Sunny blue skies greeted Shirls, Bellringer and me on the practice putting green at (the Royal) St Lucia Golf Links last weekend for the inaugural four stick challenge. There was a chance of early 'rules' controversy as I observed Ben honing his putting with a 4-iron. Strewth, I thought, perhaps putters aren't permitted?
Shirls arrived, and we set off to the 1st tee where some punter with an air of self importance was driving off. Then again. And again. Clearly a practice round, but a bit bold isnt it? Never mind, we were in no hurry.
I know, dear reader, you are all gagging to find out what clubs we opted for. I was confident with Driver, 5 iron, wedge and putter. Ben went with 3 metal, 4 iron, 8 iron and sandy. Shirls opted for 3 metal, 4 iron, 9 iron and putter (I think).
In the 20+ years since the course went public the old links at St Lucia have been adjusted and shortened to cater for the social golfer, but I think the bones are still reasonably strong. It would be interesting to see how the layout would have evolved if it had stayed in 'private' hands. I guess it would have become narrower, more heavily bunkered with tricked up greens for protection against the evolution of golf technology. As it is now the 1st has become a longish slight dog leg par 4, while the 2nd, previously quite a tough driving hole with the road catching any hookers, is now a 152 metre par 3. That didn't stop Shirls hitting on the road though!
The 3rd is a 251 metre par 4, apparently, but I distinctly remember it being a par 3 measuring 232 metres, wasn't it? I bombed one onto the green anyway, my shot of the day, I reckon. It was fun revisiting experiences of our youth as we wandered around the course. The hours spent in the muddy creek, the search for golf balls in long grass, down the river bank and in the bulrushes in front of the 4th tee. And also playing and losing balls in all of those aforementioned places.
We safely navigated the uphill 4th and the little dogleg 5th, which is now denuded of the tricky bunker that previously caught players trying to sneak around the corner, as well as the green-side traps. I had a flashback on the par 5, 6th - just get it to the top of that hill, I thought. Executing such a task seemed to be mission impossible in 1980's with a persimmon driver, but seemed a bit of a snack now. Ben made it home with two cracking 3 metals, the second seemed to fly and fly and fly - magnificent!
Onwards to the 7th, another very pleasant short dog leg. The green is bigger than I remember, and I think has been moved forward a bit, whereas it probably could have been moved back, or tucked further left to make it more difficult, but perhaps that would muck up the passage of the creek? The par 3 8th has lost some of its greenside bunkers, and charm, but none of us parred it. The final hole is a neat driving hole, before hitting up the the hill to a raised and somewhat shabby green. I had another memory flashback about the smell of meat pies from the long-gone halfway house between the 9th and 10th. And of playing with Glenn Thomas, the junior Tom Kite of Indooroopilly Golf Club, as he nervously putted out in near darkness on the 9th one Saturday afternoon to shoot a few under par. Funny what one remembers.
We pondered life and other issues over a couple of cool drinks in the bar and concluded the tourney was a cracking success. I pipped Ben by a couple of points in the split sixes to take the crown and I look forward to passing it on at second edition this year or next.
