One on....Two putt

I have finally kicked out the addiction..! Am I?


It was all started five years ago, when out of the blue somebody started to realize that our organization was losing not only good scientists who didn't pay much attention about other thing except how to get fast promotion and a handsome salary before their retirement, but also good golfers.

And it was one fine morning, in the big field that used to house international cricket matches, I started to get my first hand on the irons. Together with a group of 30 unwary novices (the number later reducing each time we had the training, but that was expected) I started the training passionately . The adrenalin straight away kicked in and gushing through my body and I got bitten by the bug almost instantly. The feeling was almost like driving a fast car without a speed limiter and not having to worry about speed trap on our uneven highways. Day in and day out, I whacked the balls. Until it goes straight.

That was until last December. Something not so good happened to me. An extra swing that tickled my nerves. I am still in my confinement now, recuperating from a sciatica. The longest so far. I have past the four month barrier. I think by now my golf sets have started to gather dust and cobweb in the store. Now I am starting to think of whether to sell the gears and get some fund to replace my old but trusty SLR - of which is depreciating everyday inside the cabinet.

Golf has somehow taught and showed me a totally new dimension about sport. Some people say golf is a gentleman's game. Which in away is true enough. For example, you can have a friend whom you have known for many years for his good manner and behaving better that any imam in this world, but in the field, he is cheating like a horny rabbit (he will always claim he find his ball, even though it is clearly the ball splashed the water and has sunken deep in the pond). You will also seldom hear these passionate people utters nice word like 'Please clean your ball first", but four letter words are quite an inevitable tune when some miss hit happen or the ball hit the bunker. And these nice people will become as good as 'tokoh maal hijrah' again the moment we finished the game. These has been our laughing stock for years to come.

There are so much rules, regulations, etiquette etc. you have to know before you even set your foot on the green. Some are quite weird and funny too. It is for example, a big taboo if you stand behind your partner when he/she is ready to putt the ball into the hole. And on the green you just cannot walk like you normally do during one of your window shopping sessions. You have to actually learn to do some catwalk or walk the way gentleman's normally do. You have to also be aware not to step on your partners' line as that will incur a penalty. No jean is allowed and only with proper attire you will be allowed in the field. The field marshals will check on you from time to time and will ask you to stop playing and packing your gear if you break any of the rules. No joke.

Golfers are really a handicap sportsmen. They can get themselves ready at anytime and anyplace, rain or shine for this one passion, even on the last minute call. Any mother-in-law will be so proud of this total devotion and utmost determination. Most don't have much problem to wake up before the first light of the day, earlier than the subuh muazzin and travel many hours to uncharted territories just to play a round of golf. Most will just contented finishing at the 18th hole, but some of the more adventurous and more spirited ones will continue with another round, even with new or different partners. The partners they might just picked up in the loo during the break.

Golf is also a universal game with no boundary as well. I am not a member of any golf club and like to stay that way, as I can play anywhere that fancied me. Whenever somebody ask me which club I belong to, I will say "KGSS" (read = Kelab Golf Sana-Sini :) Nowadays you don't need to be a member of a club to play golf (not like many years back), in most of the cases, you just pay the green-fee and off you go to the field. I think money has more say than a plastic membership card.

In a nutshell, golf is really an interesting sport to me. I met many interesting people and make a lot of new friends on the green. I play golf because the principle behind the game and a good company too. The green fairway and beautiful landscape has a soothing effect to my eyes.

My sciatic problem, extreme UV exposure, missing quality time with the family, world economy crisis and the possibility of stumbling upon creatures from the underworld are among the issues that really bugging me right now. From time to time, my 'kaki' will call asking for a game. A real temptation. But I am in no good shape now and really has to 'fast' at least another 3 or 4 months. Even Tiger Wood took one year off and miss a few title recently.

I am still thinking...