It has come somewhat a tradition in recent years to play a game of golf on New Year’s Day – January 1st.

I recall a few years back I played at Roseville Golf Club here in Sydney where I am an International Member given I am only home in Sydney for some four to six weeks.

I teed-up in the New Year’s Day stableford competition and duly started the New Year with a birdie – four points thank you very much.

However the downside of commencing a round of golf on the very first day of a New Year and at the first hole with a birdie is that your golf game is surely going to get worse and that was very much the scenario.

After a few celebratory New Year’s eve beverages the night before, I crawled out of bed just after 6am and found my way to ‘The Cove’ as the club is more affectionately known.

It used to be the club of my father, Terry who passed away in 2005 and every Saturday morning I would drive him over to the club.  We’d then get a phone call around 2pm to pick him up, and then by 3pm he’d be fast asleep.  When I began playing Saturday morning competition myself I then realised why my father would come home from golf and after a bite to eat, fall sleep – tackling the 19th hole is pretty hard work.

So here I am standing on the first tee at 6.30am and not a sole in sight.

Tour Miss is in Dubai and it’s only 11.30pm as she prepares to celebrate New Year’s Eve.

But without dragging out this story any longer here’s hoping after making a total mess of the par four, first hole at Castlecove Golf Club my golf only gets better in 2013.

And on this occasion on behalf of www.golfbytourmiss.com we wish you all a very happy golfing 2013.

Footnote –

Castlecove Golf Club is doubly special, as you will note in the photograph below.  The plaque is affixed to a small bridge just short of the third green.  The rock was picked out of the Swilcan Burn on my father’s visit to Scotland in 2002.

Castlecove’s special connection with the Old Course at St. Andrews. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)