Golf

Brodiej · August 2018

A huge part of my life when I was growing up that I'm struggling to revisit due to living in a concrete landscape, having a family and most friends moving out of the city. Does anyone play and would they be up for a game, or if enough people, starting a small society that could play maybe 3-4 times a year? I'm expecting zero responses!

HolbornFox · August 2018

You can play pitch and putt at Ally Pally, you don't even need clubs

slats · August 2018

Maybe, though it must be 3 years since i hit a ball (and was rubbish then). Jump on the tube up to Trent park!

miss annie · August 2018

Yes, Trent Park is the best local place.

Brodiej · August 2018

Trent Park is one of 2 courses I've walked off due to slow play. It got to 5 hours for 11 holes, so I gave up. Never been back since I'm afraid. I have a much publicised car (diesel), so travel around the country playing where old uni mates are. Hever Castle was last weeks venture!

Slats - I'd love a game. The beauty of golf is that anyone can play with anyone regardless of ability, so happy to set something up. My game at Hever was the first time this year, which meant a few lost balls. Finchley is a good value local venue.

And....parents.....
If you're looking for the best possible childcare for next years summer holidays, consider getting your kids into golf. Annual membership is normally around £100, which means unlimited play for 12 months. In the holidays I used to get dropped off at 8am, and collected at 6pm having walked 8-9 miles and played 36-54 holes. We were kept on the straight and narrow by older members, and learnt a few things from being in their company. Not many scenarios can offer exercise, piece of mind, life experience and one of the finest games in the land. I would image that £100 lasts around 3 days in normal childcare costs.

Arkady · August 2018

Sorry to add to your environmental-credential woes Brodiej, but I've never understood how people can justify playing golf given how utterly appalling it is for the ecosystem:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2007/jun/14/thecaseagainstgolf

https://www.decodedscience.org/why-the-decline-of-golf-is-good-news-for-the-environment/50036

Brodiej · August 2018

Good one, I can’t be bothered to read it.

Arkady · August 2018

I'm glad that you you trust me so much that you don't even need to check my sources before changing your mind.

Brodiej · August 2018

You don't like golf and don't agree with those that do. Thanks for that. Moving on.

Arkady · August 2018

You make it sound so subjective. I wish I could bring myself to dismiss ethical concerns in that way, I'd probably be much happier.

Brodiej · August 2018

If you want to play golf with myself and some other people in the area who have shown an interest let me know. Otherwise, start another thread. Call it "all the things we shouldn't do in life because its unethical.....", and then everyone can have their say.

Ali · August 2018

A lot of what are in Arkady links are about the "costs" of having golf courses in inappropriate places
I would be very surprised if a gang of local golfers end up playing im Thailand or on the US. The PGA are actively attacking the decline in the game with younger folks. At the British Open this year under 27s got in for nothing with their Dad's and free tentd at the campsite they had.
Brodije. Where did you play as a kid? Link's or more target golf inland

Arkady · August 2018

Hi Ali. Given the massive decline of wildlife in the UK, where *is* it appropriate to have an artificial ecological desert for the benefit of a tiny number of golfers? I don't think this is a problem unique to the US or Thailand. For instance:

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/jun/23/highland-fury-trump-rival-drives-golf-course-plan

Brodiej · August 2018

Please start another thread if its important to you. You can include golf as one the things we should all consider stopping in order to help the overall conservation of the world. Thank you for your input this afternoon. Let me know if you'd like to play.

Arkady · August 2018

I think my concerns about golf fit snugly into the thread entitled 'golf'. I'm supremely confident that I'm not breaking any rules of the site by raising them here. And it would be unethical of me to let you talk about golf without me pointing out that it's a proven contributing factor to the ecological Armageddon that we're faced with. You're fully entitled to ignore me and carry on golfing, which I'd imagine is what you'll do; enjoy.

Sutent · August 2018

@Arkady I think you are being a little harsh here to Brodiej. There are many factors to decline in the wildlife of the UK. I think you should consider your Tuesday night steak consumption at Seasons before picking on others

Brodiej · August 2018

No you’re not breaking any rules at all and it is your website after all. Thanks again for your insight today, and shame that you don’t want to play. Might have been fun.

Ali · August 2018

I was expecting Trump to come up ie https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bloomberg.com/amp/view/articles/2018-07-15/trump-golf-course-in-scotland-has-made-him-some-enemies

Scruffy · August 2018

Now, now, Brodiej, this is a forum. Did you really expect to post about something so contraversial without getting at least a light peppering of flak? I was disappointed that anyone replied at all. Nothing vindictive; I just thought it would have been amusing had there been no responses. Anyway, in addition to agreeing with Arkady that the ecological armadillo should be protected, I would like to point out that one of my schoolboy contemporaries broke a leg on the driving range (i.e., merely practicing golf!), so I've always thought golf best avoided.

kreuzkav · August 2018

Great to see an argument on here again. I thought Stroud Green was turning into a middle class eating out in restaurants brigade chappy love-in. Not into golf and I agree it takes up environmental space but so does eating meat in Seasons and flying to Singapore. Air miles on a long distance flight to singapore is the same as driving in a car for nearly a year. Let's ban planes if you're going to ban golf courses. They're equally bad for the environment. And so is eating meat.

tosscat · August 2018

...and children are disastrous for the environment (in human terms) remember!
Moderation people, moderation.

Arkady · August 2018

@Sutent, you'd be very pleased that, since we last drank together, I have greatly reduced my meat intake. George Monbiot's 'Feral' played a big part in this. Still some distance to go though, as I have a terrible weakness for bavette.

And yes @kreuzkav, of course we should all be mindful of how often we fly, though I'd suggest that flying often has a utility or even business necessity that stacks up rather strongly versus, say, golf. Though having opted to be child-free perhaps I could justify a few rounds of the old ball-stick.

kreuzkav · August 2018

Not trying to be self-righteous about air travel, I've done a bit of it myself, but usually to Ireland or other western european destinations. But I'm always surprised by environmentalists who justify their trips to India or gap year to South America. Basically leisure trips. Golf is leisure, too. Again, I don't like golf and agree it's probably a waste of green land but I'm sure London can deal with a few courses on the outskirts.

Ali · August 2018

Have you ever tridy playing the game

Jennymc99 · August 2018

Brodiej - late to the party but I'd be interested. I play in scotland for a week once a year and thoroughly enjoy thwacking the ball and occasionally getting a clean shot in. So if there's room for a lady in the stroud green golf society then hurrah. if not, well, that would be par for the course as the say anf enjoy your game.

Detritus · August 2018

I'd love to play but I've got no bats or silly trousers.

Brodiej · August 2018

Junior golf at Muswell hill is £200 this year. That’s 55p a day. Remember that when you drop your kids off at the school clubs on your way to work. Covers 8-17 years old. Try and get over the “killing the planet” bit when you walk through preserved green space in an urban landscape. Just think what this would do for inner city kids. There is no argument against getting kids into golf. None.

Brodiej · August 2018

Stop press. Sorry. Finchley golf club is currently free for under 16’s. That is unbelievable. Get involved.

Papa · September 2018

Am just reading this thread and chuckling to myself.

It read like a It's Grim Up North London strip, someone asks if anyone wants to get together and play golf... it turns into a hand-wringing discussion about whether golf is unethical as it is destroying the planet (incorporating using planes, eating meat and the environmental lack of usefulness of children).

Reaffirmed my faith.

I'm partial to the odd game of golf and like all bad golfers am wildly inconsistent. I could be up for one.

Ali · September 2018

Spot on Pappa!

Scruffy · September 2018

Well, I said before that I long ago eschewed golf (the danger to pleasure ratio is unacceptable), but never mind golf destroying the planet; we won’t be safe until we’ve killed all the trees! A few years ago it was stated by the AA that 12% of motoring deaths in rural areas were caused by trees suddenly stopping cars from moving forward at high speed. 12%!!! (And to think that HM Gov has been going on about the Russians and their Novichok. The Russian agents are utter kittens compared to trees!) Next thing those trees wiil be murdering us in our beds!

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