Becoming friends with Tony Muldoon... and helping him learn to appreciate the Prius.
That was bloody hilarious!
"No, Tony. Stop. Tony, Tony - I own one and I love it!"
Okay, some of my own. I've held off contributing because I knew I'd just go and forget something, but here goes:
Firstly, one GCAer, who I won't name but he knows who he is, did something remarkably special for my wife and I and later told me: "There's no way we can pay many people back for the things they do for us, so I think it's best to just pay it forward." That seems to be the attitude of many on this forum and I certainly am trying to pay forward some of the amazing things people from this site, many of whom have become genuine friends, have done for me.
The others that come to mind include:
1. Tony Muldoon trash-talking the Toyota Pirus to a horrified Mike Whitaker en route from East Croydon Station to The Addington.
2. Tony Muldoon's car coming to a steaming, smoking heap in front of a farm just off the M20 as we drove down to Deal on a perfect spring day for what would have been our first game as members at RCP, followed by a long trip back to London in a tow truck.
3. The random places I met Mike Whitaker and Mark Chaplin, who I know consider great mates: a coffee shop in a south London train station and stonemotherless drunk in the carpark of a country pub at 8am!
4. Playing Painswick with Sean Arble, James Boon and Robin Hiseman - the first time I'd met any of them - and getting ripped on West Country cider on the clubhouse balcony afterwards as the three of them, who all had to drive, remained sober. I also ended up suburned to buggery having told them as they passed the sunscreen around that morning: "What would I need that for? You think your pissy English sun can burn me? I'm from Australia!"
5. The roadtrip from London to Dornoch with Mike and Andrew Mitchell, stopping to visit Simon Holt in East Lothian and Mark Pearce in Fife. Making the fatal mistake of letting Pearce order me a large Laphroaig and then being stupid enough to act tough by getting myself another afterwards to prove it hadn't bothered me!
7. Introducing Robin Hiseman to the Gigantic Pigs of Stonehenge en route to Burnham. He kindly sent me their regards a few weeks back after paying them a visit!
8. A brilliant early morning singles match with Giles Payne at Buda 2009. We went off at the break of day with a clear course ahead and shot matching 78s in about 2h45m.
9. A perfect day at Siloth with M. Pearce and A. Mitchell, making a 20fter on the last to stop Mark winning the 4-2-0 match having made nothing longer than a foot all day, including a couple of three-putts from 4ft. Thei laughter as I told them I was going to a Caellidh that night, but pronounced it phonetically!
10. Having Nick Leefe show me around Alwoodley.
11. Bob Huntley, Tom Huckaby and Mike Benham busting my chops, with straight faces, about being "late" to MPCC, tisking and shaking their heads while I quietly shat myself, before bursting into laughter at the look on my face. I was so nervous afterwards that I was teeing up my ball on the 1st and realised I hadn't changed into my golf shoes!!
12. Winning $2 from Bob Huntley four fours later!
13. Being part of the only foursome on the course at Fishers Island for 36 holes, thanks to yet another remarkably generous bloke. That day also allowed me to see one of the most remarkable shots of my life - Mark Arata almost hitting the Road Hole green from an inch-deep puddle on the dirt track down the left of the hole.
14. Two nights in a 17th Century Czech chateau with Robin H and Adam Lawrence, playing late-afternoon golf with the greenkeepers following my triumph in the Casa Serena Media Day tournament, watching THAT shooting star with Robin and laughing that if either of us was a bird we'd have had a snog!
15. Discovering Mark Ferguson is actually a really lovely bloke in person!
16. The late night recitations in our Melbourne flat. I doubt I've laughed harder. That will only mean something to two people, but it only has to.
17. Watching the inaugural GCA Boomerang come together, bringing 37 of us from the US, NZ and Australia to Barny Dunes for three brilliant days.
18. Partnering Craig Disher as he shot +1 the last 7 holes at Deal to break Peter Mallilieu and Nick Leefe's hearts the day after Peter had broken his with similar play.
19. Beating Dustin Knight like a drum both times I've played him!
20. My bucks weekend in Deal, attended by 6-7 GCAers who a year and half earlier were "guys I met on the internet" and by that day were some of my very best mates.
21. Partnering Mayday Malone in a foursomes match at Royal St George's during which I played our second shot on the 8th from 150 yards back down the 7th fairway (for those who don't know RSG, you might need to consult a map - that isn't easily done!).
22. Dinner with the Dodds in Dornoch x2.
Forgive the length of that, as I recalled each story it seemed to bring back other memories.