When I was in work last week I saw a man who I knew worked at, if not owned the local golf course.
"Funny you're here" I began. "I'm reading a book about crazy golf at the moment".
"Really?" came the polite answer.
"Yes. I never knew there was an association for it".
"Well these Americans are very technical about this sort of thing you know"
"Not America" I responded "Britain".
The man responsible for the one and only time I knew more about golf (even if it was its self proclaimed lunatic fringe) than a true fan was Andy Miller whose 2002 book Tilting at Windmills I'd been reading. It's about a man with a lifetime aversion to sport who makes a St Paul like transformation.In particular as I've hinted with all the subtlety of a distress flare to crazy (officially,yes officially, known as mini) golf and starts becoming obsessed with all the zeal of the converted.
Becoming more driven (couldn't resist that) Andy Miller reveals that despite its gaudy exterior crazy golf has it's fair share of characters, rivalries,rules,tournaments, corporate involvement and foreign tournaments. All of which he laces with a wry and honest humour. For ultimately he is laughing at himself for the man he becomes.
For me "mainstream" golf is a sport that I might have been converted to had not fate intervened. I'd shown no interest it at all until my early forties when I started watching highlights for some reason of the US PGA (never watched golf on television live - that slippers moment is still to come). Amazingly though my daughter then about three was watching it as well. Now I'm not saying she understood the rules. Neither if came to a choice between golf and Dora the explorer that the world famous Latina adventuress wouldn't win hands down. It's just that it was the only time she was prepared to watch a sport without moaning about something or other.
I suspect that the reason my daughter was interested was that she had a hero. Tiger Woods. I also suspect that the reason she was interested was because he was called Tiger. Remember this the time when he bestrode his sport like colossus. Pre scandal, pre injury pre loss of form Tiger Woods. Something that you have to constantly remind yourself of nowadays.
But for every hero there has to be a villain and for a logic that could only understood by a toddler that was Mark Calcavecchia. So that when Tiger appeared we cheered and when Mark was on we would boo Pantomime style
At around January I'd told my wife to buy the cheapest most basic set of golf clubs with some balls and the one white golf glove (the most posy thing about the sport. I mean.white) for my birthday so that come the summer I would swing those bats in anger.
But then I became unemployed. One day (not today) I will post about the paralysing depression that hit me when this happened, hidden from friends and family. The point with regard to golf though was that it instantly became something frivolous.The moment to play the game had gone and even though things appear brighter in my life now it has not, for now, returned.
So this book interested me in a way that a man was drawn into swinging those bats, even if it was for the more radical version of the sport (now that's a better name for it. "Radical Golf". Makes things more edgy,more Corbynesque).
That said Crazy Golf is not the only sport Andy Miller looks into. As a supporter he goes to such things as football, the boat race and even "mainstream" golf as well investing it with his engaging humour. This is also used to discuss serious points as well, such as sports coaching for kids.
The book it reminded me of (though hers is much more autobiographical) is Victoria Coren's For Richer,For Poorer,published in 2009. What both books show is how an involvement in sport can affect other aspects of your life and change you as a person, in her case poker. What neither did though was to bring a desire in me to take up their respective games. For the record my trademark "Poker Face" is a look of absolute panic as I wonder what the hell I do next.
There are quibbles. I was curious to know the reaction of Mrs Miller at the very beginning. After all for some women a dislike/disinterest of sport is a plus point when choosing a partner. As I've mentioned before for these ladies their ideal man is probably personified by the partner of my hairdresser. Someone who not only doesn't like sport but is also a cook. It would have been like married to a Conservative only to discover a sudden change to Socialism.
Also he mentions that being a sports fan doesn't necessarily mean a liking for all sports. Well that is true. But you can be a film buff without liking every type of film.You can be a person who likes music but that still could mean that Johnny hates jazz.
But these are very much quibbles. This is unquestionably the most enjoyable book I've read this year. If you can find a copy get it. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Now that left the number of books I was reading to three and I had intended that it stayed that way. But sometimes things happen that a book amongst the great unread on my shelves demands to read now. It happened yesterday.
Perhaps I should introduce the book first
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| Says it all really |
There are many reasons for the decline of boxing. One of them is that for those of us old enough to see him at his peak then other fights will never match that high. When you have seen The Greatest what is the point?
Until the next time.
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