Cost Of Living Crisis Forces Keen Golfer To Play Courses Where They Let You Wear Jeans

ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact

A local man is lamenting this week after his inability to listen in school has translated into a diminished earning capacity later in life that's now affected his most beloved hobby.

Betoota Heights man Brett Rink was forced to give up his membership at The Gidgee Country Club earlier this year because he didn't make enough money to pay for the subscription as well as other things like living costs.

It was hard, Rink says, because he's finally got the kids into high school, the wife's back at work and as a small businessman, he's become somewhat time rich these days.

There's a lot of downtime in import exports and that used to be filled with slow afternoons down the Gidgee, playing 18 and enjoying enough mid-strength beer at the clubhouse after to nudge him up into mid-range BAC territory.

But that's over now.

Rink just played 18 at infamous goat track, Betoota Park Golf Course. Owned and operated, with spite, by the Betoota Shire Council.

Sitting in the clubhouse, which is simply a collection of plastic furniture outside the pro shop where beers are available to purchase at $8 a can, Rink told this masthead that it's certainly a step down.

"I played with a bloke in jeans," he said.

"Who shot under par. His new Redbacks were giving him grief so he took them off and went barefoot. He's called Chris or something, he smoked about 10 Dunhills and got a six pack of VB stubbies at the turn,"

"And his clubs were like 20 years old, he had a Nike Sasquatch driver as well. The greens were rooted, rough was knee high. The whole place was rough as guts. Dog walkers. It's a fucken zoo,"

"And it's the boat I row."

More to come.