As Scotland's international rugby players sun themselves in the famous LaManga resort, themind drifts towards golfing matters and some personal experiences of recent months.
One was rather unusual: amid the delights of Carnoustie (still fearsome on a flat calm day), Rosemount, Royal Troon and Turnberry, a promotional visit to another celebrated golfing venue was all a bit different.
A round on the beautiful little Queen's course was followed by a visit to Gleneagles Hotel's award-winning ESPA to sample their innovative "Golfer's Tonic" treatment. Padded, darkened, relaxation rooms, bubbly spas andarestaurant where everyone dines Roman style in white robes. Not, it must be said, the natural habitat of the grumpy hack.
Yet, with weary neck, shoulders and legs revitalised, I floated out of the place and, coincidentally or otherwise, played my most solid round of the year the following day at Scotscraig. Even so, pleasurable as that was, such indulgence initiallyinduced morethan a touch of guilt. After all, the Gleneagles experience is a rather exclusive affair, isn't it?
Well, actually, no! The Perthshire hotel may be plush and its prices might horrify many, but most could save up and have a day like this. Admittedly, at £185 for golf then spatreatment (£165 as of next month, but £235 in summer) it might mean beans on toast for a month but, for anyone prepared to take the fiscal pain, it is only a phone call away, while membership is similarly available at a price.
Compare and contrast with some of Scotland's other great golfing venues and another working experience this year.
First let me state, not for the firsttime, that the Scottish Golf Union seems a fine organisation, and massive congratulations are due to their team of Callum Macaulay, Wallace Booth and Gavin Dear on this month's Eisenhower Trophy win. Their victory, which means Scotland are simultaneously world champions at amateur and professional level, was quite a riposte to those questioning what is being done to develop golfing talent in this country.
However, that only makes it all themore disappointing that the SGU also, this year, took a major event to a bastion of prejudice.
Muirfield is a great golf course, but staging the Home Internationals at a club without a singlefemale member was a dreadful mistake.
The reasoning of one senior SGUofficial with whom I discussed the matter was horribly disingenuous. After we agreed that it was not the ideal venue, he suggested very few courses around Scotland are long enough and in good enough condition in late summer (early September) to play host to such a high-class event. Captains, secretaries or members of other clubs around the country who identify weakness in that argument should address their comments to senior SGU executives.
Whether or not they do so, an organisation that is justifiably proud of its clubgolf programme which promotes the sport to both boys and girls, should consider the message sent out by taking major events to clubs like the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers that discriminate against half the population. Would, for example, Peter Hain and his anti-apartheid demonstrators have staged a meeting at Robben Island because they were promised good hospitality and a well-managed environment?
Scotland, which prides itself on being the home of golf, has so many great courses that there is absolutely no need to reinforce the wrong image, while reinforcing the sense of self-importance felt by many of the "Honourable Company's" members in the process.
One of those, a man I've known for many years and have always respected, subsequently offered me further justification for using Muirfield which, I'm afraid, I did not respect.
He invited me, before criticising the HCEG, to get his wife's view, on the basis that she likes the club and can play there as often as she likes, but her non-membership saves him £1000 in subs. He added, at least part in jest, that she is also pleased at how he always returns home from Muirfield in a great mood while she can be confident he has not met other women while there.
There is nothing, he added, in the HCEG constitution barring women from joining. It is just that membership is by invitation only . . . and no woman has ever been invited.
Readers can make their own judgments on such views in the 21st century. Meantime, any chance I had of ever being a recipient of such an invitation has doubtless well and truly gone, but that's an "honour" I will manage to live without.
After getting all that out of the system it's time for a long, lie down so fortunately those nice folks at Gleneagles will still take my booking. Pass the tin opener please!
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