Leaving Manhattan on New Year's Eve can be depressing, but this year it turned out to be a great move———- and I was looking forward to it. My son had made a reservation at a golf resort at Absecon near Atlantic City. The villa at Marriott Fairways was comfy and loaded. They claim to have seven affiliated golf courses. Despite it being December & January. the weather was touching double digits in degrees Celsius. I was really keen to play the famous Bay Course at this resort, but unfortunately it was unexpectedly closed for the season.
We played at The Pines Course. As long as you avoid the surrounding pines, this is not a particularly challenging course. On the other hand, you can't afford to take your eye off the ball. I was playing with my son and we were joined by a New Jerseyan who was a great golfer. He led us throughout the course and in fact the entire game. He began to unleash all his golf skills in a chain of birdies and pars. Sipping on his Jack Daniel's, he just kept rolling. His game reminded me of Esa Eyaz's. Khizar tried to catch him but remained a couple of knots behind. I managed to play my best putting — and sporadic phenomenal — shots, which kept me on the edge in the contest. We all enjoyed the game on that last day of 2021.
Atlantic City, famously known as “America’s Playground” and “Monopoly City,” is a coastal resort city known for its casinos, boardwalk, beaches and American pageants. The city on this new year, like the rest of the world, was under the spell of the virus attack. Things were a lot different from the norm.
We had lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe but refrained from the roulette wheels, slot machines and blackjack tables. It was too cold for beaches — and we knew that a long time before we planned to celebrate the new year at Galloway Township.
New Year's Eve is a great mathematical chorus regularly sung on the last night of each year. Cheering crowds used to celebrate at midnight parties throughout the world. Sydney is the first place to ring in the new year time-wise; the largest party in the world is held at Rio’s Copacabana Beach; the famous Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball is hoisted to the top of a 77-foot flagpole in readiness for a 60-second drop just before the stroke of midnight in New York City; Disney celebrates at Orlando Theme Park, Florida; London’s Thames River & Trafalgar Square cheer; the people of Paris exchange bonne année kisses; Dubai is illuminated by grand light shows; and the whole world rejoices on this annual celebration. Since the spread of COVID-19, such parties have dimmed and New Year's Eve has now evolved into a domestic party.
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Out of the five days we stayed in Galloway NJ, we played golf only twice thanks to the inclement weather. Although the days were fairly mild, fog took over south Jersey in all its veils. Being Lahoriattes, we are used to fog. But without caddies it’s not possible to play golf in low visibility.
However, despite the lower visibility and the masks on our faces, we were still able to see a great deal. With masks, most people look alike. It brings a strange equity and unique union among all. Look how a common enemy brings people together. Against the virus attack the whole world is working together. Whereas only a few months ago the female face cover was a global heated debate, suddenly governments are making face masks compulsory. One of the greatest qualities humans possess is adaptability. Once united, human beings can be the mightiest force in the entire cosmos.
“Together we stand, divided we fall.”
John Dickinson
Credits
The Liberty song by John Dickinson
Hard Rock Casino Atlantic City
The Pines Golf Course Galloway NJ
By
Ahsan Jamil
Golfer, Blogger, Entrepreneur, Author, Poet, Wanderer, photographer, Rebel.
Email: Golfaij@gmail.com
Website: Golfaij.com
YouTube: Morning with Golf