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Sunday, April 24, 2022

Dear Harvey: Ernie Els or Ernie the Milk Man 🥛🍼🥛

Through the arches towards the first tee after a sausage bap and coffee in the Potting Shed

Dear Harvey:

Greetings from Bridgnorth, England, home base for an impromptu golf retreat with my colleague Grant McLeod. [Dear Harvey: (Uncle Charlie) McDowell trumped by (Great Uncle Fred) McLeod.] 

If you need a debrief on how GE's LM Wind Power business can better manufacture the world's most giant wind turbine blades, Grant is your man. Before becoming an engineering and design savant, he trained as a pastry chef under Marco Piere White. He's a rare combination of smarts and common sense, with an eye for finding real business challenges and breaking them down in ways that lead to win-win results. Grant loves to golf his ball, so when my plans to be in Liverpool late in the week changed, I rerouted and headed his way. 

Public transportation in the UK continues to be a wonder to this American. At left, awaiting a Thursday late afternoon train from Birmingham Moor Street to Kidderminster for an evening nine-hole match at The Kidderminster Golf Club. Two up with three to play gave a pep to my step until my host rudely went par, birdie, par and took home the yet-to-be-purchased trophy I spotted across from Kidderminster station. (See below.)

We headed to The Falcon in Bridgnorth and had a delicious Indian meal, well-fortified for returning to Kidderminster on Friday afternoon. How did curry become the national food of England?

The next time around, Kidderminster GC was a gPage favorite, keeping my ball in front of me and thrashing the Scotsman 5 and 4. Aghhh, the sweet sound of a steam train engine and the fun of sleeping while replaying solid shot after solid shot.

"Experience the feeling of heritage transport, the rumble of engines, and the smell of steam! Head aboard a vintage steam train and out into Shropshire and Worcestershire on an adventure with the Severn Valley Railway. Perfect days out and day trips for all the family. The home of steam trains in the West Midlands."

Saturday brought more unexpected golf joy at The Astbury Golf Club, founded by rock-and-roll legend K.K. Downing, formally of Judas Priest. We were joined by Grant's friend and fellow club member Martin 'Ecco' Ecclestone, a British 'top man' who makes any day better just by being at his side. There's a joke, an American, an Englishman, and a Scotsman show up for a round of golf . . .

The course offered rolling hills and stunning 'Shropshire' views. It was in excellent shape and plays around a stately clubhouse mansion (Manor House) where Downing once lived. I was Ernie Els for the first three holes, making par on the difficult first, bogie on the second, and par on the third. After a good drive on the 4th, and with a two-up lead, I gave Grant a golf lesson figuring it was just a repeat of yesterday. Upon the green, I send a putt twenty feet past the hole, to which Grant mutters something about a dead sheep, 'It is a still ewe, gPage.' And then the milkman showed up several more times, and I found myself beaten 2 and 1. Grant's handshake came with a good-natured suggestion, 'Stick with making butter and cream and not teaching golf.' Touche!

After drinks and pork pie on the patio, introductions to the Director of Golf, Director of Real Estate, and the General Manager, I dreamed of moving straight into one of the luxury lodges and never leaving The Astbury. Even after defeat, I played the par 3 18th, dead into the wind from 200 yards, full of joy, and wanted to walk straight over to the first and start again.

Taking dead aim,

gPageS with jHop's ball mark and not in Kansas anymore

Finishing par 3 18th played 200 yards into a 20 mph breeze. I'll take the driver, please, sir.

Top Man - 'Ecco'

It is mistletoe!

Can you spot the silver, soon-to-be highly coveted golf trophy?

Letters to Harvey from The Kingdom:

Other 'golfy' scribblings:
"Millions of people were charmed by the homespun golf advice dispensed in Harvey Penick's Little Red Book, a sports classic that became the best-selling sports book of all time. Yet, beyond the Texas golf courses where Penick happily toiled for the better part of eight decades, few people knew the self-made golf pro who coaxed the best out of countless greats -- Tom Kite, Ben Crenshaw, Betsy Rawls, Mickey Wright -- all champions who considered Penick their coach and lifelong friend." - Kevin Robbins, author of Harvey Penick: The Life and Wisdom of the Man Who Wrote the Book on Golf.
"And if you play golf, you are my friend." - Harvey Penick
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