Woe is us !

This week sees the start of a BIG week for me on the golf front .,.,

as a player & a spectator .,.,

Aye, me AND a few others !

There's a pile of Pro's from all over the globe up at St. Andrews sitting about, clicking their heels and .,.,., waiting ,,,

The four hole Past Champions fun opener is already cancelled !

You see, our Scottish weather has reverted to type just as it's all about to kick off !

The World Cup of Golf starts at 6-am tomorrow morning !

And so we have the Rain ,, 70-MPH horizontal stuff !

We have the Gales ,, blowing cobwebs & umbrellas far out to sea !

We have the Haar ,, our euphemistically termed coastal sea mist !

Hahaha, have you ever tried playing golf in these conditions .,., on one of the finest ( but also most difficult ) Links courses on the Planet ?

Well I have ,, not St. Andrews Old Course unfortunately but Turnberry's Ailsa course .,.,., a similar sacred ground, and believe me, to see a ball you've hit with everything in your armoury into the rain/wind/mist and watch it turn in the air 200-yards out and come back at you, landing less than 100-yards from the tee is one of the most debilitating sights .,., to try putting your ball on the green when it won't stop moving in the wind as the rain drips off the skip of your bunnet ,, well what can I say ?

I'll tell you ,,,, This is REAL golf my chums ,, this will separate the men from the boys .,., and I know who my money isn't going on to lift the Claret Jug of 2010 .,.,

Go home Tiger son, you know you can't play proper golf .,.,, I'll be surprised if you even make the cut ! Here 'aint Florida, this sky has no sun and yon manicured lawns with the kiddie's sand pits & paddling pools that you guys call golf courses are just a joke compared to the real McKay.

( yeah I've played there too ! )

Worse still ,, my own Seniors Group have our annual away match tomorrow morning at the Championship Haggs Castle course and this too must go ahead come rain or shine .,.,

And come Friday morning ,, whether my clubs are dried out or still wet I'm off to play the wonderful, glorious Turnberry Links again .,., a most savage examination of any golfer's mettle even in the sunshine .,., in the forecast above mentioned conditions it's almost painful, but would we pass up this round ? Not on your life ,, this is how we learn to play SCOTTISH GOLF !

Oh, Woe is us :-)