At the end of the day.. golf is just a game..

[vkurup]

<Sorry to put this up.. but had to let off steam>

A good mate of mine now lives in stateside. We took up golf together and have been virtually helping/challenging each other for the past 3 years. Both of us want to break 90. He is a better golfer than I am and it was more likely that he would break it first. Was planning to go over this year to play with him or he was to come over and play at St Andrews.

Recently he has been playing only 12-13 holes at best.. So there is a lot of banter giving him grief on how he is not being a man..

Chatting with him today, when he dropped the bomb... he was diagnosed for stage 4 cancer and is undergoing Chemo. World just crashed. Breaking 90 just feels pointless. At the end of the day, golf is just a game.

<Sorry to put this up.. but had to let off steam>

 

[NWJocko]

Very sorry to hear that, terrible news.

Golf (insert other hobby here) is put into perspective in a big way. My daughters condition means I don't take golf seriously, just aswell some would say!

Fingers crossed the chemo is effective. Tough times.

 

[MetalMickie]

Very true and I speak as someone who survived a major heart attack (even went over to the "other side" for a few minutes).

Experiences like that make you realise that whilst golf is great fun there are far more important things in life like family and friends, and even life itself.

Really hope that your friend's treatment is successful and that you & he get to play and just be together soon.

 

[G1BB0]

was playing with an old boy at my club a few weeks ago, he is off 18 but used to be in single figures. I asked him if it annoyed him knowing he was a lot better before but he told me after a massive heart attack and now wearing a pacemaker he is just happy to play 18 regardless of the score.

Life is short so just enjoy it.

I reckon your banter has actually helped him through the lows so carry on as before vkurup

 

[Ian_S]

Agree with Gibbo's last line. Important that you treat him the same as you always did. What he needs more than anything is his mate.

Depending how he'd take it, you might both use this as a motivation to achieve that life long goal of breaking 90.

My sympathies to all affected.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Nursing my mum through the last stages of terminal cancer last year was a stark wake up call on how important life is and how each day needs to be lived. Makes everything seem unimportant when you here news like the OP. Hope the chemo goes well for him

 

[Pin-seeker]

Really sorry to ear that,certainly puts things into prospective reading these posts.

 

[Fader]

Sorry to hear the news and nothing can stop the feelings it invokes.

It does however as stated put golf and more importantly life into perspective. Golf no matter what good or bad will always be just a game. Keep up the banter with him and hope it all goes well.

 

[Andy808]

Sorry to hear your news. Now go out and break 90 for him he will be chuffed to bits.

 

[Bucket92]

Holy..... Very, very sorry to hear that mate. Definitely wasn't what I was expecting when I clicked on this thread. Really hope he can pull through it :/ best of luck to him, hopefully he can get healthy soon so you can resume your break 90 challenge.

 

[chrisd]

Sad story, and I hope that your mate responds to treatment and recovers well

A friend of mine who I'm playing with today went for a scan due to a persistent cough. The cough proved to be just an infection but the scan showed what proved to be a malignant kidney tumour that no one could have known about and within a few weeks he had it removed. Complications in surgery very nearly proved fatal but, now he has recovered and just back to playing golf again. 6 months ago he was as fit as a fiddle and will be again soon but it does bring home how mortal we all are!

 

[MashieNiblick]

Hope it all goes well. They can do great things now.

I became involved in this forum while sitting at home recovering from surgery and radiotherapy to treat cancer on my tongue. I was lucky that being in a noticable place it was spotted quickly and so far so good.

Yes it does put things in perspective and on a bad day you remember that it's good just to have the grass under your feet and the sky above you.

That should be true for all of us.

 

[vkurup]

Thanks guys for the support. Again was not planning to post this, it felt like a kick in the nuts and I needed to get it out of the system. Not much sleep last night and decided to skip golf today to take my boy swimming instead.

Thanks for sharing your personal stories too. Shows how much character is behind all the banter on this forum and what keeps us coming back to this every day.

Coming back to golf.. he is liking the fact that we have quickly moved onto talking onto golf. In the US, Mizuno is doing something similar to our Ping Play Your Best comp last year. Asked him to send his application in. Told him about my fab experience with Ping (unfortunately they dont seem to be doing it this year). If he make it to Mizuno, I think it will do him a world of good and keep him occupied.

As we are 3 mates, we now have a 3 way bet on who will break 90 this year. Once i get over my shock, I think now I have a real reason & desire to break 90. This one is for my friend..

 

[Rooter]

Great attitude dude, break 90 not just for you, but to give him something outside of the scary stuff he will be facing. Hopefully golf will offer him some time away etc like gibbos mate. Chin up dude, your mate won't want you moping around I am sure!

 

[bigslice]

<Sorry to put this up.. but had to let off steam>

A good mate of mine now lives in stateside. We took up golf together and have been virtually helping/challenging each other for the past 3 years. Both of us want to break 90. He is a better golfer than I am and it was more likely that he would break it first. Was planning to go over this year to play with him or he was to come over and play at St Andrews.

Recently he has been playing only 12-13 holes at best.. So there is a lot of banter giving him grief on how he is not being a man..

Chatting with him today, when he dropped the bomb... he was diagnosed for stage 4 cancer and is undergoing Chemo. World just crashed. Breaking 90 just feels pointless. At the end of the day, golf is just a game.

<Sorry to put this up.. but had to let off steam>

yep its only a game, other things are far more important.

 

[vkurup]

In a surprise move.. On her own accord, (bless her) HID has given permission for me to go and play for a week in the US. We were planning to go stateside next year on a family jaunt, but now she wants me to go on my own!!! Bless her.

Now to figure out the logisitcs of doing a week in new york & Chicago in Aug or Sept. Will start a separate thread on US travel advice..

 

[Val]

I reckon your banter has actually helped him through the lows so carry on as before vkurup

Big time, how often is this the way guys in the forces try and make light of bad situations? Great for morale when timing is good.

Sorry to here your news vkurup, hope your mate pulls through well

 

[vkurup]

Guys.. sorry to dig this out.. A quick update.
Since I put this up, both my friends broke 90!! My mate is over the moon on this. I still have to break mine yet. However, the new challenge is to make it repeatable and get down to 85 for him. I am out there in Sept, so hopefully all of us will be playing in the 80s.

Strange how a game can help focus the mind over adversity.