Thanks Tom GL with your op. Never had feet problems before, I walk miles in flip flops in Asia with no pain. Only started this year after all rounds of golf.
Playing 2 rounds next week with new shoes so fingers crossed. Will keep your suggestions in mind. Getting old is a bit of a bastard isn't it. 🤣
Thanks Tom GL with your op. Never had feet problems before, I walk miles in flip flops in Asia with no pain. Only started this year after all rounds of golf.
Playing 2 rounds next week with new shoes so fingers crossed. Will keep your suggestions in mind. Getting old is a bit of a bastard isn't it. 🤣
I have constant trouble with my feet Kev, plantar fasciitis which hurts my heels and undersoles, and an arthritic big toe, which hurts like a bitch.
I spent years trying to get referred for an op on my toe and finally got one scheduled for mid-summer last year, when the golf was in full swing. Miraculously, my toe improved a lot, so much so that I deferred the op.
The pain came back with a vengeance and I re-booked for another consultation next Monday. No doubt I'll get a mid summer date again...
If you can get away with it, trail-running shoes are much better for bad feet walking than golf shoes, just pick a pair that look golfy.
I was having a clear out of old clothes yesterday. Right at the back of the closet, crumpled on the floor, was a tracksuit top made by a company called View From. I think the British Olympic team wore this brand in the early noughties. It was a top I sometimes played poker in. I smiled because I remember it being associated with a personal top ten poker moment. Probably 8th or 9th but memorable, nonetheless. More about that in a moment.
In the late 90’s I was aware of a very small and well-hidden aspect of my character. It had manifested itself just a couple of times in real life, usually when in conflict with my bosses. It was like when David Banner stubbed his toe and got the eyes…but without the anger. I would be prepared to lose my job, my house, everything I owned; but I wasn’t going to lose that argument. My head would just go PING! and this serene, stubborn, fearless asshole would emerge. It served no constructive purpose, I couldn’t conjure it up at will, but strangely, I absolutely loved that feeling. Lol.
One day I played my first game of live poker and from the opening hand my head went PING! Every time I played after that my head just went PING! automatically. It was brilliant. Early on I read about a million books and considered strategy deeply. I thought it was all mostly bullshit though. I still believe character, people skills and natural attributes get you a long way across the winning line in no limit. I can only talk about the level I played at of course.
I liked it best when there were big personalities trying to dominate the table with speech play. My head pinged like crazy, because that guy was getting a new arsehole ripped for himself soon. I played a tournament in some moody backstreet casino in Morocco once, all shady locals, bristling atmosphere. Absolutely loved it. You’ve got to remember here that I’m a General Manager of golf clubs, sensible and affable. Yet PING! I’m feeling like I’m going to rip a lot of new Moroccan assholes before this night is done. Winning money was proper good fun in poker but nothing beat that asshole ripping feeling.
I brought my poker mentality onto Blonde a lot of the time, maybe I was using it as a training ground. Wanted to keep the PING! fully functional. To be fair there were no shortage of candidates, because this was the new era of the wizards. A big part of my poker strategy was that I needed to control the emotion and get opponents to react to my action. Blonde was perfect because there were ample super confident, bedroom dwelling wizardy types who perhaps were not so adept at emotional intelligence. No harm done, just bants really. Oh and I am always conscious of the commercial aspects of things so because I took something from Blond I wanted to give back viewing figures. So I needed the likes of Greekstein like my Benn needed his Eubank. Or thinking about it, maybe I'm Eubank.
Incidentally, I did think the most entirely inherently unintelligent thing in the whole history of poker was when the wizards destroyed their own game by belittling all the feel players and the newbies, but meh, everything has it's day. Truth is I don’t know the true character of anybody using Blonde, probably all solid gold guys, nothing personal.
Anyway, back to this View From tracksuit top.
I could never really have been busto during my playing days because I had a good job, owned a house and car. Always had a decent salary at the end of the month. However, my wife went to spend a few days with her mum in Norwich and I took the opportunity to embark upon a 48hr drug-fuelled poker bender. Lost about £10k, maybe a little more. Don’t get me wrong, totally brilliant weekend, but I was left with about £3.42 ready cash to my name. And it was still two days until my salary dropped. When my wife arrived home the fridge was empty and I hadn’t done the shopping. This was on account of I hadn’t really fancied eating since she left. I always do the shopping and always doing the cooking so no problem I say and skip out the door to the local Tesco.
A few steps up the road and with my mind full of pasta orientated dishes of the sub £4 variety it starts to rain. I mean I’m feeling a little low at this point with the cold and rain, mother of hangovers and loose change rattling in my pocket. Turned back, went in the house and grabbed that track top from the closet. Halfway back to Tesco I put my hands in the pockets and THUD! My right hand hits a brick. I grab whatever it is and pull it out. It was a huge block of crisp and rather lovely £50 notes, around £3.5k worth. What a flip flop of emotions and such crazy times with poker. Anyway, burst back through the door with bags of shopping. Here you go honey, got you a choice of sirloin or lobster and a lovely bottle of Chateau nerf de pap. Abs lol!
I sometimes still play poker, mainly to see if I still have the PING! I played the Goliath in 2024 and never had it once, felt emotional, like something had died. I played it again last year and suddenly PING! it was there for the whole first day. So who knows, this time next year Rodders!
I've managed 3 games this month, 2 at my club and one elsewhere. Nothing to shout about but each round better than the previous.
When I joined Onneley last year I was told they never had temp greens during Winter, just temp tees. Turns out this is true, even with the dreadful weather all greens are open and in decent nick.
Lots of work being carried out to alter the slope rating. New bunkers, bunkers made deeper, new water hazard. Fairways will be made narrower once the grass grows.
Been having problems with my feet since I started back. I get round OK, but painful for quite a while after. Bought myself some new Sketchers golf shoes in the hope they help.
I might always call it my pigeon wedge from now on
I played solo on Monday as my two regular partners cried off too, can't believe Barry chose to go to Barbados rather than joining me.
Had a nice fourball on Wednesday in really lovely weather. It must have been the nicest day this year. Just played ten holes as a couple are closed on the back nine which we have to play first during the winter, so it's only a back seven really and a couple of those are on temporary greens, followed by a loop of 1,8,9 back to the clubhouse.
Mats are still compulsory and will be for the next week or two until the rain eases, and we'll also start playing the course the right way round, but I must say the greens are looking much more forward than usual at this time of year. I know the committee and greens staff are making a concerted effort the get the course, and especially the greens, in good playing condition earlier than usual as that is often not the case until mid-May.
I'm looking forward to having a few more games with you this year Tony and will keep you posted as to course suitability.
It being Ramadan should make no difference to numbers as gambling is Haram for followers of the Muslim faith. However I live in the real world and suspect that it probably does. Ho hum, life goes on.
My first job after university was in one of the livelier William Hills in NW London - the clientele was full of characters.
One day two of them got into a massive row about something or other.
One of them said to the other 'You shouldn't even be in here - you're a Muslim'
To which the Muslim replied 'You shouldn't be in here either - how that judge only gave you a suspended sentence for throwing that traffic warden through that shop window I'll never know'
Seemingly it will be dry up here next week, so I might take a wander round the course and hit a few balls. I'm fairly sure that my bunker issue will be solved as, over the winter, I've paid particular attention to the pro's playing out of bunkers on the telly and am fairly sure I can precisely copy their technique.
Incidentally, for those who have not seen them, the Tiny Desk Concerts, all of which are on You Tube, really are very good & feature some great bands.
Sadly, I'm not sure they are making any more, as they were on USA NPR (National Public Radio) & Mr Trump withdrew all funding for PBS & NPR shortly after taking Office.
But, as far as I'm aware, they are all still on You Tube, so a quick search should soon find them.
Agreed, some fantastic finds on there.
Dua Lipa's was great
This one too. So talented.
Nickel Creek?
And Marky went for Dua Lipa, whoever he is.
What IS the matter with you people? Ever tried proper music?
