Almanac Golf: Memories of St Andrews
What memories:
Very nervous, but got it away at the first. Pics taken by TG White
After a pleasant stroll, the second to the 18th:
Over the top of the pin at 18 – to 40 feet. Took one less than Doug Sanders.
About John Harms
JTH is a writer, publisher, speaker, historian. He is publisher and contributing editor of The Footy Almanac and footyalmanac.com.au. He has written columns and features for numerous publications. His books include Confessions of a Thirteenth Man, Memoirs of a Mug Punter, Loose Men Everywhere, Play On, The Pearl: Steve Renouf's Story and Life As I Know It (with Michelle Payne). He appears (appeared?) on ABCTV's Offsiders. He can be contacted [email protected] He is married to The Handicapper and has three school-age kids - Theo, Anna, Evie. He might not be the worst putter in the world but he's in the worst four. His ambition was to lunch for Australia but it clashed with his other ambition - to shoot his age.
It’s probably a good thing I gave you those photos back then Johnny, because I cannot find any of mine from that trip. Do you remember that Tracy started hurling (not the Celtic game) just as we arrived, and enjoyed the round of St Andrews sleeping in the car park?
JTH, Doug Sanders and whose the third worst putter? Grand images. Adam Scott is becoming a serial collapser when in contention over the last 9 holes. He charges in the last round when a long way back, but seems to struggle on the big stage since Augusta.
Elite golf is such a mental game about self-containment, focus and control – unlike most other sports where aggression and physicality count for much more. Billiards? Any other similarly self-contained sports?
Fabulous photos. Score?
Memories are becoming more important. Perhaps we’re all getting old?
Did you appreciate where you were? The people who’ve stood there before you, just as nervous as you were?
Brilliant.
Great photos,JTH.Dips I reckon it’s a combination of getting older and the current situation we are all doing a lot of reflecting over everything!
Dips,
It was one of the great days.
I wrote about it at the time – unpublished. I should dig that out. I bought a course book and recorded each shot. So the memory is preserved and accurate.
Yes, I was very nervous on the tee. It’s an inspiring venue. It contains such meaning:around the golf element of course, and from the Chariots of Fire association.
I had missed out on a tee time in the daily ballot, but the morning weather was very bad. We turned up – I was travelling with TG and Tracy, (TG has commented above), and we had been at the Headingley Test and then in Glasgow and the Highlands – just in case there was a spot. The weather had been crook – pouring. But that meant cancellations and I ended up jagging a tee-time. Half an hour before I hit off the rain stopped, the clouds parted, the sun came out, there was no wind, and I was away. With two Yanks – nice blokes.
Yes, I had a deep appreciation of where I was, and what it meant. It was one of the great days.
And, ridiculously, I putted well on the enormous greens.
I would have played to my handicap had The Road Hole not intervened.
JTH
A couple of great pics there, JTH.
Unfortunately there were no photos taken of my round at Oakmont
What an experience that must have been JTH. And playing well would have added to it. Subsequent viewings of telecasts from same venue would have meant so much more as well. Did the yanks say “that’ll work” very often?
Nice pics JTH and even better little tale/explanation. A picture is worth a thousand words, but mention of those enormous greens prompts a memory of some pro that wanted to use a lob wedge to get from the ‘wrong’ green to somewhere near the one he was meant to be on. There was a big bunker in between on the direct line and be damned if he was going to putt. Don’t know who it was just remember the story.