I enjoy golf. I took up the sport late in life. I try and make up for lost time whenever I can by playing as often as possible.
I invited my 3 friends to play a round of golf at Wingate on the 13th August teeing off at around 1pm that afternoon. Having left my golf set 1200km away in Joburg, tried to borrow from non-playing friends unsuccessfully. I then with the help of Save decided to hire a set from the Pro shop (well it looks nowhere near what you have seen).
We were well received in the shop by one of countries former golf greats. His son actually defeated Tiger Woods at a tournament in the US! The Pro counted the clubs and said that he had given us 12 clubs. Off we went. At the green keeper's office, we were given 3 caddies by the caddies senior. I insisted on the most senior being allocated to my friend who was playing for the first time (so he claimed! But you should have seen his shots!).
At the first hole, I called for a 7 iron, but before the caddie handed me the club, I change my mind and settled for an 8 iron. On the 4th when I resolutely decided to use the 7 iron, it was nowhere to be found. I asked the caddie whether he could have dropped it and he said NO. We counted the clubs and they number 11. We played on after noting that the Pro had said that he had given us 12 clubs.
We finished the round as it was getting dark after skipping 2 shot holes.
At the club house entrance, we met with the Pro. I asked him whether he had kept the 7 iron, and all hell broke loose!
He lost his cool and started shouting that he wanted his club back and that it had been stolen. A drama was in the brew. Several people came to watch. I could replace the club if he was sure it was in the bag and that he needed to check his Pro shop. He would have none of it. He said he had packed it in and was sure that it had been stolen by the caddie, one Samson.
He set off shouting while the caddie master tried to ask some questions to verify what could have happened. From nowhere, he pulled one of the irons from the bag and started assaulting the deadlocked caddie. The hapless young man tried to duck but it was too late. The Pro went for his throat and let go only after the intervention of bystanders. He kept on shouting that the iron had been stolen and that he had bought the original Ping set in 1969 and that no replacement could be found. The Pro was going berserk.
I offered to speak to him in private so that we could discuss compensation but he would have none of it. After more than an hour of the high-pitched drama, we set down the 3 of us to try and force in the 19th hole drink, but the day had already been spoiled.
The caddie remained under fire being harassed by the Pro. Suggestions by others and other caddies that he check again whether he had packed the 7 iron in our bag were rebuffed by him. He was perfect and could not have made that stupid mistake!!
Some 2 hours later, (3 hours after the drama started), someone convinced him to go and check in his Pro Shop in the company of the caddie, the club manager and someone else.
Lo, behold, the 7 iron was sitting in his shop. He had given us 11 clubs and not 12. The caddie was assaulted for no reason. We were held up for no reason. Our day was spoiled for no reason. This entire drama was only due to the fact that the Pro had too much pride to just check and admit his own error. He did not even apologise to me, though he saw me after discovering his error.
The entire drama left me wondering, is Golf really as gentleman's sport???
Sorry Samson! Ultimately, you were the true gentleman!
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