Entry for July 18, 2007

A great day out at the Open with the Old Boy. I love going to the golf with him, for any number of reasons. Mostly, it reminds me of being a kid - at the open in Turnberry when I was about ten, and the Old Boy pointing out all the stars - Nicklaus, Watson, Player- and me holding his big strong sun-tanned hands. The sun split the heavens in '77 and my dad was my hero. The turnstyles at the end of the car park were a gateway to a thrilling world that I thought you only found on the telly.
The sun wasn't splitting the heavens yesterday mind you. It was pishing down for most of the morning. But the Old Man and I bitterly refused to buy a brolly from the Royal and Ancient tent. £36 for a golf brolly - did we look like wanted to drop our waterproofs, bend over, and ask for the umbrella salesman to try for a hole in one?
So - umbrellaless, we wandered happily across the fairways, from tea to green, to catering tent, and so a lovely relaxed day meandered in. We closed the day, sitting contendedly outside the Bollinger tent - no champagne for us though and the Bollinger bouncer eyed us suspiciously as we sat amongst the posh folk. We stared him out though, and happily unwrapped our Arbroath smokies bought from a stand near the turnstyles.
Smokies and butter in a seat you shouldn't be sitting in; it doesn't get much better than that.