golf

Icelandair starting resuming some kind of scheduled flights finally on June 15, and since then its been a gradual increase in normality. It comes at such perfect timing, as summer blossoms to its brightest days and everything has finally turned green. The highlands have opened and all the hard to reach places, including Hornstrandir and secret fly fishing salmon rivers.

big salmon fishermen at Blanda

Seeing as I had no work this summer, a problem most tour guides shared, I got to travel domestically with plenty of free time to explore local rivers. I visited a few for the first time, including Norðurá and Blandá, where friends help run these lodges. I got to work a few days at Blanda, with the lovely Erik Koberling, and even fished my first salmon of the season there in the lower beat.

fishing at Blanda

I visited Þverá and Kjarrá a handful of times, also working a few days at each lodge. I only lost 1 sea trout at Þverá, but got to take 4 home after spending a day driving the guides Gími and Egill around fishing. I fished at Haukadalsá and caught nothing, but had endless happy hours on the riverbank with the other more serious fishermen.

Kerlingarfjoll

The highland roads have opened, making some of my favourite summer destinations finally accessible. I´ll find myself in the Hveravellir pool atleast 3 or 4 times this summer, definitely twice at Laugafell pool, and visit Kerlingarfjoll a couple of times. The hot pool there is a bit of a hike, so I may not make it into the pool there everytime, but its important to find refuge in a mountain cabin with a good supply of natural hot water springs.

golf at Húsafell

Now that covid restrictions are relaxing, its time for more yoga and golf, and taking advantage of all kinds of sales and package deals around the country. I can finally stay at Icelandic hotels as a guest, not a guide, and even go horse back riding as a tourist. I can play golf and check out the new spa at Húsafell, the Canyon Baths. Going out for bike rides and hosting jam sessions with musicians is finally okay, and we´ve been making great progess with our band Tunesdays and our first (soon-to-be-hit) single ´Fluffy Cougar Bear.´

Bike gang and Tunesdays members Sandra and Steve looking at a midnight sun

The days are still long, nearly 24 hours long frankly, and even politics seem normal again. On the presidential election held June 27th, Guðni Th. was voted in again, and will be again and again for years to come. Hopefully our PM and government can keep the country out of any major crises, and life and economics can slowly creep back to normal, pre-covid. Although, it´s been kinda nice to slow down and simplify, so hopefully it doesn´t happen too fast.

I make fun of golfers all the time. I say, “golf is for old, fat men” or, “golf is only for business meetings.” I thought golf was boring, pointless and drawn out. But, I was only a hater, not a golfer, so I decided to go with the mantra, you can’t knock it til you try it, and I tried it. And, I liked it. I hate to admit it, but it was fun.

driving at Oddur

I started by going to Oddur driving range in Gardabaer a couple of times, which is basically free if you have your own golf clubs, and you can buy a hundred balls for a few hundred kronurs. I inherited two of my father’s driving clubs, and decided it was time to learn how to hit a golf ball a few hundred yards. I had a few pointers, from two others who knew what they were doing, and it was so satisfying when I finally connected the club to the ball at the right angle and drove that ball far, far away.

hitting in the right place seems impossible from this far away

I didn’t quite feel the part without a one handed golf glove, so got that, and I needed a collared shirt too of course. A visor wouldn’t hurt, so I got one of those either, and in no time, I looked like a golfer. Ew. It was just too easy.

Now I was ready for my first real golf game. I did 9 holes at Icelandair Hotel Hamar, on kind of a cold, wet, day. Being exposed to wind and rain made it a lot harder to hit the ball straight, and just hit the ball in general, but everytime I did get it closer to the flag and into the hole, I was pumped for the next tee.

golf glove, yea!

I was on the way to Hotel Husafell the next morning to try out their golf course, but on the way, stumbled upon the farm Nes near Reykholt. They’ve turned their haying fields into a 9-hole golf course called Reykholtsdalsvollur. The grass was green, the sun was shining, and the farmer was about to mow the putting greens. He was a comical, old man who made jokes, told stories, and secretly laughed at our lack of golf skills.

Glanni golf course

My next real game of golf, a couple of weeks later, was at Bifrost’s Glanni golf course. There isnt anyone there to check in with, so you simply put some money in a mailbox and play as you please. There was’t anyone else on the course, so we played 9 holes in just under 3 hours, and I hit over par on all 9. I think I got a +1 once, lots at least 4 balls, but found 3, so I ended up feeling alright with the game. Overall, I feel alright with golf, and I’m going to stop making fun of the sport, although its still hard for me to call it a sport. It feels more like a stroll thru the park with a walking stick that works better hitting balls than