Many of you won’t be too interested in the topic of golf, but keep an open mind and read on.
For those of you who are familiar with Robin Williams, then you will know that the first video below is irreverent. It is so irreverent! 🙂
I started playing golf in my sophomore year of high school (my 2nd year of the four years of high school). My dad “taught” me how to play, mostly just by having me walk around the golf course when he was playing, letting me watch other people play. Eventually he handed me a golf club so I could practice imitating those golfers. I didn’t take lessons. I just started hitting a ball and playing golf. And the rest is history.
In my junior year of high school, my third year of high school, another junior girl and I were doing really well in our grade level golf group. At the end of that year, she and I won the tournament against all of the other junior girls, and all of the junior boys. And then, well, then! The school decided to set up another competition, another set of rounds of golf between the senior high school players and the two of us junior girls.
Yep, we beat the senior girls, and we beat the senior boys, all of them. Both of us. The two of us, each of us, as juniors in high school (grade 11) beat all of the girls and boys who were seniors (grade 12). And I beat that other junior girl as well. I beat them all. I loved that. That still makes me grin today. 🙂
So, when I got to college, I figured I’d have an easy A+ by taking golf as the PE (physical education) requirement. That did not work out so well. I tried to change my game according to what that young woman instructor taught (she was a golf pro) but it messed up my game so much that I never did play well after that. Still, I’ve enjoyed playing a game of golf every now and then … fresh air … a nice walk … good fun with friends.
And I’m Scottish (and of course you all know that golf started in Scotland). And so I really like this video wherein Robin Williams so irreverently talks about the beginnings of the game of golf in Scotland. 🙂 [We have to forgive Robin, or NOT, for saying the Scots drank a Guinness, an Irish beer. The Scots never would have done that!]
Interestingly to me, most of my diehard golfing friends pronounce the word “golf” not as “golf” but more like “gof” or “gowf”, without the L in the word.
Here’s another video with actual historic information (and a bit of humor as well) that supports the pronunciation of the word “golf” without the L sound … and with lots more real information and real history, if you’re interested. 🙂
My very good friend, Mae Schoenrock, a life-long golfer (and a very good golfer indeed), traveled to and played on the old course at St Andrews (Saint Andrews) in Scotland. Maybe some day I will have that privilege as well. 🙂
But in the meantime, here at home, some years ago I attended an LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) tournament here in Washington State. Oh, no I didn’t play! I walked the course with friends and watched the professionals play that game, watched those extraordinary women play the game. Patty Sheehan won the tournament. The surname Sheehan is Irish. My grandmother, Anna McNamara was Irish. Maybe my game will get back on track with that connection? Hmmm, or not. 🙂
Here’s a photo of Patty Sheehan. She often wore traditional knickers (pants) when she played golf.
Fun stuff. 🙂