It was with some relief that we escaped The Emerald Isle after a dangerously experience rich 27 days. Our existence in England promises to be a more measured one; no bad thing. Maybe we??ll get a bit more done...
As fate would have it Michael has an uncle in Manchester who has an impressive great big Georgian home. And he graciously said we could squat for as long as necessary. Our stay there was so comfortable that we considered revamping our itinerary to accommodate months?? of golf around Manchester; we didn??t want to leave. Wayne and his lovely wife Gayle (both barristers, or, in Gayle??s case, nearly) are an affable couple of kind hearted disposition. Good natured doesn??t quite cover it. A few nights in Chateau Mottram provided much needed nourishment for tired bodies and minds. 5 star luxury and Gayle??s pure cooking combined in heavenly fashion.
Despite not managing to connect with the good people at The First Tee of Ireland, a visit to their Mancunian counterparts has been on the cards for some time. Manchester is the only UK chapter of the program, although there are plans to open up shop down in Wrexham (north Wales) soon. The Golf Foundation holds a strong grip on junior golf here and, as I understand it, they don??t seem too keen on working with The First Tee given their different emphases. Seems strange to me given both have the overarching objective of getting kids into golf.
Molly Whelan ?? who??s involved in the set up at The First Tee ?? arranged for us to come down to Heaton Park to meet a bunch of the kids. Their enthusiasm as ever would prove to be a real boost. Before sitting in on one of their sessions though we had to carry out the daily ritual that is golf ?? no chore, to be honest. Dangerous though. Thunder and lightning greeted us on our first day on English soil: perhaps a warning not to expect the sort of pristine weather we??ve grown accustomed to this year.
Just 20 minutes into the escapade we found ourselves huddled under trees doing our best to dodge the very wet Manchester rain. And lightning. Brian the manager (who??d given us a warm welcome upon arrival) must??ve grown concerned for our safety and so took it upon himself to buggy out to collect us. We had other ideas, and continued on as soon as the forks were no longer overhead. By the time we??d reached the turn the torrential downpour abated and the sun almost made an appearance. At this point Heaton Park began to look a little more splendid. The 11th hole for example was a picture: 200 odd yards over a bush clad ravine with some old observatory looking structure in the background. Pure.
[Rather soggy post-storm greens]
[Index 1, 15th hole - quality]
After 14 we shot down to the driving range to hang out with the wee ones. Because of a rescheduled class time it was only Charlie, Marley and Olivia that could make it. They had enough spark between the three of them to light up the night sky, so it seemed like a full class anyway. Supportive parents watched on as their little rascals were led by Rob, TFT Coach, through their paces. At only 6 or 7 years old these tots were more or less just getting their eye in, rather than focusing on the finer points of the game, but they were in their element. Marley in particular (yes, named after Bob) was having a blast.
[Charlie blasting off]
[The crew]
[L to R: Marley, Charlie and Olivia]
I had a good chat with Marley??s dad, who told me how much the wee man looked forward to every class. Seeing his son get so animated had also ignited in him an interest in picking up the game again. Obviously enthusiasm is infectious. As we all marched out to the chipping green the three musketeers hurtled themselves at full throttle ?? and Marley (of course it would be him) slipped straight onto his posterior. Covered in mud. Literally. Y??er man didn??t seem too bothered either, just chirping and chipping away as if nothing had happened. Class.
[Goldy with Marley and dad]
Eventually the time came for us to shoot back out onto ??the big course? to finish our final four holes. This time James ?? one of the proteges at The First Tee ?? came out to show us a thing or two. He??s 16 years old, has been playing for a couple of years, and already plays off a 5 handicap. He??d dead keen too, and has really immersed himself in the program. ??It keeps me off the streets? he said to me, as we walked down the 16th. You could tell he meant it too; this kid had his head screwed on. James credited his supportive parents with helping him make it to the classes ?? others aren??t quite so lucky. It was a delight getting to spend an hour with James and see him hit the ball like not many other 16 years olds can. A credit to himself and The First Tee.
[James and Goldy]
Huge thanks to Molly and Brian for teeing up our visit and being so hospitable on the day. It was a pleasure meeting you both, and the kids. Their enthusiasm was inspiring.
JP
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Chisholm Park
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