Ohio Golf Journal July 2020

join your group adds to the experience, not knowing what nationality they are, how far they have travelled, and how long they waited in the hope that they could be paired up with someone happy to welcome a stranger. Those mysteries will be answered during the round. Seeing the Old Course through their eyes is unfailingly magical. Notably, on an August evening, a pair of friends from the States joined my two-ball for a twilight round, having literally sat hoping, waiting inside the Old Pavilion (near the first tee) for over 15 hours. Some weeks later, I received this message. “I wanted to send you a note to say thank you for allowing me to play the Old Course with you. I appreciated it very much! It was a dream come true.” Three years ago, I played with two gentlemen from Argentina who had literally stepped onto the first tee straight from the airport after arriving from Buenos Aires. 11,380 km is quite a journey for a round of golf, but it was worth it, despite the heavy thunderstorm that struck on the 16th. I fled for safety, while they continued to wade through the torrential rain and lightning, nothing was going to stop them. These rounds were all made possible by that fabled queuing system. I had long wanted to see the early morning spectacle for myself, but as a confirmed night owl, such a concept is against my religion, but it had to be done. Venturing down on a beautiful July morning, I walked along Grannie Clark’s Wynd just after 5am to be greeted by a remarkable hub of activity.