Golf: PC players should take a byte of real thing

THE captain of an Edinburgh golf club reckons people who are happy playing the sport on a computer rather than experiencing the real thing don't know what they are missing.

David McBain, the captain at Lothianburn, was responding to a comment in Saturday's Evening News from a reader on our feature last week on the declining memberships in golf clubs.

"Why pay 580 to play golf in the wind and rain when the Playstation and the Wii get the job done in the comfort of your own home?" asked one reader.

McBain believes anyone making such a comment hasn't experienced either the joy or wellbeing that an outdoor sport such has golf offers.

"The comment indicates perfectly the national trend towards obesity and early ill-health through lack of exercise," said McBain.

"Yes, in Scotland we do have days of wind and rain, but we also have days, occasional perhaps, when you can walk off the 18th hole with your friends on a balmy summer evening at 10.45pm.

"You can't get that, or the wonderful wellbeing it brings, on a computer.

"I have long felt that computer sports, wonderful as they are, may be responsible for the lack of youngsters entering the sport today."

McBain also took issue with comments made by other readers about temporary greens, a difficult getting times at the weekend and joining fees.

"Another reader states 'in the Lothians if you are lucky you might get five months golf on decent greens, the rest of the year you are on temporary surfaces'," he added.

"I don't know what courses the writer has visited but I can assure him that at Lothianburn you get virtually 12 months on summer greens – and thanks to our professional, we never have any problems with bookings, even at weekends.

"Regarding joining fees, a great many clubs, including Lothianburn, have done away with them. However, to answer the question by that writer, the advantage of joining fees, arguable perhaps, is that existing members hesitate to leave in the knowledge that, to rejoin at a later date, they are liable for a further joining fee.

"Many good and thought- provoking ideas were mentioned and I'm sure that most golf clubs will welcome the debate that has arisen.

"Long may it continue. I, for one, will never tire of positive ideas and suggestions."