Italy is not exactly renowned for its golf prowess and passing a golf course in this country is a rare sight indeed.
Whether it’s because Italians are so consumed by their passion for soccer, or whether it’s because golf is considered a luxury sport and is so expensive, it is not a national passtime here.
Recently going to Milan on a train, I happened to hear some hilarious comments from a woman who had either seen for the first time a golf course, or had never really encountered the game.
Ricketing along towards Monza, we passed a course and the woman started barraging her husband with questions: “What’s all that white stuff? Is that sand or something? And what’s it doing out here in the middle of the grass near Monza?”And on the husband’s reply that it was a golf course, more amazement ensued: “Look how big it is! It’s enormous – do they really need all that space?!” And so forth.