When you’re playing golf, you forget everything else…
Pat Lucas, 77, plays golf regularly as part of the ladies’ section at Pype Hayes Golf Course near Birmingham. Once a keen netballer, Pat took up golf when she was 50 after a series of injuries took her away from the netball court. Her husband suggested she join him at the driving range and, although not keen at first, soon Pat was hooked.
“I had no idea what I was doing; I just started hitting the ball and thought it was good fun,” says Pat, who now plays with Pype Hayes ladies’ section every week. “My friend’s husband passed away at around the same time, so we started playing together and it all fell into place. At first, we’d play nine holes at different courses in our area, but once we joined Pype Hayes, we really began to feel part of a club. I even got a hole in one on Ryder Cup Sunday 1999, just a year after I started playing!
“The ladies’ section has around 20 members, and we all know each other well and we switch up who we play with each week. Everyone has something different going on in their lives, so it’s really levelling. The people I’ve met are so interesting, everyone has a different story to tell.
“My husband passed away three years ago and I found myself suddenly on my own after 50 years. After a loss, it would be so easy to stay in and isolate yourself, but I always knew that on a Thursday, I had a reason to get out and see my Pype Hayes ladies. Golf is very mindful; when you’re playing you forget everything else – you can’t worry or stress about your problems – and it helped to be around people who knew him.
For Pat, playing golf is a way to get outside, enjoy the fresh air and some exercise, as well as socialise. “I have arthritis now, but because golf involves stop start walking, I can still manage it,” she says. “I love being outside, even when it’s pouring with rain. Knowing I’m meeting the ladies for a round of golf gets me out in all weathers – I would never do the exercise without it. There’s always a social event on the horizon and something to do for the club – I wouldn’t be without it.”