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Kangaroos are Not Kosher - Howie & Debbie Down Under

When the wind blows the Birdies will fall Oct 14, 2009

Wednesday Oct 14 – Sydney

When the wind blows the Birdies will fall

Okay, time to get serious about this golf thing. Last day of the tournament. One final shot at glory. The Coast Club in Botany Bay. “Coast” being the operative word for today. As you will see from the accompanying photos, I spent my day alternately hacking at the ball and taking photos. The setting is spectacular.

The wind was howling. It was gale force. Maybe a typhoon. We had hail followed by smaller hail in the form of rain. For 10 minutes. And then the hail & rain blew away leaving just the hurricane force winds.

There is nothing so starkly lovely as watching your ball blow about 220 degrees left or right (depending on which way you are going) or, alternatively, carry a good 125 yds. or 295 yds. off the tee (depending on which way you are going).

Did I mention that there was just a ‘touch’ of wind out there today?

So, of course, I played my best round by far (88 swipes) and had a high placing for the day in the field. Unfortunately, not quite high enough for a top 3 finish for a medal and a place in the final champions round on Friday, but enough to have a lot of fun over beer back in the clubhouse after the round (don’t know what brand; another Aussie shouted me again).

There’s nothing like finishing off a tournament with a greenside bunker shot to 12 inches for a sand-save par on the final hole while choking back and spitting out the sand blown into your mouth by the monsoon wind even though you swore you would keep it closed but you just had to open it up to yelp with glee at the result of the shot anyway so there you big dummy don’t do that again!

Phew, glad I got that out so that I can use commas again.

Today’s gregarious grouping included Darrell (from Napier in New Zealand); Colin from Griffith (about 60 km inland from here); and Lorne from a tiny outback settlement called Saskatoon.

Thus ends my “official” competition at the 2009 Sydney World Masters Games. I have, however, been accredited for the 10K Beer Drinking Event. It may take me about 3 months to complete the course. Anything for sport, I say. The 2013 World Masters Games are in Turin, Italy. If there’s beer; we’re going.

Pat finished his 2nd round today at the Liverpool Course. He had an hour of rain to deal with but he did not melt. A mid-pack finish for him today but one more shot at redemption for him tomorrow at The Lakes (do you think there will be water?).

Debbie spent the day on the ferry riding around Darling Harbour looking for the Aquarium Wharf. Just kidding, she totally ignored my directions and made her way, on her own, for the 3rd straight day navigating all by her lonesome. Now that she has this sense of direction thing straightened out she will surely have no further need for me so I will have to see if I can figure out a way to get her to think that she is ‘lost’.

She spent the day, in fact, on a walking tour of the Balmain neighbourhood – quaint old (and some very big) residences and streets on a point jutting out into the harbour. I had the camera today so we need to use our imaginations to see the quaintness. Maybe have a cup of tea if that helps.

I will ask her if she would like to perhaps fill in the blanks at this point. Her response: “Not really – one day the mood will overtake me. Then you’re in trouble buster!”.

We had dinner at the Golden Harbour Chinese restaurant on Dixon Street where we ate on Saturday night. Very delicious.

Apparently they have excellent yum chow. Or, at least, that is what the lady who is the tout out front tells us. She kept telling us to have yum chow while we are here. We thought she was telling us to have a young child while we are here. We have accents, you know, and didn’t understand her China-straylyan that well. Turns out that yum chow means dim sum. That was a relief, I’ll tell you!