Source: Vietnam News

I first got the bird about four years ago when a caddie at VGCC (Thu Duc) found it on the golf course, more dead than alive. Caddies always bring me these things, probably figuring I can fix it. In the superintendent’s department, we had cages full of injured animals, birds and reptiles.

As it was small and not liable to create a disturbance for our neighbours, unlike the three metre-long snake we found, my wife and I kept the bird at home. When he was healthy again he became part of the family, and we even brought him with us to Hanoi when I rejoined KIGC.

So while it was not a valuable bird, it had a huge sentimental value.

I cannot understand why some parents do not take the time to teach their children right from wrong, or that stealing and lying are just plain wrong under any circumstances. Granted, all children go through a learning phase and display deviant behaviour which the parents and schools have to identify and correct.

When I was 10 years old, I stole a pack of gum from the local store and got caught. They called my parents and afterwards, I couldn’t sit down for a week without a large pillow.

I never stole anything again.

While parental "guidance" (read: my father’s belt) played an influential role in reinforcing the concepts of "right and wrong" in my young mind, it was actually the game of golf which provided clear illustrations of what to expect from life and how you should conduct yourself. Once I was old enough to understand more, I began to appreciate the Rules of Golf and Etiquette, and how the game can help shape someone’s character and future development.

Junior golf clinics benefit the community as well as the individual children. The kids learn a healthy past time, but more importantly, they understand how to play by the rules early in life.

All the golf professionals I have met here in Vietnam have a very highly-tuned sense of right and wrong. We strongly believe in "fair-play" and we play by the rules without question. We have no qualms about disqualifying ourselves when we go accidentally go astray because we accept responsibility for our actions.

That’s an important value to have, especially if learned early in life, and you get it from playing golf.

In golf, the Rules are very strict, just as in life. Cheating in golf results in disqualification and a very bad reputation which follows you around like a black cloud.

The former number one player in the world, Vijay Singh, was once accused of cheating over 15 years ago and the incident is STILL mentioned from time to time.

Sandbagging is both lying and theft, which explains why I take delight in catching sandbaggers whenever I can. They’re a disgrace to the game.

I’ve also found over the years that most sandbaggers also face no moral dilemma when it comes to kicking a ball out of the trees, taking an illegal drop, or engaging in "creative accounting."

Funny enough, many of the corporate executives in the US who were discovered "cooking the books" when their companies crashed and burned a few years ago had also admitted to cheating at golf as well.

Small wonder.

There’s an old adage that if you cheat in golf, you’ll cheat at everything else as well, which is something to keep in mind when looking for a new partner or a mate.

As for teaching my daughter right from wrong when she gets older, I will not be reaching for a belt...

But she’s gonna start playing golf by the rules at a real young age, I promise you that.