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Series:
Diary of A Golf College Student
Article 5: Routine
by
Jonathan Gibbins
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A
routine is now setting in and with it has come a sense of comfort.
I study every day till midday, have lunch and then go to the golf
course. The study side is the one thing that I have had to get used
to because the American system is a lot different to the UK.
Basically, every
American graduates from high school at 18 and then (mostly) moves
onto college where a regular degree takes four years to complete.
If you don’t want to stop there, then a Master’s degree will take
you a further two years, compared to one year in the UK.
The first year
is spent taking a variety of subjects which is supposed to prepare
you for your focus of study. Right now, this is what I am doing.
The mornings
drag on and on but the afternoons fly by once the golf kicks in.
The evenings are split between going to the gym and relaxing around
my new found college friends. I realise that I am slowly becoming
Americanised in a few subtle ways. I have been watching basketball
games on TV and found them surprisingly exciting and I have started
to say things like “dude” and “Bruce Springsteen” with almost no
memory of my English upbringing.
The welcome
relief comes when I am with the golf team where the majority are
non-American. Our college coach Eric is from South Africa and used
to be the soccer coach. Before that he enjoyed a playing career
with such clubs as Ajax and Benfica, among others. His soccer instincts
shine through because he is all for getting aggressive and pumping
fists when good golf is being played. Our golf teacher on the other
hand is a more relaxed character who resided originally from England.
Adrian Davies is a freelance instructor who teaches a variety of
players including a few pros like Frank Lickliter and Casey Martin
(both improving tour players).
Practice sessions
are long, but the course is always a pleasure to play no matter
how many times your ball is gobbled up by the water hazards. Playing
was particularly pleasurable the other day as me and the two Swedes
made our way to the par 3 15th. The hole is a long one
with a lake on the left guarding the green and I noticed a few people
by the lake standing around. As we got up there, it was clear to
us that it was a photo shoot of a beautiful model in a bikini with
a pony-tailed, muscle-bound guy taking the snaps. We naturally took
a little longer lining up our putts and finally left the green with
smiles on our faces.
Now it dawned
on me why the round had been so slow.
Come back to the
site next week and read the next installation
of life on a golf scholarship!
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