. Andrews when she was young. She must have been in her teens at the latest because by age 21 she'd suffered a stroke and lost most of the use of her right arm. And then she emigrated to a ranch in California and never had the opportunity to play golf again.

The only thing you're missing in that shot are plaid knickers. You've got all the awards and a beautiful golf bag.