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GIRLS ON TOUR – WEST COAST OF IRELAND – BY NUMBERS 20 girls, 3 rounds of golf, two 60th birthday celebrations, 1 bust rib, 1 lost voice, 1 broken wrist … but only ONE Irish Champion, step forward Patti Crone.
If only the Solheim Cup ladies had hunkered down together in a dark tavern before this weekend’s tournament in Germany with a bottle or two of classic Riesling and watched the video below. They well may have avoided the worst act of bad sportsmanship I’ve ever witnessed in 29 years of playing golf.
There’s an old line about bottled water being twice as expensive as petrol per litre, which is true when purchased in small quantities. This month it was revealed that milk in the UK is now cheaper to buy than bottled water thanks to a fierce supermarket war. The price per litre of milk, when bought in a four-pint bottle, has dipped to 43p, compared to 44p for bottled still water. Keep that… Read More
WITH JUST A TOUCH OF HESITATION, REPETITION AND DEVIATION No one likes a judgemental nitpicker. No one more so than the (non-self appointed) navigator of a 250-plus mile journey from Londontown into neighbouring France. Our driver had been hit on route by some rather somber news and was in an understandable state of mourning. The other was strangely arranged across the back seat, blissfully unaware of her surrounds and absorbed in the… Read More
I have a friend. He is a veteran golf writer, master of the English language and one of life’s fiercest critics when it comes to all things clichés. Not surprisingly this makes for dangerous ground since he not only frequents Golfmadchick.com, but as regular readers will know, this is a blog positively riddled with these vulgar, over-used, meaningless fillers. According to him I am forbidden from using the words: picturesque, shrouded, idyllic, must see, etc…. Read More
It’s midday and I am lying in bed with more drugs raging through my system than an aging rocker on a day trip to Pfizer’s world-renowned research lab. I have acute bronchitis. It is day eight. I wouldn’t mind so much, but it‘s the second bout in two months and what’s worse … it’s my office Christmas party tonight. While friends and colleagues are reaching for their most festive bib and tucker,… Read More
Dubbed the Blitz of Biarritz, it quickly plummeted into Blitzed in Biarritz, as two competing societies The Press Golfing Society (PGS) and the Association de la Presse et du Golf (APG) thrashed it out for the 24th Wryter Cup in France. Hosted by Golf de Chantaco in the charming coastal town of Saint-Jean-de-Luz, a dozen miles south of Biarritz and close to the Spanish border, it is one of the most famous courses in the Basque country with exceptional views… Read More
Europe and the US are ready for battle in golf’s Ryder Cup. Oh, and Ukip leader Nigel Farage has popped up in a pretty cool Paddy Power ad for the contest too. The world is a precarious place. Britain may be at war by the weekend. Scotland is more divided than ever before. The Queen is not amused with our prime minister. The leader of the opposition forgot the deficit. And now,… Read More
In my experience heterosexual males are lousy at remembering birthdays. Facebook and Twitter has helped occasionally attract their attention to your really big day and nothing can beat persistent vocal reminders along the lines of, ‘I really can’t believe that next month I shall actually be 40.’ The combination of these three prompted one of my male colleagues to come up with a surprisingly bright idea, although I strongly suspect that he was… Read More
Fourteen ladies flew to the west coast of Ireland to play golf. This is what happened:
When the phone-hacking allegations piled up and eventually took down the News of the World, I was there to witness it all. Here is my story, from diary extracts during the last week of the newspaper, as published on Channel 4 News this week:
It is the greatest sport in the world and after a year of intense preparation and anticipation, it has finally arrived. That’s right, golf’s US Open kicks off today. Four nail-biting rounds of Major Championship golf featuring all the tantalizing drama, meltdowns, memories, heartache, last day gallops and shock victories. Forget the World Cup frenzy, its US Open fever gripping the Channel 4 News communications department as the world’s best… Read More
I kissed a boy in Copenhagen last weekend. It wasn’t one of those “Congratulations, you’ve pulled a Viking” moments, more a lightly touch cheek with cheek ritual by way of introduction to a friend’s cousin. “Since when have the colonials started kissing?” asked the bemused Zimbabwean recipient of my warm greeting. I was about to launch into an animated compilation of my romances through the decades when a lively debate erupted on the… Read More
When the Captain of the Press Golfing Society asked me to be his vice-captain two years ago, I must admit, I hesitated. Not because the thought of addressing a bunch of delightfully cynical journalists a dozen times next year scared the hell out of me. Or knowing I would have to humiliate myself with a speech in French during our annual Wryter Cup clash given my questionable grasp of the language. The… Read More
Gorkana caught up recently with News of the World’s former head of PR Hayley Barlow to find out what her 12 year long reign entailed, what she did next after the paper closed, and her part in the attempted rescue of ‘Wally’ the Thames whale in January 2006. Firstly Prince Harry, would the News of the World have published those pictures? Undoubtedly yes, if the story had broken in our time…. Read More
Dear Membership Secretary, RE: APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP TO AUGUSTA NATIONAL GOLF CLUB Like the rest of the female swinging population you can imagine my delight on learning that after 80 years of exclusion, gals are finally welcome on golf’s most hallowed turf. Admittedly, it’s only two of America’s finest afforded membership thus far, but I get that some exclusive clubs are in no rush to embrace the 21st century. It occurred to me… Read More
A severe snap hook is a thing of awesome power and beauty. Just ask my foresomes partner! Share your best captions below or tweet to @Golfmadchick using the hashtag #CaptionThis to send your submission. Check back to see if you’ve won a sleeve of Press Golfing Society Srixon golf balls.
It was six years ago I walked into my editor’s office and boldly requested a work transfer to Australia. He looked at me quizzically like I’d lost the plot entirely and snapped a robust NO before returning to his newspaper. “I’m so glad you thought your answer through” I sighed. “Isn’t this supposed to be a caring sharing company that delights in offering global exchange opportunities to staff?” “Get out” he barked… Read More
So there I was. Striding down the lush green fairways of a swanky Kent golf course overlooking London’s glorious skyline. My mind wondering off as I gazed into the distance at the sleek Shard of Glass towering over the capital. The 80-story skyscraper continuing its heavenly climb. From its summit the views stretch for 50 miles in every direction. An extraordinary feat of engineering and on reflection, perhaps, in part to blame… Read More
Those who follow this blog will be well versed with my regular rants on the perils of winter golf. But also aware that topping my 2012 new years resolution scroll involves less whinging and more embracing the chilly elements. So you can imagine my disappointment, especially after a week of gearing myself up for the sub zero elements to be faced with a Course Closed sign. Not to be defeated, the only… Read More
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