Friday 24th October 2008Today I had an appointment with a golf coach at a club near my sister's. I wanted to give it a go, feel what it is like that bizarre sport of “hitting the little ball”, aware as I was that most people “get hooked”. Would I?
I get up and the weather does not look very promising: black clouds cover the sky and the risk of storm rather than rain is imminent. I have my usual breakfast, i.e., hot oatmeal with sugar and cinnamon. Many people get disgusted by its look but I assure you this makes one of the healthiest breakfast, it is filling and it may get tasty. After breakfast the sky seem to give signs of improvement. Some openings letting some sun rays come through may lead to a general improvement. I get to La Serena Golf Club http://www.laserenagolf.clubmurcia.com/ by taxi 15 minutes before my appointment at 12:00. Diego who is to be my coach guides me through the premises of the club and facilitates my getting used to the worl of golf. We start at the area where you have a line of grass pads from where up to ten people at a time can be practising hits. Smaller buckets holding thirty, maybe fifty balls usually rest by each pad being used. And I start giving my first hits. Weather start getting better but we still get a few minutes of thin rain. We keep improving my technique, lots of room to improve! But I enjoy. When the hit is right the feeling is very rewarding, generating a big dose of satisfaction. We spend some time on the “green” practising winning hits and we finish by playing a full hole. Now I am hooked to golf! It is a fantastic feeling to spend a few hours chatting away, concentrating on the hit, the nice weather, the bar/restaurant after finishing the day, all on all it makes it a beautiful day out of sport and sociability.
After my class I am picked up by my sister Asun who has to hear all the wonders of the new sport. She drives us to a restaurant called “La Casa del Reloj” in San Pedro del Pinatar. The house is an old house that could have been the building acting as the railway station but no train ever run through this town, and it has a characteristic clock in its tower. Here we eat really well. A massive salad to share with “smaller lettuces, roasted peppers and ventresca, a sweet and appreciated part of white tune”. As main we both choose “lobster rice” that tastes to die for. Remelluri red Rioja did the rest....
Afternoon brought a two and a half hour siesta. Infrequent in me but I am learning some pleasures of life, and this may be one.
My brother in law arrives for dinner after my sister and I had had a pint at an English style pub nearby. Some chat after dinner and off to bed.
Saturday is devoted to some tourism in the area, including a drive along the “infamous” La Manga del Mar Menor. The only thing worth remembering of that place was the lunch we had: salad of roasted peppers and ventresca, and oxtail that was to die for. Then we drove up to Alicante and after walking around in the city I took the flight back home.
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