2:28pm Friday 11th September 2009
GOLF. The preserve of networking businessmen, rich sportsmen and the retired. Or so I thought until I plucked up the courage to give the game a go during a recent trip to Turkey, which is blessed with an abundance of some of the world’s best courses.
This gave me the golfing bug and I was determined to pick up a club again on my return to the UK.
Luckily for me, I was welcomed with open arms at East Horton Golf Club. Having been concerned that golf clubs were not really the place for two thirty something girls with no previous experience on the golf course, a friend and I were a little apprehensive. But we had no need to worry as our teacher for the day, golf professional Conrad Claxton, was a patient tutor.
He started out by seeing whether we had any beginner’s luck on the driving range. Very kindly not laughing, Conrad set to work on improving our swing.
We enjoyed nearly an hour’s practice there learning better techniques and which club to use for which shot.
Next stop was the putting green – far more my forte after many childhood holidays spent on the crazy golf course or pitch and putt.
The next step for any beginner is the club’s Par 3 family course, which we briefly got a feel for before retiring to the bar for a well-earned cold drink. Our first real taste of the course itself is a definite must for next time, although it could take all day!
East Horton is set in beautiful countryside near Fair Oak and includes two 18-hole championship courses for when we really get confident! It was a glorious sunny day in stunning surroundings and we used muscles we didn’t even know we had.
The club is open to non-members, has floodlit facilities and offers all levels of private tuition.
The golf of days gone by now seems to be open to all – and I for one will be taking advantage.
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