A life-changing Golden Golf trip to La Manga

SOME people have a holiday of a lifetime, but I have had a life-changing holiday. Technically it was ‘work’, but as it involved jetting off to La Manga to play in a celebrity golf tournament – the Golden Golf Tour – the work wasn’t too onerous!
The trip was the best thing that could have happened to me. Ever since the handicap system was changed, I know that I have been angry and resentful, and in turn that has ruined my enjoyment of the game.

I have felt that I was not only battling the course when I went out to play, but the system as well. I had lost sight of why I loved the game. But all that has changed. It was fantastic being around so many high achievers. I was surrounded by former world and Olympic champions and I have decided that I need to be with driven people. Apathy sucks the life out me, and I had forgotten what it was like to be among goal-setters and go-getters.

As a pupil and then a teacher at Millfield school, I was constantly in a competitive environment. Some may cringe, but staff wore T-shirts with slogans like ‘second place is first loser’ or ‘if you can’t win don’t play’. The school motto is Molire Molendo – to achieve by hard work, or grinding, and I still believe in that ethos.

To be honest, it was a complete shock to come out of that environment and discover not everyone thinks the same way, and in the outside world the underdog is applauded more than the achiever. Suddenly, at La Manga, I was back in those halcyon days.
I’ve played in front of crowds before, but the prospect of playing in front of TV cameras for the first time was terrifying. I texted friends to tell them how apprehensive I was, and one reply told me this was my moment, that I may never get the chance again, and I had to go out and grab it.

When I spotted a cameraman behind the green my knees literally started shaking, and at that precise moment, that atrocious song ‘This is my moment’ popped into my head! From then on, every time I saw the cameras, Martine McCutcheon started blasting out “This is my moment, this is my perfect moment...” and I rose to the occasion.

In the end couldn’t wait to hits shots to show off. It’s not a feeling I have ever experienced before, but it’s certainly addictive, and I hope to goodness I can find it again – even if I have to live with Martine in my head from now on!

I was thrilled to play with tour professional Lora Fairclough, and pit my skills against her. It gave me an enormous amount of encouragement to see that our long games really weren’t very far apart, and I now have the incentive to go and work on my short game to catch up with hers. She is delightful, and when I was interviewing her afterwards, she finished by saying: “I want to win (on tour) again, and I believe that I can.” There wasn’t a hint of arrogance in that statement, and it was just so refreshing for me to hear people making simple statements of intent and not having to apologise for believing in
themselves.

Afterwards we were talking to former world swimming champion, Karen Pickering, who was lamenting the loss of her six-pack stomach. Apparently, Karen used to end her weights sessions by doing 900 sit-ups. When that became too easy she did them with a medicine ball that left a bruise on her chest because of its weight!

I was also paired with former 400, runner Kriss Akabusi, who has to have the most instantly attractive personality I have ever met. It was one of the most enjoyable rounds of golf I have ever played, and despite the fact that it took a staggering 5 1/2 hours, I never wanted it to end. Kriss dubbed me ‘The Fairway Finder’ on an interview with Sky Sports afterwards,
since I only missed one fairway. It’s a catchy title, so I’m thinking of changing the name of my column!

When I asked him why he took up golf, he said: “I hit a cracking six iron with my third-ever shot – and I’ve been chasing that shot ever since!” Suddenly, that put everything into perspective for me. I don’t want to let my handicap deliberately lapse to something like eight any more so that I can play the system, just to compete with everyone else who’s been given extra shots.

I don’t care what they do to the handicap system from now on, even if I never win another club competition again. It is just going to be me, a stick and a little white ball forever in pursuit of that purity of strike that got me hooked on the game originally.

I had lost sight of the point of being good, but now, thanks to the Golden Golf Tour, (and ‘my moment’) I have my desire back. To echo Lora, I want to win again, and I believe I can. I’m not sure I want it badly enough to do 900 sit-ups a day though – with or without a medicine ball!