.... of old dogs and new tricks and perseverance

Yours Sincerely ( Y S ) almost gave up golfing had it not for the heavy investments put in the sport:-

Golf set : RM 4,500.00
Golf bag : RM 750.00
Trolly : RM 70.00
Coaching : RM 500.00
Insurance : RM 120.00
Driving range practice : 100 balls X RM8.00 X countless sessions
Caddy fees : RM 20.00 per 18 holes X countless rounds
Total = RM x(*&opa;#2@%^7

At the verge of giving up, Y S awarded himself the above trophy: "The lousiest Golfer of the Royal Kedah Club." Y S started to hate small balls. They are so hard to hit and can be very elusive. Golf balls flew into the rough and hid among the tall grass. Golf balls looped into the pond with a loud " ploop" and a big splash as if to sneer you. Golf balls hit the branches of the trees, frightening away the birds and shed some leaves to spike you. Your iron carved out a huge chunks of divot, giving the green bald patches here and there . Your driver missed the ball, and you hit the air !!! Your golfing friends pretended not to see to save your face !!! On some days ,Y S could swear that he heard the trees, bushes, birds and insects laughed at his wayward balls. Y S also suffered the sympathy of the grass cutters. On a few occasions, they volunteered some tips here and there. Of course, the most hurting experience is to hear his better half quipped, " I TOLD YOU ALREADY. GOLF IS NOT YOUR SPORT!!!! bla...bla....bla...."

Not wanting to give up, Y S went back to the driving range. It was hours of hard practice and many more hours of walking the 9 holes almost every morning if it did not rain. Last few months, if you saw a lone golfer on the Royal kedah Club greens even at high noons, then it had to be Y S.How to hit straight and accurate? It is practice, practice and more practice. Remember that practice alone does not make perfect; perfect practice makes perfect. And practice is the best of all instructors. Then Y S has to mention the many hours of watching golfing U-Tubes. They are a good source of lessons.



PERSEVERANCE PAYS. Y S has improved his golf tremendously. He can now hit straight and place his balls. He loses less balls to the obstacles. The secret lies in perseverance. Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time. It is said that, like postage stamp, a man's value depends on his ability to stick to a thing till he gets there. Even the woodpecker owes his success to the fact that he uses his head and keeps pecking away until he finishes the job he starts.



If one has passion for the game, he has to love the balls. They may be inanimate objects, but they have their own spirit and soul. A good golfer friend, Mr Peter Teoh, will never, never putt his golf ball without giving it a good rub and polish. "Thomas, make sure that not a speck of sand is on the ball. It makes a difference to your putting." " Never move the ball with your feet. It's disrespectful to the ball. It's a taboo. Use your iron to move it." Talk to the ball like you do to your plants. His advice to Y S .

Old dog can do new trick if it perseveres.

Golf ? Give Y S a call.