Sunday, January 14, 2007

GAME WITH SIR BOB CHARLES HIGHLIGHT OF NZ TRIP

*North-east golfing veteran JIM HARDIE (pictured right) writes exclusively for you about cutting short his usual winter break in New Zealand and coming home to Aberdeen because the weather Down Under was so bad.
But he did have time to play a round with former Open champion Sir BOB CHARLES! Read on:

JIM HARDIE WRITES:
I was away for approximately six weeks and the worst part was the weather which, for New Zealand (where it was their summer time) was absolutely shocking!
If it wasn’t raining, it was blowing a gale and cold and it even SNOWED twice while I was fishing, down at bottom of South Island.
I actually stopped one day at a place called Tekapo which is on the main road from Wanaka back to Christchurch and there was about 3in of snow on the road and it was 3 degrees Centigrade, not exactly summer.
To be fair Tekapo is pretty high up but, anyway, when I got to Christchurch three hours later it was 17 degrees and blue sky. Such is the changeable climate of NZ. Most people seem to think it’s like Australia, always nice and hot, but let me assure Scottishgolfview.com readers, you have to be prepared for anything when you visit NZ.
First fishing trip was great - caught about 20 mostly rainbow trout and the fun landing these things is in itself worth the long journey. I mean they fight, jump so high out of the water etc, it’s superb fun and, of course, when smoked they are simply delicious.
STILL A TWO-HANDICAPPER
On to the golf. I duly arrived in Christchurch flashing my four-handicap certificate - highest in 35 years -only to be confronted by the handicap secretary at Windsor Golf Club, where I am a member. He tells me I was still a two-handicapper when I left there last January, but he will "compromise" by judging my form on my first two cards!
Lo and behold, I then stupidly score a gross 69 followed by a gross 68 so that took care of my "alleged" four-handicap. As far as New Zealand is concerned, I was playing off two again. End of story !
The highlight then occurred when a long standing friend of mine, Ross Murray, said he had jacked up a game at Clearwater with Sir Bob Charles, himself and also me and another mutual friend called Wayne Tucker.
At pre-starting coffee it was decided that Ross and Bob would challenge Wayne and myself so that was the format: four-ball, better-ball - and away we go.
Birdies were in abundance, I think about 11 in total, Wayne and myself were three under par on the tough front nine and managed to stay all square!
I had a three-putt at the 13th when we were one down, but the game was all square standing on the short 16th, about 185yd straight over water, where by now it was blowing a "hoolie".
On the tee, Sir Bob said to me “Which do you reckon is the windiest, Jim, Aberdeen or Christchurch?”
I replied: “I reckon it’s a dead-heat” and Bob says “I think that’s about right.”
Anyway partner Wayne hits a good shot onto the right edge of the green and I follow suit, Bob hits his shot to about 15ft, and then Ross hits the shot of the day with a four-iron to within six inches of the hole. One down!
CLASS OF AN OPEN CHAMPION
By now the 17th is playing so tough by you could hardly stand and here we saw the class of Bob Charles, former Open champion. He hit an , immaculate tee shot followed by a simply awesome second for a stone- wall par 4. Wayne and I both missed the green. End of game, beaten 2 and 1. What i actually liked about the game was the fact that for a change i was actually the third oldest or the second youngest, whichever you prefer, as Bob Charles is pushing 72 and Ross is heading for 74, while Wayne was the "baby" as he is barely 63, but still plays off scratch and hits it a country mile.
Ross Murray was actually at one time ranked the third best amateur in the world behind the American, Dean Beman, and our own Ronnie Shade. Ross played in the Eisenhower Trophy for NZ along with Bob in the late 1950s and was actually reckoned to be a better player than Bob.
Despite numerous opportunities and encouragement, Ross resisted the temptation to turn pro. He had an awesome amateur career, winning just about everything you could in the unpaid ranks, until lo and behold, he finally turned pro aged 60 so he could have his own shop at Alexandra Golf Club in Central Otago in NZ.
Ross has regularly attended senior events all over NZ and Australia and had never won until just before Christmas 2005. He was over in Sydney, playing in his own words, “not very well,” when suddenly out of the blue he shoots a gross 70 at Bonnie Doon golf course and WINS his very first pro tournament, aged 73 ! Now that’s a story !
People often ask me how can I be bothered to continue to play as much and with so much desire, when I should be, according to them, “taking it easy.”
Well if they read these stories they will see why. I consider playing with Ross on a regular yearly basis to be one of the privileges in life. He epitomises all that golf is, and to be included in a game with Sir Bob Charles, well so far in my golfing life that is the greatest round I have ever enjoyed. Even losing was a pleasure. Now anyone that knows me will know that losing gracefully is NOT considered one of my strong points.
AMAZING ATTENTION TO DETAIL
Bob Charles’ gentle manner, his approach to detail on every shot was simply amazing, and his memory is even more remarkable. When speaking of Aberdeen he remembered playing at Murcar way back in the dark days, and said to me “They had this one-track road all the way down to the course.” He just smiled when I said: “Bob, it’s still the same today!”
I was invited to a return match at Shirley Golf Links in Christchurch but sadly Bob’s father died aged 94.Then I decided to head home but the memory of that day is deep set in my mind. All I can say is roll on next year. Perhaps I will, God willing, be fortunate to enjoy Sir Bob Charles’ company again.

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