Another trip in the fall

Yes it's that time of year again and I have been asked by a client to visit Houston for 3 weeks. In the past, I have usually flow straight there and then taken some time off on the way back. Since I fly on a Circle Pacific ticket I have to stop over in Asia on may way home anyway and last year played golf in Thailand with a group from my old club.


This year I originally thought about an around the world ticket with some touring in Europe on the way. However since I am taking my golf clubs, the prospect of lugging these about didn't really appeal so I decide instead to focus on golf options instead.

After some consideration, many emails with package providers and travel agents (and an interruption to everything in my life when my father passed away), I have now finalised my trip.

I'll start with 3 days playing at Mission Hills in China, then have 3 days in Las Vegas followed by 4 days of golf  in the desert at Mesquite in Nevada near the Arizona and Utah borders. Then I go to work.

There will be lots of spectacular shots of golf courses in my posts and, I hope, reports of fantastic scores. Since my last trip my handicap has dropped from 13 to 7 and I bought new Taylormade Burner irons just before Christmas. Only 4 days later, I had my best round ever, 76 off the stick.

A catch up on what's happened since the blog for my last trip - about a year ago. 

I suppose a brush with death would be one of the most dramatic events. I didn't go into details in the previous blog, but after the golf finished I had liposuction in Bangkok. My bowel was accidentally perforated but I didn't realise it until I got home. My daughter who is herself a doctor took me to the GP the next day then to the first of 3 hospitals before I was finally operated on some 12 hours later.  I don't remember the next 5 days at all but after that, I got steadily better. I am fully recovered apart from a nasty scar. The Thai surgeons were very apologetic and refunded all my money.

My knee on the other hand (leg? - mixing metaphors here) is still not recovered from surgery 18 months ago. Strictly speaking, it has recovered from the surgery, which addressed cartilage problems, but a bone adema has prevented my resuming hockey and I need to ride a cart for golf. Despite or perhaps because of this, my golf has improved (see above)

MY father has been ill for a while and my daughter and I visited my parents last July. I had planned another trip in early February but he passed away a few days before I was due to arrive. I went a bit earlier to help Mum and go to the funeral.

(Apologies to Pink Floyd for the title)