I don't play golf anymore. In truth, I never really played golf all that well. But years ago, for about three years, I played often, and with enthusiasm, and to pastoral purpose. It was in response to one of the most difficult pastoral situations I ever encountered. Offering to play golf with someone who became my friend, was a way of relieving the pressure and distress he and his family were going through living with a daughter dangerously ill with a long term eating disorder.
So we played golf – every week – regardless of weather. I'd never played before. My clubs came from a charity shop – I later sold them to an antique dealer! We played the municipal course for three years. All this came back to me yesterday in the frozen fog with visibility down to 50 metres or less. We were walking past Barshaw Golf Course. In the 1980's I played some of my most adventurous golf there – in freezing fog. We played with luminous yellow or orange golf balls. Nobody else was daft enough to play in fog so we had the course to ourselves. The Course Supervisor never charged us on such days, I suppose that was his way of helping the afflicted.
Life eventually worked out better for my golfing fellow sufferer. His daughter recovered. I had accompanied her and her family through several years of anguish and fear, and eventually conducted her wedding, sharing with my golf partner in crime, one of the best days in my pastoral life.
All this came back yesterday as we walked past Barshaw Golf Course, shrouded in fog. My flirting with a career in golf never had the chance to grow into a serious relationship. But it did make me start watching golf on TV. Which brings me to the reason for this post. Last night I watched the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards. As a Scot, year on year I wonder at some of the awards – coach of the year Fabio Capello? Eh? Well anyway.
For myself, the high point of the programme was all about golf, and human greatness. The award to Seve Ballesteros provided one of those rare but unforgettable moments of TV at its humanising best. Around the time I was hacking my way round Barshaw Park, 25 years ago, Severiano Ballesteros burst onto the world stage as the most charismatic and gifted golfer for a generation. He went on to win 5 majors, over 70 titles, captained the Ryder Cup to victory – and in the past year or two has confronted life-threatening illness with enormous courage and dignity. Watching him last night, speaking with humour and humanity, accompanied by his friend Jose Maria Olazabal, it was obvious to me that we were looking at a great man. A lifetime achievement award was so completely right. Decency, passion, vision, the gift of joy and of giving enjoyment, skill and that indefinable magic that makes a great player also a great human being – qualities professional sport needs today more than ever. Seve described his struggle with illness as the greatest fight of his life, his sixth major. On and off the course, his example has enriched so many – I wish him well, and am glad to have watched him play the game, of life as well as golf, as it should be played.
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