Oscars-01-04-2026

Just over two weeks ago I did well playing golf in miserable conditions. What I did not comment on, is that while unloading the buggy and golf gear that afternoon I turned awkwardly and tore something in my hip.

I had done this before and thought it would start repairing itself after a few days rest. 10 days later still very painful after a few minutes walking and or standing on it. Shower time was not much fun.

Decided it was time to get something done about it and went to get an urgent appointment with my local medical centre. The receptionist looked at me and said the next face time appointment with a doctor was six weeks away. The best they could offer was a 'Walk in appointment' with a triage nurse. I took it hoping we could get something started. The nurses had no powers to order X-rays or other useful things. Best they could offer was the advice to go to the Urgent Medicross Centre in New Plymouth, 45 minutes drive away. That was the Friday.

With the fuel 'crisis' we do try to combine things. Decided to go to Medicross on Tuesday the 5th, which we could combine with some winter shopping at The Warehouse, which has a 'Gold Card' day the first Tuesday of each month, 5% off.

Got to Medicross about 9.30am, saw the Doctor by 10am, had an x-ray by 10.30 and off to shopping at the Warehouse by 11am. The Doctor had poked and prodded, as they do, and decided that I had torn a ligament or muscle that helps to hold the hip together. He would look at the x-ray and decide whether an ultrasound was required which would be a precursor to a cortisone injection.

Club Champs Round One

Following on from my last post, I had the ultrasound on Tuesday. The results showed a 27x20x5mm tear in my Gluteus Minimus. Just to prove I was not quite an invalid I played 9 holes of golf, on the buggy, on Friday. What that showed me was standing/walking around (like in a Supermarket) was still causing a bit of pain in the hip. But... playing golf from the buggy meant I could sit down between shots. Worked well. Decided to do another 9 on Monday and 18 on Wednesday, all to get me match fit for the first round of Club Champs which started on Saturday the 23rd.

I wake up Saturday 16th and I'm down with the flu. Absolutely horrible dose. Runny nose that wouldn't stop, coughing my lungs up, sore throat. The whole trifecta. Not a chance of playing Monday, or eventually Wednesday either. I was still sneezing and feeling a bit sad on Friday, but figured 70-80% right would have to do.

I rock on up to the Club on the Saturday morning. Shoot the breeze with the others waiting for their matches to start. Lots of testosterone in the air with the young blasters rolling their biceps, showing off chest hair, and whistling their drivers around.

My days opponent was Emosi Masivou. A lovely guy of Fijian descent, dreadlocks. Stands about 1.75m tall and 1.5m across the shoulders. He hits a big ball, but not consistent. My name was first on the list of our group so I got to tee off first. Hit a nice one down the middle and got the jeers, catcalls and well dones in equal measure from the 25-30 people in the audience. Emosi gets up with his driver and takes a mighty swing. The ball dribbles off his tee across the teeing off area and out of bounds. Deathly quiet. Not a sound. Picks up his tee and walks off with his shoulders and head down. The other match players tee off and Emosi gets another go. Still has his driver, another big swipe and off it goes, unfortunately he pulls it left and over the fence, out of bounds again. The silence was deafening. Emosi walks back to his bag for another ball, he will be 5 off the tee with this one. Changes to his 3 wood and blasts it 40 meters past my first shot. Not unsurprisingly I won the first. Emosi ended up with a 10 and I had a 5.

I don't think Emosi ever really got his confidence back after that. I won the second then lost the third. A beautiful birdie from Emosi to my par four. We exchanged hole wins through to the 6th when I won two in a row and we ended up with me being three up at the turn. We got through to the par 5 14th which he should have had the advantage on with his length. But his big drive went down the wrong fairway on the left and he had problems getting back into the hole. I was four up at that stage. Won that hole with me making a six to Emosi's seven. Time to shake hands. A good 5 and 4 win for me. My prize. Another match in a couple of weeks time after Kings Birthday.

One of the things I had been trying to get to before ripping the hip was to have a shave. The full beard, moustache and wings sticking out from my head needed to go. Not unsurprisingly standing around for half an hour was a bit much. So for the first time in over 12 years I went to a barber and got some professional help. He couldn't help with my golf addiction but did a good job on my hair.

I haven't quite joined the bald brigade, and still have my rat tail.

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