There were two events today in Ireland. One was the torrential downpours and strong winds that greeted us at the Connemara Golf Club (known only as "Ballyconneely" to the locals) as we arrived for our 1PM tee time. Sunday is traditionally Members' Day at Irish golf clubs. Connemara GC was kind enough to allow us to enter the member team competition which pitted two-person teams against a local field. Bino and Chuck paired off together while Mike was teamed with Kevin, a 9-handicap member who displayed fine form and true courage in playing with us. Today, weather was the victor as 25-30mph hour winds in steady rain forced us off the course after nine holes. Tremendously difficult golf. For the record, Mike and Kevin had two pars each, Chuck one, and Bino none. That was how hard it was. The photo depicts the wet, beleaguered foursome in the Ballyconneely bar -- where patrons are strangely prevented from wearing golf shoes before or after golf. We were drenched and beaten. (Note to Buff and Wagon: this was Portsalon all over again.) The golf course and mother nature won this round. Besides the conditions, what lured us off the golf course after nine holes was the second event of the day...The All-Irish Hurling Championship being televised that afternoon...
Dear Gentleman,
ReplyDeleteOur good friend Doug is now "on the other side of the divot" as of this morning as I learned at the Stockbridge Golf Course Club Championship this afternoon. Dr. Douglas Astion will be sorely missed on this planet by all of his golfing buddies. The first thing that comes to my mind in a poem by John Updike called Perfection Wasted:
"And another regrettable thing about death
is the ceasing of your own brand of magic
which took a whole life to develop and market....
the quips, the witticisms, the slant
adjusted to a few, those loved ones nearest
the lip of the stage, their soft faces blanched
in the footlight glow, thier laughter close to tears,
their tears confused with their diamond earrings,
their warm pooled breath in and out with your heartbeat,
their response and your performance intertwined.
The jokes over the phone. The memories packed
in the rapid-accessfile. The whole act.
Who will do it again? That's it: No one;
immitators and descendants aren't the same."
Gentleman, lift your glasses filled with Irish whiskey in the land of Eire and toast a wonderful gentleman, friend, golf nut, father and husband who will all will miss dearly...
TRL