Posted on: 30 October
The 8 weeks since my last article have been relaxing and busy…………… I know, that sounds contradictory. Two tournaments in Europe, one in Perth and a lot of coaching at Wembley. But the chance to be at home, sleep in my own bed, catch up with friends and family is very relaxing.
The first of the two events in Europe was at the beautiful Saint Cloud Golf Course, Paris. Just across the Seine River the course offers beautiful views of Paris and the famous Eiffel Tower. Extreme heat during the week meant it was a battle of attrition but nonetheless it’s a great course to come back to each year. A decent result on the course and plenty of croissants off the course.
A Saturday finish at the event in Paris gave me some extra time before the next tournament in Germany. Flying into Hamburg I decided to put the clubs away and be a tourist for a couple of days. Hamburg has an abundance of historic buildings and yet has a modern feel to it. Situated on the banks of the Elbe River and Lake Alster it is a clean and liveable city. The #1 tourist attraction – Miniature World. Quite amazing and it has to be seen to be believed. It cost 36 million Euro to build, and they are adding to it all the time. A must see.
A two-hour drive from Hamburg, The Senior German Open is held at a two-course golf complex built by one man as a hobby. Set amongst rolling farmland, both courses challenge all parts of your game and are a treat to play. Thankfully the weather was cooler and I had another solid result.
After four months on the road it was a quick trip back to my base in France for a couple of nights, pack up some extra luggage, lock up and then head to the airport for the long flight back to Australia. The journey never seems quite as long when you’re heading home.
After a week and half recovering from the trip (some rest mixed in with some coaching) I teed it up against the young bucks at the WA Open at Joondalup. To play in a tournament and stay in your own bed is very rare for touring pros and this is one of the reasons I loved playing this week. It was also a chance to play against some of the great young talent on the Australasian tour and test my game. I’m pleased to say that I managed to show a few of them that being old has some advantages…………they might smash it 300 metres but us old boys have guile and experience.
So my “relaxing and busy” eight weeks was just what I needed to recharge the batteries. I feel relaxed and refreshed and am keen to get on the road again. In fact, I am writing this at my home away from home: the airport! The next two months will include tournaments in Italy, Spain, Vietnam and Mauritius. In amongst this I will have plenty of time for coaching – something I always look forward to.