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Monday, May 23, 2022

Dear Harvey: Portsmouth UK & Hayling GC ⚓️ 🐚 🚀 ⛳️ 🕵🏼‍♀️

Harvey on the range at Austin CC
Dear Harvey,

Fantastic trip to Austin for Lucy's graduation, Emily and Kyle's engagement, and Jim Herndon's Celebration of Life. Full heart, tired body.

Hit the rails running upon return to England with a train to Portsmouth for meetings at BAE Systems. This brought back memories of growing up in small farm towns in the Tidewater, Virginia area. The nearest orthodontist was Dr. Samual E. Buxton Jr. in Portsmouth, VA. 

I recently had some significant restorative dental work, so I suppose dentistry has been on my mind. The below on Dr. Buxton is especially interesting, as I will be in Cherbourg, France (Normandy) later this week. 

"Dr. Buxton practiced general dentistry in Portsmouth until the beginning of World War II. He served in the US Navy from 1940-45 and landed with the Seabees on Normandy. It was unusual for a dentist to make an amphibious landing. He continued his service in the Naval Reserve and retired with the rank of Commander. After the war, he attended specialty training in orthodontics at the University of Michigan." [Source: Virginia Dental Journal; January/March 1995]

Both Portsmouth(s) have Naval history, though Portsmouth, UK, dates a wee bit farther than Portsmouth, VA.

"Portsmouth (UK) owes its origin to the retreat of the sea from the earlier settlement of Portchester at the head of Portsmouth Harbour. No town existed at the site until 1194, when the strategic importance of Portsea Island induced King Richard I to build a settlement there and to grant it a charter, fair, and market. The dockyard, which is still a major source of employment, dates from 1496, when the town was already a naval base." [Source: Britannica.com]

Portsmouth Museum and Art Gallery: A Study in Sherlock explores the life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the creation of his most famous character. It features a range of interactive displays, a 'new' Sherlock Holmes mystery, and narration by Stephen Fry, the Patron of the Collection. Come and experience the world of Sherlock Holmes and fine-tune your own powers of detection! [Source: Portsmouth website]

Other things to do in Portsmouth:

And, if you know the right people, you can find out how torpedoes are made at BAE's Broad Oak facility.

Spearfish is the UK Royal Navy's front-line anti-submarine and anti-surface torpedo. Modern submarines require sophisticated defensive and offensive underwater weapons to engage a wide range of surface and subsurface targets. Guided torpedoes provide this capability, and Spearfish is one of the most powerful and capable on the market. BAE Systems provides full support of Spearfish to the UK Royal Navy through a dedicated support 'workshop to waterfront' contract. [Source: BAE Systems]

Touring the factory, I had a couple of thoughts. If these things ever get deployed, we are all in big trouble. And two, the whole assembly process is much quieter than one might think. Intelligent engineers in lab coats with specific tasks building each component, but not loud. Here's a video to learn about Spearfish. (Footnote: Maybe 'loud' is not the best choice of words upon further thought. I suppose calm and quiet is better when touring a plant making bombs!)

With Cathy still in Texas, I thought it best to spend the weekend visiting Hayling Island and Hayling Golf Club. It turned out to be a great call!

I camped out at the Newtown House Hotel, recommended by Hayling GC head pro, Mark Treleaven. Newtown House is made of charming cottages renovated from an 18th Century farm, with excellent customer service, good food, and a cozy bar. I loved looking at the old ship beams and stone fireplaces throughout.

The Island reminds me of Jekyll Island, GA, with thick hedges lining streets framing modest beach cottages. It has a rustic feel and is not overdone. The Island is steeped in military history, including a World War II Heritage Trail where you learn about the history of Mulberry Harbour and its Pillboxes. Hayling is also the main place to head if you are into Kitesurfing. Colorful kites zigged and zagged through the skies throughout my visit. 





And the golf course? A 100 percent winner, Harvey. I absolutely loved it. Assistant Pro Jon Burnes checked me in and suggested a yardage book, as the layout across dunes can be tricky for newbies. After a late lunch in a grill room, with a view of the sea you must see, I headed to the putting green and chance met member Simon Vine. Simon was kind enough to run back to his nearby beachfront home, grab his gear and show me the way around Hayling. He was a good player who knew how to work his ball in the wind, and I learned from watching a skilled links player. I was sure without Simon, I could have easily set off down the wrong fairway a time or two!

My 59th birthday ball mark from my buddy Jim Hopke continues to go places! Miss you, jHop, and the boys back at Austin CC. I'll be ready for your games when I return.

Greenskeeper's house off of 13 green, nice perk! This was a great hole where you can putt or chip your approach from as much as 100 yards out because of the slope to the green. @ACC super Bobby Stringer, you might want to rethink your next contract negotiation! I know just the place.

Simon Vine, another friend through golf. Wonderful chap. Simon tells me Hayling has many scratch and plus handicaps. I believe it! You just got that vibe around the members.

View from the balcony looking towards starters shack and the sea. The course was in superb shape with large teeing areas and wonderful green complexes. (P.S. Stay away from unforgiving Hayling gorse!)
 
The view from the grill room is pretty special!

Turkey, cranberry, and cheese toastie for lunch. Yum!

Don't miss the history of Hayling GC on the website here. Learn about founder 'Tommy' Fleetwood Sandeman, from the famous Sandeman sherry and port company. The original nine were laid out by 'The General' Joe Lloyd from Hoylake, who later won the US Open in 1897.
"In 1902 an exhibition match was held between Harry Vardon and James Braid and soon afterwards, in 1905, their contemporary, J H Taylor, was commissioned to advise on course alterations for a Fee of £11. Further course visits from Harry Colt (1919) and Taylor (1927) saw more change, but it was surely Tom Simpson who left his enduring mark on the course when his changes in 1932 and after the war in 1946 made the course very much as it is today. The renowned golf writer Bernard Darwin wrote, after playing the course, that ‘it possesses some of the finest natural seaside golfing country to be found anywhere." [Source link above, club website.]
Could not agree more with Mr. Darwin! The Newtown House offers a great deal for golf groups of six or more. Room and breakfast for £89 per night and a private dining room each night for the group to settle bets and tell lies. Good Lord willing, I must return to Hayling Island.

This was a 19th hole. A par three is played over water during high tide and only used when one of the other 18 holes is closed for maintenance. Many members consider it as good a hole as any on the course.

Want to play Hayling with me next time?

gPage

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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