Caddies and Butlers

When I tell people that I am playing 50 golf courses this year to mark my turning the half century they always ask me who my caddy is?

Well now chance would be a fine thing having someone to push my trundler and release the clubs from their covers and wipe the dirt from them after the shot has been played!

A caddy to calculate yardage and advise me on which club would be most appropriate for the next shot.
 In the professional golfing world the caddies often know more about golf than the actual player!
 This was certainly the case with the original caddies on the Links courses of Scotland who were usually working class fellows that knew the course like the back of their own hands and probably played it more frequently than any of the lairds for whom they carried the clubs around St. Andrews.

So far on this mission of mine I have only had the privilege of the company of three kind caddies, two of whom knew nothing about golf but whose main mission was to take some photos and the third being my partially blind Father, whom  although he knows a bit about golf admitted it was a bit of a draw back not being able to see where my ball went once I hit it.


Picture gallery of the Loyal and Brave:

Wilma at St.Andrews

Dad at Takapuna

Carla at Waitoa Park

 


 











Wilma has accompanied me on several courses(Westport,Karamea,St.Andrews and North Otago) and even had a few hits a couple of times.

A few hits, that being a natural athlete as she is, were surprisingly accurate.Although not this one.
Can you see the little yellow ball flying off in the above shot? 

Yep! That was the last we saw of that one as it disappeared into the pine trees never to be found. 

The novelty of being my caddy wore off rather quickly, but just the other week I discovered a new way to encourage her participation:

Caddy? I'll be your Driver Baby!

 The EZ-Go golf cart was a winner and had us all smiling on the day we played "Posh Golf" at Terrace Downs Golf Resort.

( more about that later when I bring you up to date on my current score of courses played to date)

Bloggers....

I hear on National Radio can suffer from despondency when they realize no one is reading their latest posts nor commenting for encouragement. 
I have started thinking-due to your lack of comments- that the only people reading these posts are my elderly and appreciative parents for whom I print off hard copy.
Where are your comments folks?
No one has had a crack at the question about the significance of the number 382 in relation to golf balls?

If you get the answer right I may let you come and caddy for me(okay okay we will hire a cart!)

 

And what about Butlers I hear you ask?

Well if you knew the size of my house you would realize the ridiculousness of the very idea...where would I put a Butler?
 I would constantly fall over him each time I went to the kitchen.

Mr Butler smile at the ready.

No the Butler I am referring to is Mr  Butler  

 my dear dog friend.



Until very recently a round of golf on a Thursday or
a Friday was invariably followed by a long walk with
my little friend on Brighton Beach and then back home over the Rawhiti golf course.



I first met Mr Butler after the February earthquake when
I answered an advert for a dog walker.
Due to major disruption caused by the quakes his 'Mum' 
was having to spend long stretches of time away from him and being quite young and with the high energies of a terrier he 
was getting a bit barky and strung out. 


My good friend Carl in Melbourne, with whom I have been Skyping for the past few years since I met him through the Head and Neck Cancer Support Network, had often amused me with tales of his three little Westie friends that gave him so much joy .
Yes, I thought, a dog to hang out with  would surely lift my spirits! Perhaps a Jack Russell as they always make me smile?

And then ...... Mr Butler enters my life.
When I answered the ad his 'Mum' had already found someone for the job but I said I could do an extra day and did not want paid just the privilege of hanging out with her dog.
So we met and I have to say it was love at first sight for me when I saw Butler.

He was PERFECT!
Such a funny little chap and hard not to smile from ear to ear just being with him.
The other walker did not work out and soon I was re-arranging my days so I could go and take him out every second or third afternoon. 

I got acquainted with the charms of dog parks .
 I took out library books on training techniques.
I purchased dog treats and toys.
I laughed a lot and did a fair few kilometres on the beach.
 I introduced him to my friends, one of whom was so charmed she decided she wanted a dog just like Butler.
Then there was a trip to Motueka to pick up a little female Parsons Jack Russell, Vida.
And then there were two dogs in my life.......

Butler and Vida

 

When we had another big Earthquake in June I was able to get to Butler's house , pick him up and look after him until his 'Mum' finally made it home.
We became pretty good buddies................

And even when life settled back down and he no longer really needed an extra walker his 'Mum' continued to share him with me until he became a regular fixture in my life.
There were a few breaks away for holidays but always on return I'd be rushing off to see Butler Boo before even catching up with human friends.

As I said in my last Blog, hanging out with Butler was as good if not better than having a game of golf!
That is a pretty high rating little fella!


Sadly, for me, at the end of September Butler and his 'Mum' moved to the North Island.
I have a picture of him here beside me on my desk and just knowing he is out there wagging his tail, enjoying his new beach and making passersby smile makes me happy but I do miss him so.
I haven't been to the Beach since but perhaps I will just have to go visit him at his new beach.
I hear there is a very nice golf course at Ohope.


In the past couple of years as I have been recovering from the surgery,chemo,radiation and gradually coming off all medication when people ask me what I "do" I say "only things that make me happy and begin with the letter G"

Gardening

Golfing

qi Gong ing

Going out with Butler

 Well in truth there are a few other things that make me happy that don't start with G but you get my drift.

Thank you dear Butler for the part you have played in my recovery.
Miss your waggy tail!

Last Day on Brighton Beach