I HAD my reservations when  the invitation arrived — a golf  day with fellow Devon cricket  coaches.

I was asked for my handicap.  The answer was simple — golf  because I had never played it.

In fact, the nearest I had ever  got to a round was the crazy  putting greens on Torquay and  Paignton seafronts and I  always found them somewhat  challenging.

Any way I decided to give it a  go and, with borrowed golf  clubs and cricket shoes in tow,  I duly arrived at Teignmouth  golf course. What a stunning  setting. What a freezing day  and what a course on which to  make your golfing debut.

I was told that the back nine  were worse than the front  nine. I hadn’t a clue what that  meant but soon found out.

Any way it was off to the first  tee. I was with Vince ‘Ryder  Cup’ Reddick and Warren  ‘Cautious’ Carr. Both said they  had played a bit but not ‘for  years’. Yeh, right.

Vince went first. His ball  disappeared  right up towards  the middle of the fairway. Not  bad for somebody who hadn’t  played for a while, Vince.

There was some hope for me  when Warren lined up for his  first shot and missed the ball  all together. He was away the  second time and got better as  we went around. Not bad for  somebody who had not played  for a while, Warren.

I missed the ball completely on  my first shot — and got worse  as we went around.

I stood on one tee and couldn’t  even see the green or flag. For  somebody who was taking  three shots to cover a few feet it  was daunting. Then there were  the gorse bushes, the roads in  between with cars passing and  the bunkers.

I did manage to get on the  actual green for a putt three  times. For the other holes I had  a swipe three or four times,  picked up my ball — if I could  find it — and took in the  scenery while Vince and  Warren played on.

I knew my luck just wasn’t in  when my son, who could see  me struggling somewhat,  came over on the 18th, picked  up my ball from yet another of  those damned gorse bushes  and threw it towards the  green....and right into the  rough. I was even useless at  cheating.

But, hey, I enjoyed the day. The  company and the club were  brilliant.

Congratulations to overall  winner Matt Evans and other  prize-winners Matt Theedom,  Mark Overton, Colin Payne  and have-a-guess-who... Vince  Reddick.

And me? I got an award for  finishing last with two  points... a 30-minute golf  lesson. Oh joy!