I play golf religiously – across here, across there … (sorry!)
Golf didn’t grab me until I was well into my 30s, then I got hooked. Thankfully this was at a time when my sons no longer needed my full attention. After joining The New Golf Club on 7 April 1990, every second Saturday meant a game on StAndrews links.
It’s called the New Club, but it was formed in 1902. I came onto committee in 1998, just in time to help prepare for the club’s centenary celebrations. In the process, in 2001, I redesigned the club badge, tie, tartan, medals, merchandising and signage, as well as its first web site. From 2001, through 2002, the centenary year, and into 2003, I undertook the research, design, photography and production of the club’s centenary book.
For my efforts, I was asked to be Vice Captain in 2004. Arnold Palmer, our Honorary Member, dropped in that year, signed our books and was presented with a new tie and jersey. During my captaincy in 2005, Gary Player paid a flying visit to the club during the Open and, in 2006, I presented one of our books to Jack Nicklaus while he was in Edinburgh. So, within three years, I’d met and had my photo taken with the great, modern day Triumvirate.
On the completion of the New Club centenary book, I was privileged to become involved with the design and production of the award-winning ‘Tom Morris – the Colossus of golf’. This in turn led to being commissioned to design ‘Social Links’, the history of the origin of golf in England, and the 250th anniversary book for the world’s 4th oldest golf club, The Bruntsfield Links Golfing Society, both of which are currently being progressed.
My golf, meanwhile, has suffered badly from recent neglect and, to be honest, a severe deterioration of my driving in the last two years. However, I do think I’ve found the answer – in the Titleist 909D. Let’s hope so anyway! As they say, it’s not the big head at the bottom of the club that matters, so much as the one at the other end!