New year, same me (and Trump and Tiger and Spieth)
New Year, new me.
At least that’s what they say. And by “they” I mean those really annoying types who have an Instagram account just to keep their followers up to date of how much avocado on toast they’re eating.
While my girlfriend insists we must be “beach body ready” for our trip to Australia in March, I just can’t see it happening. Mainly because, well, I don’t want to. I like Chinese food too much. And Indian. And fish and chips.
I don’t want to do a “30-day ab challenge” – how does that even work? – or spend my evenings planking in my front room. I just want to kick back with winter comfort food and binge on Modern Family. (That’s not me in the photo above. I don’t have a basketball in my front room. Or any room, really.)
New Year, same me, if anything.
But what about golf? As the clock ticks over into January, we all promise ourselves we will play more, or spend more time on the range working on getting rid of that “power fade”.
But do we ever actually do it? We have a couple of weeks off the course over Christmas and by January we’re all itching to get out again. But then a new storm front comes in from over the Atlantic and the clubs stay holed up in the garage for a few more days. Repeat until March.
So I’m not making any New Year resolutions for that very reason. That way anything will be a bonus.
Hello, by the way. Happy New Year and all that. Welcome to the first Dialled In of 2018. Here is some cool stuff from over the Christmas break…
Shameless plug
First off, did you watch the first episode of The NCG Show? If you didn’t, it’s a chat show format which is hosted by me and I’m joined by Mark Townsend and James Savage to discuss all things golf from 2017.
There are also special editions of The Slam and Angry Club Golfer, as well as an advert for golf’s hottest new product that you’ll have to see to believe.
Anyway, you can watch it here. We went for a mixture of serious golf chat and (attempted) humour, and we’d love to hear what you think.
Trumping the competition
Yep, I’m still fawning over ‘Nosferatu’, Twitter’s self-appointed official world golf rankings guru.
This is truly tremendous. He has essentially proved that Donald Trump played more golf than your average tour pro in 2017…
Stat of the day:
Since Trump's inauguration day, the Top 50 players in #OWGR played on average ~24.5 events (averaging ~4 MCs each).
That means the average Top 50 pro in the world has played ~90 rounds of golf.Goes to show that Donald is a real pro…https://t.co/vvvoKW07WG
— Nosferatu (@VC606) January 1, 2018
New Year, same me (and Trump).
And if you’re wondering which players were the biggest movers in 2017…
#OWGR upside story for 2017:
Patrick Cantlay recorded not only the largest jump of 2017, but the largest ever jump in a calendar year since the inception of OWGR!
India's @ajeeteshsandhu recorded the 2nd biggest jump of the year. Here are the Top 5 climbers in 2017… pic.twitter.com/vAa5KxX4nu
— Nosferatu (@VC606) January 1, 2018
#OWGR downside story for 2017:
Australian Steven Bowditch, @bowdo83 and American @BrendonTodd recorded the biggest falls in the world rankings in 2017 with drops of 1420 places each!
These were the worst 5 OWGR drops in 2017… pic.twitter.com/W09RIvhhDH
— Nosferatu (@VC606) January 1, 2018
He also noted on Tiger Woods’ birthday last week that “there were 366 OWGR sanctioned tournaments played around the world in 2017” and “if you add the points earned by ALL 366 winners you only get about two-thirds of the OWGR points won by Woods in his career”. Incredible stuff.
Life begins at 42
Speaking of Tiger’s birthday, this is how he spent it…
Happy birthday to myself 🙂 Nothing like shooting a cobia and an amberjack. pic.twitter.com/fqff602bk3
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) January 1, 2018
He loves a fishing trip. Remember this from the summer?
Nothing like free diving with the kids for lobster at Albany. pic.twitter.com/QgdvrMYnPX
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) August 4, 2017
Meanwhile, our present to the GOAT and those who are desperate for him to close in on Jack’s record was to jot down a few golfers who won major championships after their 42nd birthday.
New Year, same me (and Trump and Tiger).
Another Jordan slam dunk
Jordan Spieth had a good Christmas. First, he and long-term girlfriend Annie Verret got engaged…
Congratulations, @JordanSpieth! ? pic.twitter.com/FYfB7bzFqQ
— National Club Golfer (@NCGmagazine) December 25, 2017
…then he did this…
Which do you reckon he was happier about? And I wonder if he reacted to Annie’s acceptance with a dab.
The boy certainly knows how to celebrate…
.@JordanSpieth has won the @TravelersChamp in INCREDIBLE fashion.
UNBELIEVABLE! ??#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/qkeeaCg3ye
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 25, 2017
New Year, same me (and Trump and Tiger and Spieth).
Heaven is a place on earth
In my last column of 2017 I mentioned how my annual pilgrimage home to the South West is usually supplemented by a round of golf at one of the region’s finest courses. (The weather is always nice back home.)
On the radar this time was St Enodoc, a course I’ve dreamed of playing since I was young but, for whatever reason, just never got round to it.
Well, the club read my piece (!) and got in touch and…
Name the 1st hole I’m currently enjoying. pic.twitter.com/lHynPDZ9lF
— Alex Perry (@AlexPerryNCG) December 28, 2017
A few people got it, though my favourite response included two incorrect guesses followed by a rather arrogant “Do I win a prize?” No sir, you do not, for you were not even in the right country.
Here she is. pic.twitter.com/HafsdbZcvT
— Alex Perry (@AlexPerryNCG) December 28, 2017
The famous Himalaya Bunker. What a beauty. If you don’t know the course, that’s the green tucked just behind it to the left.
Find the fairway and leave yourself a blind shot in, or take the green on with the big stick, or aim for that small piece of land between the path and bunker to leave yourself the best line in. So many options, a wonderful golf hole.
So that’s why they call it the Church course. pic.twitter.com/n7UayMKeQ6
— Alex Perry (@AlexPerryNCG) December 28, 2017
You wouldn’t tire of that view, would you?
Rock to the left of me, Padstow to the right, here I am stuck in the middle with this view. pic.twitter.com/MY1bUjEiZV
— Alex Perry (@AlexPerryNCG) December 28, 2017
The holes that overlook the estuary over to Padstow are some of the finest in the world.
As finishing holes go… [heart eyes emoji] pic.twitter.com/KVSCGukze2
— Alex Perry (@AlexPerryNCG) December 28, 2017
A few people asked me for my favourite hole. The opening stretch of six is up there with the best I’ve ever played, while 18 is up there with Birkdale and co for spectacular finishing holes. Seven to 17 aren’t bad, either.
A huge thank you to St Enodoc for their hospitality. I genuinely cannot wait to come back. If you haven’t been, get it on your to-play list.
Now I have to spend more time than is probably healthy or, indeed, necessary thinking about which course I bump from my top 5 to accommodate this little slice of Cornish heaven…
The year that was: NCG reflects on 2017
10 alternative PGA Tour storylines from 2017
10 alternative European Tour storylines from 2017
Alex Perry
Alex has been the editor of National Club Golfer since 2017. A Devonian who enjoys wittering on about his south west roots, Alex moved north to join NCG after more than a decade in London, the last five of which were with ESPN. Away from golf, Alex follows Torquay United and spends too much time playing his PlayStation or his guitar and not enough time practising his short game.
