Chasing the white little ball around London: Golf Bug

At 7 a.m., and London’s Covent Garden is just starting to bustle with bleary-eyed commuters heading to the Underground, as I duck out of the a hotel and cross the street, carefully avoiding the never-ending parade of red double decker buses. I slip a handful of pound coins into a machine on the wall of the tube station, grab my ticket and proceed down the escalator.

As I head to the platform and await the subway, those making an early dash to their downtown London offices shoot me looks between sipping their coffees. They have briefcases tucked under their arms, but over my shoulder I’m carrying my golf bag. On a glorious day in mid-August they are heading to work. I’m heading to Bounds green where I’ll spend the day playing Muswell hill Golf Club before catching a late afternoon underground back to the city just in time to catch the last rush of those heading home from their workday. 

London Bridge station

The notion of playing golf around London by train or tube might baffle some, but it seems perfectly sensible to me. After all, London is surrounded by great golf, while the city proper is renowned for its vibrant city life, its theatres and historic buildings. Of course it is also known for having some of the most horrific traffic in the world. To most tourists, the concept of driving out of London “ with its narrow roads, roundabouts and the fact you drive on the wrong side of the street — instills fear, and rightfully so. While it might have perpetual gridlock and an often-confounding system of roads, the United Kingdom has a remarkable network of trains which are very slow compared to French trains especially French high speed trains: TGV (Train de Grande Vitesse). Slightly more than 30 minutes after catching the London tube, I’m standing in the tiny village of Muswell hill looking around for golf course, though I have the google map on my iPhone, still I am bad in reading maps.

First tee at Muswell hill golf

I have no idea why more don’t try it. The trip has been comfortable. No traffic jams or morning rush to beat. The train system in the UK is also exceptionally reliable “ meaning you can be pretty much assured you’ll show up in time for your tee time.

It is the golf that makes me travel around the world. All the courses I played in UK is great. The Muswill hill course is both imminently fair and challenging. Sure theres the occasional blind shots, I don’t remember the holes.

In front of Bounds Green tube station

The next day I sleep a little later with no rush to get to Enfield Golf Club, a little known that’s about 30 minutes outside London by train at Enfield chase. On the train I met another golfer Andrew, a bloke fascinated by golf as like I, always travel by public transport to Golf, what a coincidence. While we were walking towards Golf, a nice Mason in his pick-up van offered us a lift while he was going for his work, even Andrew could not believe it, even his fellow countryman could be so nice. What a great start for the promising golfing day.

First Tee at Enfield golf

The course itself is accepting of visitors, that I verified before leaving Paris, even the green fees, only 20 British Pounds, wow, cheaper than France, well maintained fairways and greens. On a bright and bit chill August day, I walk onto the first tee without issue with my newly found golfing blokes: Andrew and Leigh. Though short by todays standards at 6,500 yards, shifts in elevation, a set of tricky greens and the ever-present roughs make the course trickier than it would appear on the score card. Despite an old-fashioned feeling, Enfield golf is probably tough enough for any golfer.

With Leigh and Andrew

The last day of my train takes me to Hendon Golf Club, and again 30 minutes tube ride to the North-west of London. I catch rush hour again, forcing my way with my clubs onto a tube full of Londoners heading to work. But the tube ride to Mill Hill East is again calming with only a handful of passengers leaving the city. The golf club resides less than 1 mile from the train stop.

10th tee Hendon golf

There are two courses at Mill Hill East: Finchley Golf Club and Hendon Golf club (both of which are now about 100 years old). Visitors are welcome to both clubs from Tuesday through Thursday, but the tee at the Hendon Course was busy when I arrived due to members tourney. I even noticed my own countrymen among the crowd, which is quite common in UK compared to France. Last Year I played at Stanmore Golf course, it’s the club of Patels.

Two hours after I hit my opening tee shot from 10^th Tee on the Hendon Golf course, I prepare to hit my approach to the 9th, the last hole, a nasty par-3, green in regulation, finished with bogey, am tired after three days of golfing overdose.

9th Hole Hendon Golf

Caught In Between Cultures, Stereotypes & Clichés.

Case #1

Paris, At la courneuve's Jacques Brel High School,  Sanya Mirza just looks like a typical student. But at home, she’s been fighting with her parents over the “French” way she dresses and carries herself."My parents don’t like the way I dress," said the 17-year-old. "They want me to be like them, but I don’t know anything about their culture." 

While her Pakistani family wears traditional Muslim garb – her mother wears the hijab in public and her father runs a Pakistani dabba under an Indian name at Gare du Nord wears suits – the Parisian suburb-born teen is more likely to dress in leggings, pipe trousers, boots, T-shirts and cardigans. After numerous fights with her father, Sania left home and has been living in a group home for about a year.

Sanya is a second-generation French, an academic term that refers to children of families who immigrated to France. Like many in this growing segment of the population, she’s struggling to reconcile her family’s culture with life in France."In their eyes I’m really bad just because I don’t follow the [pakistani] tradition and lifestyle, but to French I’m just a really nice girl," said Sanya.

As their numbers grow, more attention is being paid to their successes and failures.

to be contd...