Years ago I had a friend Shelley who often said with trepidation, ‘Julie, this is a first for me.’ and I must admit I introduced her to many new experiences including yabbying.
Since then I’ve been conscious of my own firsts and completing three rounds of golf in three days was significant. Perhaps it’s because as Emily Dickinson said, ‘whenever a thing is done for the first time it releases a little demon’.
On day one, golf on the Open Course at Moonah Links on the Mornington Peninsula proved challenging for all of us. Because of the undulations, we often teed off blind to what was beyond. Such a long course, without a cart we would have had to run to keep up with play. Ask Neil.
Instead of driving around the bay to the next course on the Bellarine Peninsula, I was dropped off at Sorrento for the ferry to Queenscliff. Wheeling my golf buggy onto the boat I did feel a tad ridiculous among the cars.
However I need not have been as an official pointed nonchantly and said: ‘just park it under the stairs with the cars and then go to the lounge.’
Within 45 minutes I was walking on terra firma again ready for an overnight kip at Point Lonsdale before playing in a Bowl at Thirteen Beach Golf Course the next day.
The heat was stifling – 35o but nurrie a wind blowing. I tended wet towels to my heat stressed partner who confessed that ‘we stop play once it reaches 30o at our club’. Wow I thought, how un-Australian!
Inside the clubhouse I found myself wrapping damp face-towels on the neck of another heat stressed player.
They had excuses for their score, but I had none.
Now it’s time to confess my secret. I do love shopping and Thirteenth Beach Pro Shop is one of the best. I’m pleased to say that they are the only retail outlet to stock my Simply Joolz sungloves and when the Vic Open is on in February they want to showcase them further.
Day three the umbrella went up again, this time for light rain, not heat. Back at Kooringal Golf Course I felt at home. Familiar with the track and with a demon on the shoulder I was able to complete a stroke round that puts me in a playoff for the monthly Medal and Medal of Medalists.
Yes Emily, it was a devil-of-a -three days afterall!
