Golfers On Course

After shopping at Ferndene Farm Shop this warm, overcast, afternoon we returned home via Burley Golf Course which, for a change, now that Covid restrictions have been relaxed, was occupied by more golfers than ponies, although the equine maintenance crew continued shaving the sward and spreading their hazardous heaps.

The golfers, apparently oblivious of the ponies carrying on with their tasks equally regardless, cross from one side of the road to the other in order to continue their rounds.

When I crossed to the Holmsley Passage side my activity was somewhat hampered by an escaped rooster resident in the gorse bushes which pecked at my ankles whenever my back was turned.

However, between attacks I managed to keep a lens on proceedings.

Dinner this evening consisted of flavoursome chicken Kiev; creamy mashed potatoes; succulent ratatouille; firm broccoli and tender runner beans, with which I drank Mendoza El Tesoro Red Blend 2019, and Jackie abstained.

93 comments

  1. I imagine the golfers and the ponies are used to each other, although I cannot help wondering if the ponies ever get hit by a golf ball.

  2. You were attacked by an angry chicken, aye! Funny. You’ll never see ponies on golf courses over here, Derrick. At least I have never seen one. It’s great to see people back out and about there too. Chicken Kiev is a delicious dish, your wife is quite the chef!

    1. John, The last four or 5 of your posts, when I tried to open them from email went to the pesky “page not found”. Don’t know if it’s on my end or not…. (Derrick sorry for hijacking your post)

  3. What a perfectly framed header image!
    It’s so good to see golfers enjoying their games again.
    I wonder if the ponies will have to sharpen their wits once more, now that there are little bullet type balls flying around?
    What a beautiful rooster – fantastic colouring, with the scarlet cockcomb; wonderfully healthy looking!

    1. Thank you very much, Emma. I’m so pleased you liked the header – I had to test my knees in a crouch for that 🙂 The ponies just ignored the golfers; I wonder where the rooster came from.

      1. I’m so glad your knees passed the test – such a great angle! Wherever the rooster came from, it’s colouring is amazing, but with a bit of the ‘all dressed up and nowhere to go!’ look about it!

  4. I love this collection of photos, Derrick; especially the apparent peaceful coexistence of the golfers and the ponies.

    Ha! “hazardous heaps” !

    Funny you have references to crossing the road right where the photos of the rooster appear. Did you ask him why he crossed?

    And… what? Jackie abstained, did she?

  5. Having a golf course in our back yard, I found this post interesting. We only have Canadian geese and ducks roaming about…pretty boring when compared to ponies. I would be afraid my shot might hit one of the animals. Are golf carts allowed? Maybe the hills are too steep. Thanks for sharing, Derrick! My Derek will enjoy this.

  6. We have kangaroos as hazards on our fairways and greens, but the scariest are the nesting plovers that seem to be exactly where your next shot is. They have ruined many a good score when they attack on the back swing.

  7. Great Images…. Took me back to when I would play Golf with Hubby…. beautiful scenes… Loved the Rooster…. lol… I hope that Rooster didn’t know what you and Jackie were having for dinner, or more ankles may have been pecked even harder .. LOL 🙂 <3

  8. You didn’t take revenge did you?
    Don’t tell me Jackie has gone one step further from her culinary prowess and taken on butchery skills too.
    Rooster Kiev! ?

  9. Wonderfully framed header photo, Derrick! I’d call that photo a hole in one!!! 🙂 And great play-on-words title!!! 🙂

    Maybe that rooster’s gal is named Kiev and he heard about your meal! 😮 😀 HA! 😛
    Thank you for carrying-on with your photographing even whilst being attacked by that rooster!

    The golfers look happy to be golfing again! And it is a smile-bringer to see the ponies carrying on!
    I wonder if the ponies would make good caddies. 😉
    (((HUGS))) 🙂
    PS…Your meal and drink sound delicious! Is Jackie okay!?!

    1. Thanks very much, Carolyn. Jackie is on the mend. I’m pleased you liked the title and the hole in one header. Once again I overlooked the link between a photograph and our dinner 🙂 X

  10. bwahaha, you’re header photo is so fun with a view of a golfer thru the pony legs 😀 This is really wild to see ponies wandering on a golf course. I’d bet they make good hoof marks on the green. We might see the odd coyote or in the mountains, a bear. Golfing in the rockies, you get bear orientation before you T-off 😀 Cheers xK

  11. How refreshing to see golfers actually WALK around the course! I’m not a golfer, but over here, they always seem to be zipping around in those silly little carts. I always wonder if the only exercise they get is in the bar afterwards, lifting their glasses. That was a spectacular rooster, albeit a bit insistent, by the sound of it. As always, ponies make me smile – especially the maintenance kind.

  12. The ponies on the golf course must add an element of surprise to the game! I hope none of the ponies have been hit by golf balls.

    So you have gone from mud daubing Gloucester Old Spots in autumn to being pecked by feral roosters in spring! He is a handsome fellow, even if a bit unruly. 🙂

    1. Thank you very much, Lavinia. At least I haven’t been attacked by a pony – that would not be funny. I’d be surprised if a pony had never been hit by a ball, but they seem totally unconcerned.

      1. I was bitten once (by accident, long story), and have been kicked, thrown and squashed up against wooden, barbed wire as well as electric fencing by horses. They are big and powerful. 🙂

  13. That golf course seems like a dangerous place for the ponies. Golfers and ponies do seem to be ignoring each other though.
    I like that rooster, and what a photojournalist you are, Derrick, continuing to take your photos while under attack! ?

  14. love the replies – and then your replies – love the photos, can’t imagine so many animals wandering around on a sport field with no one bothering to shoo them away….

  15. Interesting, I’ve never had to play through horses on the course. What do you yell, ‘Neiiiigh’? They won’t move for ‘Forrrrrre’. I see you finally allowed women on the links. Very progressive, you Brits!?

  16. Our golf course only closed for one day early in COVID. As you note, many golfers of a certain vintage prefer to use motorised carts, and Bill had fallen into the habit of going in one with a mate. Rather than sitting that close to another person he started walking again, with the result that he lost a stone in weight! He’s out there as I write.
    Great header shot as others have commented.

  17. Amidst the enterprising golfer’s the rogue rooster presents a comic relief, although your ankles would vouch otherwise. He is like the pesky online trolls except that he exists offline if the real world.

  18. How delightful! The escaped rooster resident captured a lot of attention – mine included! Thanks for your delightful photos. Your dinner sounds delicious. We had pork chops with bell peppers, tiny yellow potatoes with garlic butter, and artichokes with which we drank a delicious red blend of grenache, syrah and tempranillo. Delicious!

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