MY GOLFING JOURNEY
KEY STEP 1
It all started at Chris Gills Moreton Hills Driving Range. Knee post ACL operation age 32 not up to playing tennis & competing at the level I wanted so I needed a new hobby. Always wanted to have a go at golf but had no idea how or where to start as none of my friends played. So I borrowed an iron plucked up courage to go to the driving range & see what would happen. Once I had negotiated the pro shop & ball machine I chose a bay out of the way of all the men who were hitting it miles as my efforts were sprayed far left & right & along the ground, but from somewhere came that first perfect shot which went straight down the middle and I was hooked! I had a chat with the owner Chris about how to take my first steps into an alien sporting world. He suggested having lessons with his assistant pro Andy Ayre to get me started into good golfing habits & building a consistant swing. I agreed to x5 £ lessons & was equally excited but quite apprehensive when I turned up for the first lesson.
Over the next few weeks Andy developed grip stance my driving / irons / pitch/ chip my confidence & swing grew to the stage where I was ready but hadn’t actually played the game yet! So for my last lesson I went with Andy to the Warren in Wallasey . I paid my £ green fee picked up a scorecard & we walked off to the first tee. What I hadn’t anticipated was men waiting in front & behind us so the anxiety level increased for my first ever tee shot however as none of the guys hit a good shot anyway I calmed down. Andy walked a few holes with me explaining the rules, ettiquette, how to keep up with the game in front, judging which club to choose required how far different shots went , to leave me bag in the right place near the nxt tee & attempting to putt the ball in the hole. I enjoyed every minute & soaked up his words of wisdom . Before he left me he asked a guy in front if I could finish the x9 holes with him & said my next key step was to go into my staffroom & find out who the golfers were which I duly did.
I also needed to start to get kitted out either £ buying new or second hand or borrowing books & videos on the swing, short game & rules / equipment = bag clubs putter trolley gloves cap visor & umbrella / clothes & wet weather gear / shoes … So much stuff !!! no wonder golfers are never short of birthday or Xmas presents!
KEY STEP 2 = Oldershaw staff school holidays . Me & the guys played different Wirral municipal courses & also ventured off Wirral out to Hill Valley where I quickly learned that big sloping fairways & blind shots were a whole new challenge . I started to feel confident about joining a club but which one ?
KEY STEP 3 = Joining Hoylake municipal Golf Club.
- proposed by Jean
- completed x 4 counting cards = averaged out to starting 35 handicap
- Saturday competitions
- x5 hour rounds
- x18 holes semi links / good greens
- clubhouse meeting in ladies room after play
- clubhouse meal upstairs after major meetings
- clubhouse sunshine veranda
- bar upstairs after with the men
- main meetings
- annual invitation day
- annual diary dates card
- annual prizegiving dinner @ Royal Liverpool
- evening knockout foursomes ladies & mixed club championships
- refreshments van on the 10th
- winning competitions / medals / trophies / prizes
- dropping my handicap step by step
- friendly matches
- proud of my best ever gross score = 76
- winner of the Silver Division Medal
- wildlife = hares / owls / swallows / frogs / ducks & ducklings
- toughest hole = 7th pond & ditch & bunker hazards
- windswept trees / thick rough / difficult greenside bunkers
- Daily Mail team comp
KEY STEP 4 = Playing in Ladies Opens, Mixed Opens & Invitation Days
What a wonderful way to play private courses & have a great day out with my best Hoylake girls & guys. Once my handicap had dropped into the 20’s I felt confident enough to discover what other courses were like … wether parkland, links or heathland in Wirral, cheshire, North Wales, Merseyside every new course we played was a mini adventure for me to step into the unknown & face new challenges. We would have a sandwich in the clubhouse first , then had a mooch around the £ pro shop. Collect our scorecards, have a practice putt & then play the competition which could be greensomes, betterball or best x2 scores to count. . Every time we went back to our favourite courses I played better mostly due to knowing the layout of the course & feeling comfy round the clubhouse, pro shop, car park & locker room & my skills & knowledge kept on improving. We won our fair share of prizes too along the way but the £ pro shop vouchers were the best so I could choose my reward or the £100 Marks & Sparks vouchers … the strangest was a suitcase !
KEY STEP 5= Joining Bromborough Golf Club
- quite a few Hoylake girls were primarily members of private clubs
- Saturday extra weekly handicap comp
- knew Bromborough was the club to suit me & my long hitting game
- played Sunday biz Ladies comps
- Sunday social games
- after school peaceful solo back 9
- mid week evening Business Ladies team matches
- represented club in ‘A’ team Cheshire & Wirral matches
- putting £ lesson off Pro Geoff
- lots of practice putting
- dropped handicap to 9 … very proud!
- joined in with tuesday medals & counting comp meetings in school holidays
- lovely clubhouse & veranda overlooking the 18th & puttting green
- made good friends who were all good golfers
Everything was going well at both clubs until I had my breakdown in 2001 & my life as I knew it changed forever. My return to work was paramount so I had to back off from Bromborough because it overwhelmed me and after a full weeks teaching I was exhausted & had no energy left to cope with the car drive to Hoylake, play a 5 hour round of golf & then drive home safely. I stayed a member of Hoylake but knew I needed to leave Bromborough which I was very upset about.
I had to retire in 2004 on ill health grounds aged 47 & was very depressed for a long time. I had no energy to play golf of any sort & couldn’t bear to watch it on tv. By 2006 I was playing at both clubs again but was still finding it stressful & overwhelming & I had lost a lot of confidence so was finding matchplay particularly difficult. I was also experiencing mood swings & developing social anxiety so golf was stressful instead of doing me good in addition to feeling very tired so x18 holes became unrealistic. I had to finally accept I had to cut loose from my x2 special clubs & find a different way forward.
KEY STEP 6 = Joining Brackenwood municipal Golf Club
- 12 handicap
- 3 minute car drive or car lift
- lowest handicap in club
- didnt know anybody
- wednesday comp once a week mix in
- wednesday clubhouse meeting / meal after
- initially nobody knew re my mental health issues
- when they did some were supportive
- some didn’t understand it at all
- some were uncomfortable “but you look so well !”
- counting comps
- dates card for my ffx
- £ municipal / £ Passport for life
- my golf photography
- my classical music photo dvds in clubhouse
- key support from Bov & Marj re my mum very tough stuff
- lost playing handicap 2013
- 1st tee anxiety
- clubhouse meal anxiety = noise level !
- £10 short game sessions + putting / chipping / short iron to the green
- Bov’s Captain’s year 2012 Merseyside Championships
- Beautiful Brackenwood mac photo book / Bov’s 70th / Captain Jackie
- knee ACL severly disorganised / semi arthritic
- clubhouse meetings difficult cos constant questions about my knee
- big decision to leave / Psych & support group agreement
- letter to the Captain Linda & committee
KEY STEP 7 = Rejoining Bromborough golf Club
- could afford private club £ fees
- felt fit & healthy & bipolar moods were stable
- 3rd time of joining = prodigal daughter !
- this time quietly under the radar September Jeff £ Margie help
- psych plan for wellbeing golf
- 9 holes social
- no competition golf
- early morning photography
- Jeff social
- clubhouse
- Phil coffee
- practice putting
- practice ground pitching / chipping
- Margie & Carol x9 holes for the 1st time
- knee ACL x 2 days later = was devastated !!!
KEY STEP 8 = My Knee
- sudden swell up, big pain & unstable after Bromborough golf x9 holes social
- GP Liz/Clare referral to Clatterbridge Hospital / Orthopaedic department
- MRI scan
- Mr Richard Parkinson = Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
- key appointment (1) @ Spire Murrayfield Hospital / Joan help
- diagnosis = ACL carbon fibre ligaments severely disorganised
- key appointment (2) @ Clatterbridge Hospital / Marj help
- diagnosis = MRI knee also semi arthritic = future full knee replacement
- not bad enough yet for knee replacement operation
- could be months or years !!!
- plan = physiotherapy sessions to build up muscles for strength & stability
- GP referral to Joints & Points / personal physio Naomie Wright
- weekly physio session / daily home exercise programme
- x 20 sessions over x6 months
- £ home exercise bedroom bike / Phil help
- physio return to golf plan … step by step
- Prenton driving range / key clubs knee test = Pitching Wedge/5 hybrid/8 iron
KEY STEP 9 = Joining Wirral Ladies Golf Club
- Research with pro Angus = play holes in correct order 1-5
- £ cost / payment options
- Meeting with Captain Gill & Bernie / explained knee & Bipolar complications
- Sharon secretary office £ part year subs
- solo x3 holes test
- Irene x 5 holes / clubhouse social test
- x9 holes test
- solo photoshoot
- solo putter walk
- putting green practice test
KEY STEP 10 = My Website
- is a golfing work in progress
- make it readable & informative for non golfers, beginners
- pitch it at differing levels of experienced players
- I have knowledge & experience that I want to share
- helps me accept where I am now & being proud of my past
- explains how my knee & mental health issues are complex but will not stop me
- a way of expressing myself through my photography
- in time will help me find my place in the club
So … where am I now ?
- a proud gold member of Wirral Golf Club
- am starting to share my website golf section with my support group
- taking baby steps back to my golf club
- putter walk / putting green practice / pro Sean & asst pro Jordan chat
- aiming for Autumn weekly friday fun with Jackie