The Greens of Life...

Tee up

Have you read Heart of a Goof by PG Wodehouse?

It's a set of nine stories all based on the life and times and the travails of golfers. In true Wodehouse fashion he weaves parallels between life and golf with golf winning over in terms of importance. It's been a while since I last read it but I remember closing the book with the widest smile possible and the intense desire to go and play immediately to get immersed in the parallel universe of putts, drives, greens, bunkers and roughs.

Unfortunately it was around 3 in the morning so I couldn’t really action this desire.

Also, not having ever properly played before was also a rather minor hindrance.

I recently read another novel set around golf. It’s called ‘The Amateurs’ by John Niven. The tone of the book can be ascertained by the quote that the novel starts with:

He rallied, my tears being in unsurpassably bad taste,
and said, 'Look here, it's only a game.'
Trying to speak softly so the children wouldn't hear,
I said, 'Fuck you!'

It’s story of a man’s struggles in life to improve his handicap. Oh, and there’s also the small matter of his cheating wife and her lover conspiring to murder the lover’s wife by hiring the man’s brother!

Another amazing alternate universe created around the golf course. Such books are so good. In fact they remind me of my initial obsession with tennis. I would sleep at some 2 in the morning and then get up at 5 to go early and get the court. I'd spend hours looking at coaching videos on the internet in faint hopes of improving my game. Videos like this: How to serve

That obsession has toned down to the extent of being gone now, but I guess it never does go for golfers. And that makes it very interesting - the nature of the sport is one that just as you're losing hope and planning to break all your clubs, you connect one drive just the way the golfing Gods willed it to be connected. As the ball soars high and long, your heart is pulled in two directions - exhilaration and "Damn, now I'll have to come play again"

Ask me, I know. We used to go to the driving range almost every weekend when RB was in Bangalore. I guess we were able to get off golf because we never managed to go beyond the driving range to the main golf course.

Ok, this post is getting rambling so I shall tell you the two main points that I started writing with:

1. Golf - Good
2. Golf related stories - GOOD


Personal note:

Yesterday, I saw the actress I had been really impressed with in the play Dancing on Glass (here), Meghana Mundkur at the Corner House nearby. Furthermore I was with a friend who actually knew her and went and chatted with her. But I was too shy to go and compliment her.

Note to self:
You should be ashamed of your reticence




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