It’s the start of spring. My love of fair weather it means the start of ‘spoiling a good walk’ season. Hours are spent chasing a white(luminous yellow or red) ball around green pastures, brambles, thorns and woods. There is the joy of being attacked by midges of various types. Let us not forget the sprained wrists, twisted ankles and wonky backs. Oh, to get that ball around in the shortest number of shots. The joys of golf or as some would prefer ‘spoiling a good walk’
This is not the game for a grown man. It is the grown up version of having the latest toys. That little white ball, it started as a leather pouch filled with feathers. I remember the 70s with the horrible liquid pouch at the centre. . The boffins have really got into the art of ball design. The little dimpled object has a titanium core, synthetic material from the space shuttle and every bit of aerodynamic analysis you would apply to a jet fighter. Despite all this creativity and innovation hitting it any distance is the age old challenge.
What about the weapons of choice? There is that cave man in this game. I am sure that the earliest game was how far you could hit a skull with a club. This became too easy so we reduced the size of the club and skull. The club is made of the finest material, lightweight space age and tested time after time. A finer piece of engineering and technology is a struggle to fine. The physics of swing planes and dynamics are applied. The shaft, grip and head tuned to perfection. My first shot was with a wooden niblick, and then there was the graduation to persimmon woods, steel and now a composite of titanium and carbon fibre composites. I still miss, hook, shank, pull, push, fade and draw without knowing why.
Here is to spoiling a good walk, and all the technology that goes with it.
There is the fashion or anti-fashion and that requires an entirely new post.
