LOFOTEN, NORWAY. Situated inside the Arctic Circle there is a ”Cool golf links with the hottest light show on earth.” Summer visitors come to stay in lodges and play 24 hr. golf in an utterly spectacular setting on the Norwegian Sea, and from August to October they get the Northern Lights thrown in.
GOLFERS WHO COMPETE in the Longest Day challenge (four rounds in 24 hours) should tip their caps to H. Lumsden, of the Royal Aberdeen Golf Club, who set a formidable record for the most golf played in 24 hours on a light summer night in 1910. Starting at 2.20. a.m. he proceeded to play 12 rounds of golf, or 216 holes, a distance of around 40 miles, averaging 82.5 shots per round, and finishing at 9.00 p.m. I wonder if his wife greeted him with ”And what time do you call this, H. Lumsden?”
LEONIE HARM WON the Ladies’ British Amateur title, defeating American Stephanie Lau, 3 and 2, at Hillside Golf Club, Southport. An impressive accomplishment for the 20 yr. old German, who nearly died in 2013 when she was hit while out jogging by a 45 mph drunken driver who left her in a coma with multiple injuries. Her family were told there was no hope.
But Leonie Harm survived, and after lengthy rehabilitation resumed her golf, eventually earning a scholarship at Houston University. This year she won the German International Amateur and rose to 33rd in the World Amateur Golf Rankings. She now qualifies for the Women’s Open at Royal Lytham. It takes a lot to knock out a golfer.
WINNERS OF THE OPEN now receive a replica Claret Jug while the original resides at St. Andrews. Tom Watson, however, was given the original Claret Jug in error after his 1982 Open victory, and compounded the mistake by accidentally knocking it off a table at his home while practising his swing, causing a major dent in it.
UNFORTUNATELY, not even winning the Open entitles you to a refund from EasyJet. While Francesco Molinari was smartening himself up for the Champions dinner, his name was being called on the tannoy at Edinburgh airport; before the Championship he had booked himself a return flight to Italy, and he was supposed to be on the 9 p.m. flight. For some reason it had slipped his mind. However, his $1.89 million winnings should compensate him, and if he decides to risk Ryanair the Claret Jug can go in his hand luggage F.O.C.
TIGER WOODS’ $26 million yacht Privacy sleeps 12, has a crew of nine, an inflatable decompression chamber (a what?) gym and theatre. It was docked close to Shinnecock Hills during the U.S. Open. “Staying on the ‘dinghy’ means you avoid the traffic,” Woods explained. “You might get a fender bender and maybe miss your tee time.” And of course, you never know when you might need decompressing.
PETE COWAN: “If you assume the top tour players are unimaginably happy and content, I assure you it’s not the case. A good many of them aren’t. They are healthy, rich and living the dream, but something – the perfectionist tendency, perhaps leads to them not being happy people. I see it on a daily basis: money isn’t everything.” A $26 million yacht can really cheer you up though.
IAN POULTER is not one of golf’s miserable millionaires. He loves the fleet of 14 Ferraris in his Florida stable (there were 15 but he sold one to Rory McIlroy for £225,000) and says not winning a major hasn’t cost him a wink of sleep. “If it happens it happens” he says happily, “I’m having a fabulous life, and I can always be a second hand car salesman when I retire.” That’s the spirit!
TAYLOR MADE’s advertising just gets sillier:
“Our ALL-BLACK P790 irons create a look and feel that inspires an aggressive mindset, enabling bolder players to confidently attack the course.”
So if your opponent has a set of these aggressive irons watch out, if he doesn’t win he may clobber you with them!
Until next time: Happy Golfing.
Contact Mick for regripping and repairs. 638 859 475.
