Preface:

Today, Haiko and I are visiting the course I played golf in the early days of my life. There are two things I still remember well. Hole 16, where I got the first birdie of my "career" and Hole 9, where I put as many as 6 successive balls into a pond, but the warm welcome of the Caddy Master makes me quickly forget this catastrophe. The buggies are ready and we can get going.

Hole 1

What an exciting start to our round of golf. On the first tee a beautifully landscaped lake is directly in front. I do not know what makes me more nervous, the water or the watching eyes of the guests and members in the Club restaurant behind us. It’s all in the mind. Our young champion Haiko unaffected by either one or the other hits his drive with a skilful draw 270 meters up the fairway. My tip: Play your ball on the safe, right side of the fairway in the direction of the right bunker in front of the green. On the left side of the fairway, there is Out of Bounds. My tee shot lands far to the left, but luckily is just about playable. Good, that's that, from now on no more spectators. My next blow lands, the same as by Haiko, on the green. And after two putts each we begin today's round with pars. A nice opener.