Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
GulfWeekly Editor Stan Szecowka and his wife Kathryn have signed up for a six-week beginners' course because they want to play together ... Lesson Three (sink it with a smile of victory)
No more aches and pains this week ... we've been playing it softly, smoothly and, if I might add, with a touch of sophistication on the green.
Top coach Chris Kelby has been focusing this week on the art of putting and it's a totally different ball game to hitting the ball as far as you can with an iron.
Not that I'm complaining. No-one warned me what a nasty game golf can be. After just two weeks coaching and a little weekend family adventure down to the Bahrain Golf Club I've been hurting all over ... my back, my legs, my arms.
Who would have thought swinging a club could prove so painful. I'm told with time, when my body gets used to holding the clubs correctly, swinging and keeping my head straight, this game will prove a little less stressful on the muscles.
But there are no such problems when you are holding a putter in your hands. There's a little more delicacy in the way you hold it, play it and gently stroke it.
We placed four balls around a hole and took turns in popping it in. What a great feeling it is to watch your ball sink into the four-and-three-quarter-inch space - even if you're standing only a couple of inches from it!
The more confident we got the further away we placed the balls. To get more accuracy and control of what we were doing we placed little plastic tees a few feet away from each other and attempted to get the balls as close to them as possible.
As soon as Chris had left for his next lesson, Kathryn and I took over the green for our own 'nearest to the hole' competition. It was time to show the good lady wife who was the boss in this little endeavour. Before I knew it she was 3 -0 up, I was struggling and I could feel the sweat start to soak on the back of my recently purchased Riffa Views Golf Club jersey (only BD3 in the sale because no doubt a new supply emblazoned with Royal Golf Club will soon be launched).
Magnificently, I fought back to 3-3, Kathryn nudged ahead to take a 4-3 lead only for me to sneak ahead with the last of four balls to bring the score level again.
Suddenly, a shower erupted from the corner which turned into a thunder storm as the green took a mechanical watering.
We moved away to another hole, first Kathryn narrowly took the lead - our aim and distance play was close to perfection. It was my turn then to edge closer to the hole and Kathryn answered with a near miss and the same thing happened with our third ball. On the final ball of play I leant over, eyes glazed and concentrating on glory as I sweetly struck the ball with precision and watched it fall sweetly into the hole. Kathryn had no answer.
I turned around to soak up the applause. There wasn't any, only a bark from a hungry desert dog.
But what a result, five putts to four, my first golfing victory. Monty, eat your heart out.
