According to reports, HRH The Duke of York has reached the upper echelons of the game and, in the words of one source - probably a sycophantic anonymous PGA blazer eyeing up a bauble in the New Years' Honours List - has reached 'pro level' by attaining a 4 handicap. 'It's a tremendous achievement' said the toadying PGA jobsworth, 'a handicap that can only be reached by being totally committed and playing as regularly as possible.'

Whilst to most people a four handicap is considered 'pro level' only insomuch as it's a passport for 16-year-olds to kick off their apprenticeship in a pro shop, clearly the sycophants at the PGA have their eyes set on loftier goals for the privately-chartered aircraft-loving royal. Whilst four handicappers up and down the land content themselves with being reasonable players who can shoot in the 70s more often than not around their home track, HRH is clearly destined for greater things and it can only be a matter of time before he's rubbing shoulders with the commoners on Tour and vying for professional titles.

Duel in the Sun II. Woods v Windsor. You heard it here first.

Kind of reminds me of the fuss they made when Nigel Mansell retired from racing and the press was full of his intent to pursue golf.... off of his 5 handicap.

I say give him a sponsors extension because I want to see his face when he signs for a 95 in his first tournament. People really have no idea how much different tournament golf is from a casual round.

He is not called the Duke of Golf for nothing!!!!!!!!!

Wow..... just shows what you can achieve when you have nothing to do your whole life except suck up the taxes of working people.

TBH I want more than that for my money! +10 minimum ;-)

Apart from 'pro level' I wholly agree with the quote that a 4 handicap in the UK is 'a handicap that can only be reached by being totally committed and playing as regularly as possible.' I don't know many single digit players who play once or twice a year but know plenty who play once or twice a week!

Then again on balance I'd rather have a royal family than not and when I was in the UK was happy that some of my taxes went towards them as the UK tourist industry wouldn't be the same without them.

IIRC Andrew was a helicopter pilot during the Falklands War?

Yes he was, he was also a Captain of a minesweeper in the combat zone for the Gulf War. One of the few royals I actually have some respect and time for.

As far as I know, HRH is not only an excellent golfer but also active in upper echelon committees. Does anyone here know exactly what else (besides the Young Champions Trophy) Prnz. A. is involved in?

Just thinking out loud, but after being Captian at St. Andrews one could think that HRH is being shown open doors with the intent (or hope) that he increases his involment in golf politics. As an American, I'd like to ask you guys (from where The Open Championship is played) if a Royal can be the head of the British PGA or achieve some other lofty position?

Does he have time?
Does he make a difference?
Does he have to ask the Queen?

Perhaps a return of Pro Celebrity Golf is on the cards, with Prince Andrew as a playing Captain?

Would you like to know what HRH Prnz Andy is spending your money on at this present time? An artificial putting green. I've been enquiring about these surfaces and found a company in Hull who do this. Their customers include none other than Lee Westwood, Darren Clarke, Nick Dougherty, Harold Swash, Micheal Owen and Vaughan just to name a few. So you can guess now who's on their books.........yep HRH.

I got a rough quote for my garden which was this.

Putting green only 4m x 2.5m they do all the ground work and fitting is £1,250.00 PLUS VAT. £125.00 per square meter.

So can someone tell me how big his Mummy's back garden is???? I think you all better put in some overtime to pay for it boys cos' I no it aint 4m x 2.5m. So dont be suprised if he's down to scratch soon and contesting in The Brabazon, The Amatuer and Lytham trophey in the next few years. Do you think his dad would caddy for him?

For all those who are interested

http://www.europeangolf.co.uk/

You have to hope he would find it equally funny to hear a 4 handicap being described as pro standard - maybe club pro standard. Funny story.

I say he should compete with Michael Jordan on the pro/celebrity Vanity handicap tour. Put a player like this on a tour course from the tips with the cameras and pressure and I say he couldn't break 85 more than 2 out of 10 times.

I saw the article and also thought it was a pissy piece of journalism. Was hard to tell whether the writer was sucking up for his royal award or knocking the Prince for taking so much time and effort on the course.

What was obvious, was that it was a crappy ill-informed article, in that HRH was not claiming to be at pro level, just that it was a very long strecth of the bow by the author.

Mind you commandering RAF aircraft to attend a golf game in the current economic climate wont endear him to anyone though. Even though the most royal flights are probably already budgeted as training activities for flight crews, I the crews need to do the hours any way and it doesnt really matter where they go!

Help an uninformed Yank with the abbreviations:

HRH: His Royal Highness?

IIRC: ??

If i remember correctly.

Yep His Royal Highness (or Holyness sarcasticaly)

IIRC - I didnt know this but I googled it and it stands for

If I Remember/Recall Correctly.

Thank god for Google

"Your highness! Per your instructions, we have replicated the exact contours of each of the most difficult greens of every championship
course...in the world."

"Mummy! They have absoluuuutely mangled the 18th at Royal Birkdale. The color is all wrong, do you see? Mummy!"

Just in good fun.

Hilarious, anyone else got any funny scenes in their heads?

'Charl's dear boy, Have you seen that Tiger advert where he hits it through a 3rd floor window? What's the wager that I can hit Annie on the bonce on the 2nd floor?'

The Royals should be burned at the stake. Well, apart from Charles, cos' we all know that s*** doesn't burn.

Vive la Republique !!

i remember nigel mansell was/is big buddies with greg norman and norman got him an invite to some tourament down under a few yrs ago.

The above is from 2005.

"mmm, well yes. that would be an excellent shot, but I just don't see it happening. With the quality of your game that is"

"should I do it then. I am quite sure I can manage"

"well then, of coooourse you should"

Thwack!

"Mummy, andrew has hit his idiotic golf ball into my room and it has lodged into my hair"

"Andrew! what have I told you about hitting golf balls into the house, stuuupid idiot"

"but Mummy, Charles challenged me"

"I did no such thing"

"Charles, you you w$nker!"

"this is boring, I'm going to go and sketch that sparrow in the eves."

It amazes me how much you CARE what the stupid fricking Ponce does. Really.

I didn't know I was at Pro level with my 1.4 index.

hahaha

Would you change your opinion if you found out that they were from Libya?

La Republique?

The Royal Family is principally German-Danish-Greek.

Look:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Phillip

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Vict...Coburg-Saalfeld

I think I'm beginning to understand why they knighted Faldo.

Anyone have a what's in the bag for him?

a friend of mine caddied for him when he played at our club.. he was briefed beforehand that under no circumstances are you to use his first name or even prince andrew, or look him in the eye, and only speak when spoken to. Everything had to be 'yes sir' or 'yes your highness'.

Are you sure you are not mistaking HRH for Steve Williams when dealing with the media?

Reminds me of the fuss everybody is making about Camilo Villegas and his cycling ability. I about fell out of my chair when they *announcers* were touting his 60 mile rides and that he could possibly ride the TdF......... LOL



Clueless.

I acknowledge that as an outsider I really don't know a thing about British culture. I do know though, that in many, many, many critical aspects of life Americans and Brits are really cut from the same cloth.

So forgive my ignorance, but when I read the above quote it gives me the creeps. I don't understand why in this day and age a prince would want to be treated like that, or why a society would endorse treating him in that way. And I'd be interested in understanding, if anyone can help me.

Its probably not the royal that wants things that way, it'll be the civil servant trying to suck up to them. The hardcore royalists are as big a bunch of t***ers as those strongly opposed to the Royal family IMO.

But that is the difference between a Brit and a Yank - Brits DO have a Monarchy - and whether it's the 21st Century or not, a Prince is a Prince, and that is hard for a Yank to understand - America is, after all, a Republic (supposedly).
And Britain is not the only country that still has a Monarchy and demands such respect. If Royals wanted to, you could probably be executed without any rhyme of reason.

Oh dear, Ranger, you miss the point totally. Let me explain it to you - I used French due to the fact that they guillotined their monarchy / aristocracy during the revolution. Honestly, I don't need an American to tell me the geneaology of the British royal family. Thanks for your consideration though.

(Cue outraged American backlash - )

But you're Scottish - and you're trying to secede from "UK" - so not, I am not missing the point. You said Libyan - my point was that people don't really know what it means to be "Royal" = and so how can you say that Charles isn't going to burn if you're comparing that to the guillotine? You have a funny way of making connections.

A sincere thanks for your response Ranger. Considering it, I think I'll do without the whole monarchy thing. Execution might get in the way of my golf.

OK we'll take it easy on the execution - we'll settle for castration! hahaha

Let's not forget that it was under Monarchies that a great deal of what is considered art, culture, science and civility were created
as they brought the relative stability sufficient for these pursuits to develop.

Jungle Chieftain, to captured Priest: So, will it be death... or wa-wa?
Priest: I have seen your "wa-wa". It is degrading and filthy. No man should endure it. I know I will be in Heaven after death -- so I choose death.
Jungle Chieftain: So mote it be! It shall be death... death by wa-wa!

No, I mentioned Libya - not florentine... and I don't think they are from Libya - you missed the point by a country mile ranger.

Not in the same ballpark, not even the same sport. I thought it was funny though