The hazards of working at a Manila golf course

“The playing surface was clay and there was a lady perched on a low stool, whose job was to set the balls. If you grabbed the driver she would use two tees tied together. One tee was placed into the clay and her foot would hold down the second tee as an anchor. If you produced a 3 wood or iron, she would pick up a ball, place it on a mound of loose clay, squeeze some clay under the ball with her fingers extended around it, then place this on the ground ready for you to hit. You would have to wipe a lump of clay off the lower face of the club before the next shot. 

If this wasn’t entertainment enough, there were 3 guys on the range collecting balls. They were on foot and carrying what looked like man-sized hockey goals around for protection – no ball collecting machinery here! These guys would scurry along then stop, pick up some balls and repeat again. It was quite comical and reminded me of a Benny Hill skit.”