Are you one of those golfers who only enjoys a new course if you play it well? Well unless you’re a Tour Pro, an ardent ‘pot hunter’ or you’re into huge side bets with your mates – I just don’t get it.
A new golf course experience, particularly a good one, is to be cherished in my book, whether you shoot your best or hack it like a novice. I don’t know how many different courses I’ve played in my thirty years of being a ‘golfist’ – I’d take a guess at nearer 100 than 50 if pressed. Too many to remember all of them in great detail, but I truly can’t think of too many stinkers. And here’s the thing. Even the poor ones have yielded happy memories because of the company I was in whilst playing them.
And that’s just the playing bit of the experience. We need to add in the anticipation leading up to visiting a course and club for the first time. Planning what to wear, not being able to sleep for the excitement, not wanting to be late. Will I like the look of it when I get there, will it be kind or spiteful? Will I be cool enough to be impressive straight away, or play like a tongue-tied wreck until the nerves have been conquered? It’s virtually first date territory, right?
This December I was lucky enough to have one such ‘date’ at Wildernesse Golf Club in Kent. (wildernesse.co.uk). Along with three golfing pals from my home club (Eastbourne Downs Golf Course) we travelled up from Sussex to arrive well ahead of our 09.20 tee time for the ‘Wildernesse Christmas Open’.
In brief this is how the day went:
Turned left instead of right after the Club’s gated entrance and quickly had to do a u-turn at the green keeper’s yard.
Entered the large and impressive club house to be warmly welcomed by event staff for registration. Directed to tea, coffee, and bacon rolls – and sat close to a table laden with the prizes up for contention.
Changed into golf shoes, decanted clubs from the car and headed off to the practice area – adjacent to the first tee. A relaxed 40-minute warm up spent in the practice nets, and on the chipping and putting greens.
Sauntered to the first tee at 09.15, greeted by the starter who dispensed tips for the first few holes. First off in our team – I picked my aiming point, checked grip and stance, had a couple of relaxed practice swings and…topped the ball 25 yards into rubbish to the left of the tee box.
Certainly not the start I wanted and to be honest the golf didn’t really pick up until after the turn. I did manage a good birdie down the 10th and lipped out for another at the 18th. But, despite the odd highlight, there was little consistency amongst any in our fourball. Unsurprisingly neither pair in our group troubled the leader board.
Showered and changed and back into the resplendent dining room for a marvellous two course Christmas carvery.
Lovely warm words of welcome and thanks were delivered by the day’s Event Manager to all participants and, most deservedly, to the staff who had catered and looked after us all.
We applauded the winners of the various prizes before heading back to the cars and away home.
In summary, a great day of golf at a lovely venue.
Did I play well – no. And I will remember that topped tee shot for a while…but I can’t mark the course or the club down for that. What I’ll remember more is great hospitality, a great parkland course (that must look truly stunning when in full bloom), great company, and a great carvery and sweet trolley!
I might have fluffed this first encounter, but I am definitely hoping for a second date…