Today's tale was not recounted to me personally, but to my fine co-instructor Jin (he made a cameo appearance on Tokyo rush a while back). It was told to him firsthand this day, by the story's protagonist her very self.
Has anyone heard of hole-in-one insurance? I googled it just now and was surprised to find I'm just about the only one in the place who hadn't until today. It's probably superfluous to now mention I'm not a golfer. However, Jin's first student of the day was, and announced to him she got a hole-in-one on the weekend. Hooray he exclaimed. She didn't share his enthusiasm. To be blessed with a hole-in-one in Japan is, at the same time, to be shackled with the tiresome obligation of sharing the good fortune. It's where share the wealth really means share the freaking wealth, even though technically speaking there's no newly acquired wealth to be shared. Regardless, the handouts started with the caddy. He souths 10,000 yen, which is about $A120 because, you know, he played such a crucial role in the entire event by standing there and stuff. Then it's back to the clubhouse where she has to not just shout the bar, but throw a party for everyone in the joint. And buy them a lousy little gift in reward for simply being there. Crazy. Then there's some other expense on top of all that like tossing gold plated clubs into the crowd or ceremoniously driving a crystal golf buggy into the water trap or whatever you call it. All up it put her out of pocket some serious scratch, like well over $A2000 in total. Talk about unfair, not to mention backwards. What about the reward for the poor old golfer responsible, like a trophy or something? None mentioned. Not to worry. For all I know, they're probably too busy out the back washing the beer glasses to collect it.
So as it turns out, golfers can indeed insure themselves against the havoc shooting a hole-in-one wrecks upon their finances. I wonder if anyone's shot one, realised nobody's noticed and kept quiet about it, telling their partner their ball disapeared into the rough or the woods or thicket or the peat-bog or whatever bad bits are strategically dotted around the course. I know I would.
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