About 10 years ago, I was in an English club. No, not one of the golfing variety but a disco. It was 2am (and yes if you recall the Golden Earring hit from the early 80s--Twilight Zone), the amount of alcohol I had consumed made it seem like eternal fate had turned its back on me. Why? Because the person next to me (Jim Reilly formerly of this website and now a Costa Rican citizen out of the rat race) and I had a match at Pulborough (West Sussex) at 7:30 the next morning and it was a 80 minute drive out of London. Judging by our company there was no way were were going to leave at that moment.. So how does this relate to Mr. Steel. At 4am I dragged Jim out of the club and went to my hotel and showered.. Sobering up, I then collected Jim out of his apartment. It was not easy as he had fallen asleep. We later met Russell Talley on the practice tee at West Sussex. Russell was talking to a regal gentleman. Quintissentially English, tall, statuesque with a mane of distinguished grey hair and a perfect public school accent. His hand was very large and his firm gripped handshake and introduction as Donald Steel was a bit of a shock to a hung over me or was it Tuco Ramirez I don't remember. Smelling the remnants of the night before, he laughed and asked me if I had a morning restorative already. I joked and told him of the night before in brief remarks. But this was a missed opportunity to ask a great writer, player and fine architect anything I want, but I was too much in need of water, coffee and bacon roll sandwich to ask anything smart. It remains a disappointment for me as the Donald went back to practicing his putting quietly looking the part of one of his Country Life readers out for a few hours before going home to the missus. By the way, I pummeled Jim 3&2 that day.
Anyway Mr. Steel has wrote some terrific prose as the intro to my friend David Dobby's new Royal Cinque Ports Club history..
Introduction to Royal Cinque Ports--
England's Finest LinksOnly in the mind can we now turn back the clock to the two Open Championships that Deal staged although the climax to the second, in 1920 is painful to relate. Abe Mitchell, whom everyone wanted to win, led the field by six strokes at half-way but the final two rounds on the last day were as dramatic as any ever seen. George Duncan, thirteen strokes behind Mitchell caught his man and beat him by four.
Time never healed Mitchell's wounds but they tell everything about the nature of the links of Royal Cinque Ports. As Bernard Darwin remarked later,
" it can break as well as elate the heart." He called it "
a tremendous course as anyone can testify who has had to endure that long beat home against the wind with never a let-up; nothing but grim hard work."
Keeping a score on the great links is not the occupation that many choose freely. Their preference is for matchplay that hides a multitude of sins but reward for the good and punishment of the poor is a prerequisite of any challenge. Deal's fair demands are relentless particularly as it rarely escapes the winds that so ably spring to its defense. However, Darwin paid the ultimate compliment,
" the most testing and severe of all Championship courses", and nobody ever took issue with Darwin.
There is a bleak side to Deal on account of the barren landscape it inhabits but my experience of nearly thirty years participation of the Halford Hewitt has often left a vastly different impression. In recent times, it has invariably coincided with the Masters in Augusta, a contrasting world in every way, but in 1989, I wrote in Country Life,
"April tales from Deal invariably recount wind, hail and sometimes snow while those from Augusta speak of gentle warmth. This year 2006, it was the other way round. As Malvern, Shrewsbury, Eton and Harrow reached the semi-finals they did so in no more than a light sweater. By contrast, players in the Masters were huddled under umbrellas and wrapped in waterproofs before drenching rain and sepulchral light brought a premature end to the third round".
Deal's rosier hue evokes memories of sun shining on white cliffs, larks hovering, a light breeze fluttering the flags, and for once, shipping in the Channel not having to run for shelter. If it is not apparent already, Darwin was its greatest advocate, claiming more that fifty years ago
"there is no view like that through the big plate-glass window of the clubhouse". He might have added how occupants of the balcony could delight in the same incomparable scene for there is no balcony to rival Deal's.
Finally, and most poignantly, he expressed the hope "
long may these things remain unchanged for future generations to enjoy" In re-echoing the sentiment, the happiest conclusion is he had his wih.
Donald Steel
David Dobby's club history is new and chuck full of great stuff.
Link to buy:
http://www.royalcinqueports.com/files/royalcinqueports.com/57/Englands_Finest_Links.pdf