Come and Try ... golf at Tailem Bend Golf Club

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Tailem Bend Golf Club member Tony Ross welcomes Murray Bridge News into the club rooms.

He keeps his two dogs behind the bar to stop them from smothering the visitor with licks.

The dogs jump up with excitement at a new social opportunity – it seems they share their owner’s happy nature and love of socialising.

Mr Ross explains his four decades of passion for golf – and why the number 16 was both lucky and unlucky for him.

When did you first start playing golf?

I’m 75 now and started playing at Regency Park at 35. My mate said, “Come on, let’s play golf. You’ll love it.” After getting a score of 150, I said, “I’m not playing this game”. But he said, “It’ll come down; you’ll improve”. Later, I started playing at Ardrossan and got a hole-in-one in about 2004. I haven’t come close since, but that’s golf.

What do you get out of it?

I enjoy the walks. I do a fair bit of walking, because I’m in the trees most the time. Also, the socialising. Unlike the bigger clubs, here we tee off within half an hour of each other, so we’re back in the clubhouse at the same time. We have a few beers, tell a few jokes and find out if we won or lost.

What has been the greatest achievement of your sporting career so far?

Getting that hole-in-one at Ardrossan. I was elated because I thought “Everyone in the club’s got to buy me a drink now”. But they didn’t. I got a bag of goodies though, with a trophy and a hat saying “hole in one”. I’ve still got them, but the hat’s got a lot of holes in it though.

The week after the hole-in-one, I put 16 balls in the creek. Everyone in the club signed a photograph of hole 16, where I got a hole-in-one, and wrote, “Come back anytime”. When I go back to play at Ardrossan, they say, “Still waiting for you.”

How are you going this season?

I have a cataract on my right eye, so I can’t see much at the moment. I’m waiting for an eye operation, and I’m looking forward to seeing out of both eyes. I’ve started having “airies” off the tee, and I’ve never done that. The last game was my worst game ever.

What do you hope to achieve as a golf player?

I think I’ve achieved what I’ve wanted to – a hole-in-one and a runner-up in Ardrossan and a B-grade championship in this club. The only thing I want to achieve is an eagle and go on the Eagle Board. I came close a couple of weeks ago.

Why should people come and play golf?

The main thing is exercise. They say to get a good half an hour of walking a day. A lot of people also say that golf ruins a good walk. But it’s about the camaraderie – you play with good groups of people. And it’s about the pleasure of knowing you got your best score.

• More information: Phone 8572 3115 or search for Tailem Bend Golf Club on Facebook.

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