Day 50 - The Grange - our last day in NZ

Posted by Jamie on 19 February 2010 | 0 Comments | Tags: Auckland, Roy, Grange

Well what a day it has been, an amazing way to wrap up our first NZ leg.  Today, quite simply, was the story of one man's generosity - and that man is Roy Boquiron.  I'll get to Roy in a minute.

I should say first that our good mate, Ace - who charitably lent us his car for the past 50 days - got up at the crack of dawn to drop us across town.  He also made a second trip across town, later in the day, after I left a few clothes hanging up at his place.  A good friend indeed.  

We arrived at Roy's house around 645am, to meet our new friend over a big kiwi breakfast, the perfect preparation for our golf at The Grange (of which Roy is a member, both of the club and of the committee).  Roy contacted us some weeks ago to pass on his best wishes for our journey, and to ask whether we'd like to join him and his son - William - at The Grange during our Auckland leg.  I remember being quite blown away by the enthusiasm and kindness in that original email, but even that could not have prepared me for the inspiration Michael and I have drawn from this chap today.  

Roy's auntie and mother-in-law rustled up a sublime fry up, which lined hungry stomachs handsomely, and probably added another inch to my expanding waistline.  Roy, Mike and I then made our way a few minutes down the road to The Grange, for an 8am tee time.  We met up with Roy's good friend, Raybert (who after 5 minutes became just 'Ray') and were introduced to various of the local sheriffs - including the starter, the club captain and the pro.  A south westerly was blowing pretty viciously across the course, and after a restless night's sleep I questioned how competently I would acquit myself in front of our new friends.  Promisingly, I knocked my first tee shot straight down the middle, some 50 metres or so short of the green.  Needless to say it all went downhill from there.

Roy and Ray are of Filipino extraction, and both have amazing stories to tell about how they ended up here.  Ray wasn't meant to be joining us, but thankfully answered the last minute call when Roy's son William had to pull out due to school commitments.  It was great that he did, because R & R fed off each other the whole way around.  They are obviously great mates, and play a bit of golf together.  In fact, both are members of the local Filipino Golf Society, which plays an annual Ryder Cup against their Wellington expat counterparts (as well as various warm up matches against, e.g., Thais, Vietnamese, Japanese).  It's serious stuff!  Roy's the President, and from what I hear he has introduced some discipline into preparations for what in the past has been a somewhat more 'social' event.  He even sits down with each member of the 14 strong team (give or take) and talks through with them how they'll play each and every hole of the two courses on which the tournament is held.  I don't think I've ever met someone so methodical.

Within 2 years of taking up the game - in his forties - Roy got down to a 7 handicap.  Because that was his goal.  He breaks the game down into compartments, and devotes each attention on a rotational basis.  Driving; iron play; chipping; and putting.  Mike and I couldn't help but be impressed.  Roy backed it up on the course too, and (now on a 14 handicap, after falling ill last year) was 3 over at the turn.  Which was a good few shots better than us.  It was a real pleasure seeing a guy so thrilled to be out on the course enjoying himself, the fruits of his systematic labour clearly paying off.  Ray played some effortlessly graceful golf too.  And it got me thinking: these chaps don't hit the ball half as hard as we do, but they hit it a dam sight straighter.  Maybe there's something in that?  (A rhetorical question...)

The Grange itself was a strong course.  It's tight.  When the wind's blowing, and you're playing off the blues, it's even tighter.  And the greens were pretty quick too.  So we had our work cut out to make a decent score; but having said that our Filipino mates were tearing it up, so there were no excuses.  I had particular difficulty on the par 3s, which are pretty dam tough.  One of them - ironically one of the two I scored a par on - was nigh on impossible for a punter like me that plays a strong draw/hook.  Tall pines form a natural chute through a rising gully to a narrow green surrounded by bunkers.  The pin was on the far right; the wind howling from the right.  Chances of Jamie hitting it on the green (with a 4 iron): NIL.  A downhill bunker shot to 25 feet and a putt, though, was enough.  Phew.

Roy and I won the haggle on the 15th, 4&3.  My friend deserves the lion share of the credit, with his outstanding front nine setting up the victory.  Poor Mike and Ray didn't know what hit 'em.  I also managed to beat Mike again, with 31 points to his 27.  (Roy presented him with his Weetbix later in the day, and enjoyed witnessing our daily ritual).

After the golf we retired - battered and bruised by the elements - to the plush clubhouse at The Grange for a nice lunch with Roy, some of his mates and the club captain, Phil.  Great toasted sandwiches (kindly purchased by Roy on our behalf)!  

Then came what was perhaps the most memorably part of the day, for me.  Roy invited us back to his house for afternoon tea (I forget the Filipino term he used for it), over which we waxed lyrical about pursuing one's goals, contributing to society and all things in between.  A couple of hours of philosophising to remember.  It would be inappropriate of me to share publicly what Roy undoubtedly shared in confidence - suffice to say he's an incredibly intelligent, open, encouraging and generous man, and we were utterly inspired by his approach to life.  

One of Roy's current goals - which I can share - is to play the Old Course at St Andrews.  After being told by his mates that it's impossible to get on there (what with the ballots and everything they have there), Roy made it happen.  Carpe diem, is his motto (embossed on his personal stationary, no less).  On August 6 Roy will pick up his sticks and tee off on the famous links; and on the 18th he'll get his photo taken walking across the Swilken Bridge.  We are very excited for him, and can't wait to hear about his experience.

I could go on about memories of today, but it's late in the evening and I've got an early flight to catch.  To Sydney.  To begin the next leg of our odyssey.

Day 50 has been an incredible day.  As I said earlier, for me I will always remember it as the day we met Roy Boquiron, one of life's genuinely good people.  And his friend, Raybert.  The pair have pledged their support for us, and have each donated a dollar to The First Tee for every course we played this year.  It has been a privilege to spend our last day in NZ with them.  No doubt our paths will cross again; hopefully they'll be available to play at one of the events we hold in December upon our return home.

Thanks also to The Grange for hosting us today - a very challenging course, and a welcoming club too.

The alarm's going to go off in 4 hours 40 minutes, so it's time to bid you farewell, and finish my packing.

See you on the other side of the ditch...