GOLF LINKS SPAIN makes absolutely no apologies for this article. Tiger Woods is a bad example for golf – full stop!

There is no doubt that, since his arrival on the professional golf scene in 1996, following an almost unprecedented amateur career, Woods has been the iconic element that has taken golf from where it was to where it is now in the same way that Arnold Palmer did in his heyday. Golf sponsorship has reached unprecedented levels and prize money has reached levels that enable even a mediocre professional golfer to make a million dollars a year and set themselves and their families up for life. During recent coverage of a golf tournament in America in which Woods was NOT playing, his name was mentioned more often than any other player in the field. Despite any past transgressions, he continues to dominate the world of golf.

However, let us look at the facts. He hasn’t won in fifteen months and every time he tees it up, this is the one where he is going to get back in the winner’s circle. His form at the Ryder Cup was average until his final day singles’ blitz but what else has he done? Yes, good finishes; threatening; always intimidating; but what else? Nada!

Please guys - keep it to yourself!

However, there is one thing that Woods has continued to carry through his ‘hard times’. His consumate bad manners and irreverance to his fellow competitors and the game that put him where he is. I was watching the coverage live on CANAL+ of the recent tournament from Dubai and witnessed his disgusting spitting incident on the green that other fellow competitors were still due to play. Woods has always been a ‘spitter’. He also ‘effs and blinds’ his way around the course every time he fails to hit the ‘perfect shot’.

Tiger – get over yourself! Do you ever think what your late father, Earl, might be thinking should he be looking down on you and your behaviour? Having said that, I am a firm believer that we learn our standards from our elders – I’ll say no more.

The younger players of today have no fear and every one of them, possibly to the last man, look up to Woods as the golfer that they strive to be. I know that Rory McIlroy used to have him up on a pedestal and I am certain that he is not alone in that with respect to Woods’ golfing ability. But please, please, please, stay true to yourselves; work hard on your game; respect your fellow competitors; stay true to the values of the game and possibly one final word of advice…

Just imagine that every time you stand over the ball, faced with an almost impossible approach or a tricky curling putt that may mean you make the weekend or win the tournament, that some kid is glued to the television, watching your every move and reaction and that he may become a better golfer or person, based on your response.

Maybe worth thinking about Tiger…

GMacSpain

The Real Federación Española de Golf – RFEG – established in October 1932, is a non-profit making organisation with the role of organising and managing golf within Spain. Each autonomous region within Spain has its own Federación, responsible for the organisation of competitions and the administration, management and regulation of the sport in their region, under the auspices of the RFEG headquarters in Madrid.

The majority of ex-pat golfers from the many countries of Europe and beyond, who have made their new home in Spain, tend to play most of their golf under the wing of golf societies. I have done this myself for many years but, at an early point in my new life in Spain, I made the decision that I wanted to become affiliated with the golfing regime of my newly adopted country. There are a couple of obvious advantages to doing this, not least of which is that, for those of us who play golf on a regular basis, we do not have to be bothered with the requirement to pay the daily insurance fee which applies to anyone playing the game here in Spain. That, however, is only the beginning of the story! By becoming a member of the RFEG, you immediately open up a whole new world of opportunities to play the game that we all love – reduced green fees; open competitions; a whole raft of tournaments not available to the regular society member; and, for me, the opportunity to play with Spanish golfers and learn how to swear in Spanish!

Society golf, when run properly and according to accepted handicap criteria is highly commendable. However, the player who puts in good scores and who genuinely wants to get his handicap down will be frustrated that the RFEG, quite rightly, refuse to recognise their good returns. I am a victim of this myself! By playing the majority of my golf in societies, I have managed to get my ‘society’ handicap down to 12.4, whilst my official, RFEG handicap has now come down to 14.6 from 16.2 thanks to a recent good round. My previous attempts at RFEG approved events have been poor to say the least despite my attempts to play to the best of my ability!

Anyway, enough of my problems!

The RFEG have just recently launched a brand new live web-site and within that, there are even more benefits available to those of you who choose to become members These include upcoming events and tournaments throughout Spain and other savings on Green fees and such like.

For me, a former member of a CONGU affiliated club, it just seems right to feel a part of the greater fellowship that is world golf. Whilst I have enjoyed my membership of a golf society, which, sadly, merits no world recognition, I am proud to be a member of the accepted world of golf, where I can take my membership card wherever I go throughout the golfing world and be recognised as a ‘bona fide’ member of the world-wide golfing fraternity.

Please talk to your local Pro or source out other members of the RFEG and become a legitimate member of the golfing world. It will pay you in the long term.

To register, go to www.rfegolf.es Yes, it is in Spanish, but, with a little help from your friends, you can join very easily.

JUST DO IT!

Gordon McCadden

Did you know that there is an international band of golfing nuts who congregate under the guise of ‘Fairway to Heaven’?

Fairway to Heaven was born in the summer of 1996 when John Talbot and Joan Shafer were pursuing their weekly ‘spiritual practise’, playing the links at Forres golf course in northeast Scotland. They fantasized about running a workshop to share this passion and approach for the game that they had discovered. Their friend, Terry Neal, offered the name and the program was born. The initial publicity through the Findhorn Foundation’s workshop brochure led to a tidal wave of media attention as the story of ‘golf as a spiritual practice’ and ‘mirror of life’ was picked up by the news services and spread around the world. With interviews with the likes of Radio 4 in the UK and articles in many newspapers and magazines including Newsweek and The Times (London), they knew that there was a resonance in the world for Fairway to Heaven.

Over the years, Fairway to Heaven has evolved to welcome many different approaches through their guest presenters and participants. These have included Andrew Greig, the author of ‘Preferred Lies’, where I first heard about Fairway to Heaven and which you can read about under BOOK REVIEWS.

Above all, Fairway to Heaven has come to be about deepening relationships with newfound friends who share this same love of the game passion for playing. Together, they create the space to share of themselves, enjoy the journey and ultimately to know themselves a little better.

Fairway to Heaven is only one of a number of groups of folk who peer into the more mental side of the game and you can follow them at www.spiritualgolf.com and you can find many other similar groups by simply ‘googleing’ ‘zen golf’. It is definitely worth a look.