Greatgolfholidays - we love golf.

So there I was, wondering what to write about in relation to The Open - with so many possible subject matters, it was becoming a bit of a muddle. And, then right at the end, after a fantastic 4 days, a comment was made that sent me into a spin… I simply went bananas!!

Right from the start I had been looking to make a comment about the BBC and specifically their decision to make Gary Linekar the front man for their golf coverage. I know he has been doing it for a few years now, but trust me; he has been irritating me for a few years too!! The problem is that I like the guy and so have always found it difficult to criticise him… Until now!

If his embarrassingly cringing interview in Spanish with Andres Romero (whilst there was some pretty damn important golf going on at the time!!) was not enough to make you want to ‘throw up’, then surely, his ‘chat’ with (the fantastic) Mark James whilst waiting for the play off to start was enough to make one want to top themselves!! During this pathetic interlude, he made the comment that ‘It’s a bit like a penalty shoot-out’!!

WHAT?!?!…… NO, GARY NO….. it is NOTHING like a penalty shoot out for f**ks sake!! A ‘penalty shoot out’ is what tends to happen when 2 teams filled with spoiled, overpaid brats have nothing better to do after 120 minutes of utter boredom. Call me a clairvoyant but I’m guessing this is what Mr Linekar was referring to considering his sporting background. Whereas, a ‘play-off’ is what tends to happen when a stalemate has been reached after 4 days and 72 holes of highly skilled competition - as in what happened during the drama that was Carnoustie!!

Honestly, the BBC does use some of our licence fee to produce some complete and utter tosh. But having Gary Linekar front The Open (and The Masters), the rights to which they have paid a fortune, is a massive travesty. With the likes of the aforementioned Mark James, Ken Brown, Sam Torrance and, of course, Peter Alliss, they have a great team. Gary Linekar is not, and never will be, a part of that. Please, no more…please!!

I was fortunate enough to be invited to play at Brocket Hall recently. Shot 19 stableford points (off 14). Pretty damn rubbish really but even worse when you consider that 12 of those points came off 4 holes (2 birdies & 2 pars). But enough about my poor golf lets talk about Brocket Hall itself.

Brocket Hall has two courses, The Melbourne & The Palmerston. I played The Melbourne which is described on their web site as “One of the most beautiful golf courses in England”. Sure, it’s a great course though I’m not sure it would enter my top 50. But that’s not the point! I have a problem with a club that makes such a statement when it is nigh on impossible to play there. OK, you could become a member at vast expense but in order to justify that membership you would have to play every night and every day for the whole year. Or, if you know 11 other like minded people you could play one of the courses for £195 per person including the obligatory Bacon Roll on arrival and a 3 Course Buffet Lunch/Dinner with a Course Planner thrown in! But, this “special package” is only available on a Wednesday!! Or, you could befriend a member who can sign you in for a mere £45 green fee. This is what I paid and it might or might not be good value depending on the circumstances.

I shall explain. It appears to me that Brocket Hall survives on their Corporate Membership and we were unlucky enough to be stuck behind one such “Corporate Group” today. What should have been a quick, enjoyable 3-ball around “One of the most beautiful golf courses in England” turned into a 5 hour slog. OK, if you’ve played golf on The Algarve or the Costa-del-Sol, this might seem relatively quick but what really upset me was the total disrespect this group had for the course: large divots in the fairways left unattended; pitch marks not repaired; bunkers unraked; American style hollering on your backswing; sadly the list goes on. You get the impression that these people just come along for the free booze and free food with the golf just being a sideshow. And let’s face it; anything is better than working for a living!!

So, did £45 represent good value? Frankly no! What really makes my blood boil is that as a half decent golfer who makes an effort to understand the rules and enjoys the etiquette of the game, I cannot get to play a round of golf at Brocket Hall with 3 mates. Whereas, if you’re part of the Corporate machine, they will let any idiot on the course!