Members of the Lusignan Golf Club spent Saturday afternoon reminiscing on the contributions and camaraderie of Colin Ming who died suddenly on April 2, the club said in a release.
Among those was current captain Patrick Prashad who had known Colin since they were in primary school together in Kitty. Patrick recalled many hours working with Colin on the club’s constitution and that his friend was an extreme stickler for details on any matter. His knowledge covered all areas of the game be it the rules, the proper swing technique and issues such as drainage and the correct soil conditions for the greens.
Importantly he was the primary caregiver for the often temperamental equipment used to look after the course and was always on hand to make repairs. It was poignant that the greens mower broke down on Saturday perhaps in mourning. Immediately the question was who would look after it now?
Colin was also remembered as a person of uncompromising principles by family friend Hilbert Shields who said he always saw issues in black and white and perhaps this was why he did not feel comfortable ever running for the club presidency. However his contributions delivered with little fanfare have been manifold. His generosity in helping members improve their game was also noted.
Colin himself was a solid low teen handicap golfer with a reliable drive off the tee and impeccable chipping and putting based on correct techniques. And he was a hard man to win, grinding it out to many of his colleague’s frustration. With his understanding of the fundamentals he could have become a single digit at any time, however he had many other interests and would often disappear for months to go fishing or to help with squash or motor racing. With covid-19 he had not been up to the course for perhaps a year.
But last Monday to many members’ surprise and delight he showed up to play, and they reported he was his good natured and jovial self, including singing the Patsy Cline song when his opponents’ game “fell to pieces”.
On the nineteenth hole he was always excellent company and was often seen up at the club late playing dominoes with the same competitiveness and cunning as his golf game.
It was agreed that at some convenient time in the future, the club will hold a memorial tournament in full recognition of his contributions.
Finally as members sat under the tree on Saturday, the sun dipping below the horizon, the bar staff brought out a $1000 note which she said Mr Ming had left for Patrick who had beaten him in the game on the previous Monday. It was remarked that even in death he had honored his debts.
