Having just read your whimsy about getting married with the golf clubs story in Love Golf last week, it reminded me of the following.

Hello Mike,

Having just read your whimsy about getting married with the golf clubs story in Love Golf last week, it reminded me of the following.

I played at Felixstowe for a number of years and I had the privilege of playing a round of golf with the then captain of the club, Rt Rev Frank Cocks.

It was a monthly competition on a Sunday afternoon.

We eventually arrived on the first green and I was the first to put the ball in the hole.

Being a medal competition putting out, as you know, is essential, but my playing partner somehow managed to four putt!

On leaving the green he glanced at me and said. “I don’t think him up there likes me playing on a Sunday.”

GRAHAM COOK

Hi Mike,

You asked if anyone had played TPC Sawgrass and I have been lucky to do so.

My round was played about 15 years ago, while on holiday in the Daytona Beach area.

We travelled up the coast to Jacksonville, accompanied by Alex Lucas (now pro at Waldringfield), Adrian Hubert (then pro at Woodbridge, now based in Spain) and Steve Thomas (formerly assistant at Ipswich GC, now based in Germany).

We played in early January so the greens were not as slick as when you see them on the television in the Players’ Championship.

Onto the famous 17th hole with its island green.

I would say the hole has a slightly eerie feel to it, marooned out in the middle of the lake and there is nowhere to miss the shot, but it is a big target and on the day we played it, a three-quarter pitching wedge was the required club.

You shouldn’t miss the green but when you add the thousands of spectators, firm greens, a bit of wind, the tee 15 yards further back and the flag cut on the edge of the green, there is certainly enough to get the world’s best thinking about that shot well before they get there!

For us, on the day we visited, we all kept the ball dry, three balls on the green and one into the tiny pot bunker.

I continued my miserable golf that day by three putting for a bogey, while Alex got a birdie.

Adrian then birdied the tough 18th and as they were paired together as fourball partners that day my poor golf was punished by handing Alex the contents of my wallet (no worse feeling I can assure you!).

I would love to return to play it again one day!

KELVIN VINCE

LET me have your golf stories . . . mike.bacon@archant.co.uk

A little joke to finish

TWO dim-witted golfers are teeing off on a foggy par-3.

They can see the flag, but not the green. The first golfer hits his ball into the fog and the second does the same. They proceed to the green to find their balls.

One ball is about six feet from the cup, while the other is in the hole!

Both were playing the same type of balls, Titleist 2, and couldn’t determine which ball was which.

They decided to visit the pro-shop, to ask the club pro what he thought they should do.

After congratulating both golfers on their fine shots, the pro said.

“And which one of you was playing with the yellow ball?”