Jack Nicklaus And Me: A Lot Of Balls

Posted by Russell R. Collins

May 18, 2008

by Russell R. Collins

Golf has been referred to in the past as a good walk, spoiled by the interruptions. Golf has been described in various other ways too, some of the colourful being by the golf widows who only occasionally see their partners return victorious from the course. If this sounds like you, then you may have heard of Jack Nicklaus. He is a world champion at golf, having been voted as Golfer of the Century. Unfortunately it doesn’t appear as though I was nominated for the honour, but then Jack does tend to sink more balls than I do. In fact, mine seem to have an aversion to the little holes scattered across the course, unless of course they have sand in them.

Besides being a world champion golfer and ambassador for the sport, Jack is well known for being an excellent designer of golf courses, and has recently become introduced to a new audience through his recent television adverts for Polaris. Whether or not you’re interested in buying property overseas, if you’re a golfer like me, or perhaps a slightly better one, then what Jack has done over there might well be of interest. Believe it or not, he has designed nine new golf courses specifically for one resort! That’s a staggering 162 holes in the ground for me to miss. On the upside, that also probably means a good couple of hundred sandy bunkers for me to become horribly familiar with too.

For some reason I always picture other people in these glorious scenarios. Like my well tanned and absurdly happy neighbours who seem to disappear off to exotic locations and come back with tans that make me look whiter than a sheet of paper. I hate my neighbours. They’re lovely people, but it’s people like them, not like me, who get to live that kind of paradise lifestyle. Having said which, I had never really given it serious thought, until I discovered that these overseas property arrangements weren’t just for the absurdly rich, the fragile ancients or both. In fact, because they’ve made such a big thing of the golf, it’s appealing more and more to people like me who enjoy a good game, or more frequently, a dismal one.

The golf course near me recently got flooded. We have a torrent of rain for a couple of days and the whole place became a pond. It’s dried out now, but for weeks the whole place was damp and boggy, and a fairly unpleasant place to play. Golf isn’t traditionally a messy sport. If you want to come home caked with mud you either play rugby or take up mud wrestling. Golf is a nice clean sport. Not at my local course it hasn’t been - just walking around you get filthy, and if you end up digging up the rough or wandering from sandy bunker to grassy embankments you end up needing to throw your entire outfit in the wash after a round.

So I have started thinking about the idea of moving to Spain and becoming a part of the lifestyle and culture we see advertised on television. I can’t just be me that thinks that the idea of walking down the steps from my stylish apartment, casually looking out to see to watch the cruise ships roll by whilst trying to decide which of the nine golf courses to play today, sounds like a good way to live life. What is also tempting me at the moment is that many of these overseas companies are offering free trips, so that you can see for yourself what it’s like. Apparently they’ll even let you play a round of golf. I feel less white just thinking about it.

One of the things that has surprised me most recently is the price of these overseas property. I always imagine that they were really expensive, especially when you consider the added bonuses like the scenery, the quiet, the views, the weather and the nine golf courses. Yet when I saw the prices advertised, I could afford to sell my house here and buy a really classy villa over there with its own pool, views and more golf than I could shake a stick at.

I know that the idea of moving there sounds too much like hassle, but then I keep looking out of my window at the gloom and grey, and think about how I get up in the morning. You know, I don’t even bother to open the curtains sometimes. There’s nothing much to look at except grey skies, gloomy faces and the rain dripping off the gutters onto the muddy patch that I laughably refer to as my garden. But I have an image in my head of how I would feel waking up in my own villa in Spain. From one window I would be able to look across at the ponderous mountains as they yawn their way towards the purple haze of the horizon, and in the other direction I would watch the yachts skip across the cheerful blue ocean. Apparently the sea is blue over there - imagine that, clear blue water on your doorstep that doesn’t mean you’ve been flooded.

And then I have to think again about the fact that these companies are actually offering free trips to try it out! I never considered myself a potential overseas property buyer, but really, I can’t think of any really good reasons why not. I work from home myself, like many people do these days. With the increased use of technology so many people become flexible about where they work, that moving to another country is not as hard as it once used to be. The fact that all these television adverts and brochures are targeting us in this country means that they have excellent links and support, and have provided the service to so many people before that the whole process is well orchestrated. I’m very tempted - but then, you would be, wouldn’t you? Especially if you play golf better than I do.

About the Author:

Looking for great golfing properties. Find them here at Polaris Golf Spain. Superb selection, cheap prices and free viewing trips from selected UK airports. Why not buy abroad today?

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