At the end of a perfect day

The fortieth edition of the Ryder Cup amply fulfilled its expectations. Three days of head-to-head confrontations resulted in a resounding victory for Europe by 16.5 to 11.5 points.


Captain Paul McGinley and his winning team

What are the lessons which can be drawn from this global event? One hears bystanders say "it's only a game." But in fact it is a bi-annual celebration of golf's core values; integrity, friendship, etiquette and fun.

I had the very good fortune to be invited to watch the final day’s play at a most welcoming golf club, Le Vaudreuil, near Rouen, one hundred kilometres west of Paris. The ambiance of friendship in the manor-style clubhouse should be bottled and sold globally like Evian!


Le Vaudreuil Clubhouse

The terrace was busy with the competitors completing the shotgun start event. After the prize-giving the scene shifted to a large room set up in cinema fashion with a large projector screen showing the dramatic events at Gleneagles.

Golf tuition was being given on the well-conceived practice areas. Juniors were being encouraged into the game and the whole operation was both professional and welcoming. The standard of service in the clubhouse was top class with excellent food served by hospitable personnel.


Short game coaching session

This is a shining example of how golf brings like-minded persons together. It should serve as a guide to other golf-related properties of how a golf club can be far more than a machine for generating green fee revenues. This is a place where friendships are created and preserved for many years. The laughter and light-hearted banter between members and guests was a joy to witness.


We won!

On the one hour highway drive back to Paris I listened to one of my favourite singers, Chris de Berg. His song “At the end of a perfect day” brought to mind how fortunate those of us who work in the golf industry are. The end product of our work is to generate fun, for example by those who play the golf courses we deliver by our collective expertise or coach golfers to play better and derive satisfaction from their continued progress.

One is brought back to the real world by the hourly news. But the memory of a perfect day spent watching the Ryder Cup with welcoming golf folk in the clubhouse of Le Vaudreuil will remain as an indelible treat in my ever-enriching golfing memory bank.

Richard Wax





With sincere acknowledgements for the accompanying artwork to Yves Perron, the outstanding French artist , see:
http://www.yvesperronaquarelles.com