I remember the sense of panic as if it were this morning. I’d sent a piece of golf writing to those nice folk at Cookie Jar Golf, half-expecting them to politely ignore it. But a message arrived to say “It’s going out tomorrow”, and so this strange, underground dream of mine of somehow writing publicly about this game I love became an imminent, terrifying reality.
That was December 2021, and in the months since, I have sent out 91 of these Stymies. The first one reached two people (neither of which was my mother; such a basic oversight); the latest was sent to (somehow) over 650. People are either very bored, or they share the same fascination with this daft game that I have sought to rekindle in this last year or so. Or perhaps a mix of those two factors.
In order to get a few of the earlier ones in front of a few more eyes, and to buy myself some time for other writing, I will be sharing a selection of re-issued Stymies daily until Christmas Eve; a Stymied Advent Calendar - just click on the link below. If you have enjoyed reading them, please subscribe and share with a few of your golfing mates. I’d love to know which ones you enjoy, and why. Thank you very much indeed!
14th December 2021: “Stymied: A Manifesto”
“Golf is an addiction, but one that can enrich and intensify our lives more than ought to be possible, for decades. I know a good many worse vices than this.”