Joan Piper, the county captain, suggested I go to Wrotham Heath golf club where they were holding the junior girls championship. I didn't have a handicap yet, nor did I have a full set of clubs, but she did say, even thought I couldn't play in the competition they were holding a beginners 9 hole event in the afternoon where a lady member would walk round with each group and make sure we learned what playing in a competition was going to be like.
They would help by teaching us etiquette and some basic rules and make sure we were keeping the score cards correctly. This sounded like a good idea to my father as it meant his rebellious daughter would actually pay attention as to how to behave on the course. This information was better coming from someone who was not my dad as I would rarely listen to him. That is until I went to college.....a story for a later blog.
The day of the Kent Girls Championship arrived, Dad and I made the drive to Wrotham Heath. It was about an hour and half away, not far but my dad made it an occasion. It was in the days before McDonalds and Starbucks so we stopped at a motorway service station for a cup of tea and bacon sandwich. It doesn't sound like much but back then, to me, it was special. We were always on a budget so eating out was never an option. That bacon sandwich and cup of tea felt like a lottery win.
We arrived at the course and the weather was typically British, wet and chilly, both dad and I hopped it would improve as my tee time approached.
I had barely started playing the game and so was lacking a vital piece of equipment, waterproof bottoms. I had a jacket and an umbrella and my golf shoes were somewhat water resistant but I knew I was going to get wet.
Unperturbed I headed out with my group and Lady member. Lady Jenny Benn was her name and it was the first time I had ever met anyone with a title. She was lovely, friendly and very efficient. To this day we remain friends. She knew her golf and didn't hesitate in helping us out. She volunteered her time in the pouring down rain to put some beginner girls on the right path.
Not only did she put me on the right path but she put my father on track too. Being my first time in a competition my dad was both curious and nervous for me so he came out to watch. He hid behind trees and bushes trying to be invisible but failing miserably as not only did I see him, Lady Benn saw him.
She swiftly went over to him and very firmly suggested he leave me alone to play as it probably made me more nervous and besides the clubhouse was a nicer place to be in the rain. My father took her advice and from that point on he would travel with me to events even sometimes caddied but normally he would pass on watching in favor of being social with the members of the club I was playing. This isn't shocking as most people who know me would say the apple didn't fall far from the tree. I know my father made many friends this way and it had to be more fun than watching me grind my way round golf courses. Sometimes playing well. sometimes playing terribly.
For my part that first competition taught me who had the honor on the tee. how to mark a ball, how to tend the flags, repair pitch marks and replace divots. The not so fun parts of learning was the out of bounds rules, lost ball rules were also included. All this while getting drenched and playing those 9 holes in about 3 hours! We were beginners after all and it takes time to hit it as often as we did...
But the lessons learnt on the course were not the only ones. I didn't win a prize but knew I wanted to. The Girl who won became the Kent girls champion. I wanted to be that. I wanted to hold that trophy, and yes I even wanted to make the speech. Right there and then I found my first goal. I wanted to be the Kent Girls Champion.
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