A MIGHTY CRAIC Participants in Ireland’s World Invitational Father-Daughter Tournament bond over golf and a swim in the freezing Irish sea.
In the foursomes competition, we used her drive on Waterville’s long par-5 fifth hole; then I bunted my 5-wood between the grassy dunes; with 130 yards
left, Sam lofted an 8-iron that rolled straight into the cup. Dads know how to cry, and my eyes got a little misty seeing her make a net albatross. It was the second time that week I wept. The first was when the tour- nament field took a morning swim in Ballinskelligs Bay with a water temper- ature of 14 degrees Celsius. It’s a Carr tradition; they swim every morning of every month no matter where they travel. Between us, Sam’s the aquatic athlete; I’m more of a tea bag than a swimmer. You know the sea is cold if the air feels warm when you get out, but we’re loving every minute of this marathon. Sam and I follow two practice rounds with three straight tournament days. It’s the most consecutive golf she has ever played, but she can’t get enough. “We’re coming back next year and bringing (my sister) Lauren,” said Sam. “Too much golf, when it’s with your dad, is just about right.” Marty showed me an email he got from a friend of a friend who took an 11-day golf trip. Ted and Fred Heldring had organised their own father-son event as they’ve done every year for the past 12 summers. They often go to Bandon Dunes and play 72 holes in a day, not a typo. This July they went to Scotland for the first time and played from dawn till dark: 36 holes the first three days, then 54 holes for five consecutive days, then 36 twice, and 54 on their last day. Ted, 62, and Fred, 32, walked 28 rounds in 11 days, carry- ing their own bags every round, except for two when they took a caddie. Fred sorted out the tee times and drove their rental car. They played Gullane (1, 2 and 3), North Berwick, Elie (five times), the Old Course, the New (four times), Castle, Jubilee (twice), Lundin Links, Leven, Crail, Panmure, Carnoustie, Cruden Bay, Dornoch (twice), Nairn,
I called them from Ireland to ask what their secret was. Ted said they changed their socks and shoes after every round. That’s a lot of socks, I thought. It had to be something more. Their highlight, they said, was playing the Old Course at 6.40am on a Saturday with two Royal and Ancient Golf Club members, who invited them into the storied Big Room for a couple of Bloody Marys. They said, “It was a magical experience.” The magic, I learned from my rounds with Sam, is not about how much you play or even where you play. It is all about who you play with. Fathers play- ing links golf with sons or daughters get a glimpse of their mortality while still feeling they can go on forever, and be- cause you know you can’t, my advice is to do it now.
Golspie and Brora. Marty said, “In 35 years in the golf travel business I’ve nev- er seen such an aggressive itinerary.” Who are these guys? Ted spent most of his career at JP Morgan before retiring to teach finance and com- mercial banking at DePaul University in Chicago. Fred is a financial consul- tant for Ernst & Young in Philadelphia. They seem like normal guys. They could be you. ‘The magic, I learned from my rounds with Sam, is not about how much you play or where you play. It is all about who you play with.’
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 9
MAY 2025
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