Golf in gear, part two
I mentioned June has been a very wet month. Here are my dogs giving my car that wet dog smell.
June 9-12 Belfast was in the news as 100s of angry white men set fire to buses, businesses and migrant accommodation. I wish they could be forced to work to pay off the cost of a new bus and new housing. The violence was triggered by a Sudanese asylum seeker in some type of hostel stabbing another hostel resident, who was white. I don't imagine the city would have been shut down (schools, businesses, transport) by protests if the victim had not been white. Meantime, 30 women in Northern Ireland have been killed by their partners in the last five years – the highest rate of femicide in Europe. No protests for them.
June 12 was Shandon Ladies away day at St. Patrick's Club in Downpatrick. I played pretty well but my score was damaged by the two holes where I lost balls. You have to hit a lot of blind shots (over hills) and it's easy to lose a ball. Here I am on a par 3. While my form is not good (club over-rotated) I got a birdie!
We had a great time at the bar afterward and on the bus on the way home and in the bar back at Shandon. As a result, Saturday was a slow day. Not feeling my best. There was a protest against the protests but my head and stomach were not up for much. I don't think it was just the wine – the course was exhausting. Very hilly and a shotgun start, so we walked in effect 26 or 28 holes.
Sunday I had a singles match against Kathie Edwards, our rising star. I lost on the 18th – was happy to hang in that long. Monday I had a pairs match (foursomes) – me and my partner quite inconsistent against two very experienced players. We lost on the 14th. Tuesday was the weekly competition. I played very badly, which I blamed on four competitions in five days. I need to have some rounds where I don't have a card in my hand, and that hasn't happened in a while.
Wednesday was a catch-up-on-chores day. In the evening I saw a documentary about a man who rewilded a barren farm on the Beara peninsula – creating a temperate Atlantic rainforest. Thursday I played 12 holes in a friendly format – it's a low-stress round for the ladies who aren't on teams. We had two teams in matches on Thursday and Friday. I'm just not playing well enough against my new handicap to be on a team.
Saturday and Sunday I played at Ballymascanlon with the Ballyhackers Golf Society. We had beautiful weather both days. I had 26 points on day one (not great) and 34 on day two, decent.
Here is the rose garden.
And a lovely stable block.
Today, Monday, has been a catch-up day. I did manage this evening to go to the course and practice. This week we have a 36-hole competition on Tuesday and Thursday. I would like to perform decently.
Today has seen two big news events. Prime Minister Keir Starmer resigned to make way for Andy Burnham, who enjoyed a landslide in a by-election. He has done great things for Manchester and the hope is he can do likewise on a grander scale. Closer to home, former DUP leader and MP Jeffrey Donaldson was convicted on all 18 counts of child sexual offences, including rape. Two women came forward two years ago to hold him to account for what he did to them 30 years ago. One was his daughter, the other his niece. It is rare to see someone like him in the dock face his victims and face consequences for what he did to them. Jimmy Saville's victims saw no justice. Mohamed Al Fayed died before he faced the music for raping and sexually assaulting 154 women. Epstein killed himself before facing sex trafficking charges. NI man Jonathan Creswell killed himself on the first day of his trial for killing a showjumper he claimed killed herself. More than 35 victims of his grooming and abuse came forward after he was charged with her murder. Apparently the equestrian world is a dangerous place for young girls.
22 June