Article: Peter Shanks, VIP and RIP

Another fabulous soul and friend enters the ultimate portal
By Brian R. Wright (Still on Twitter for the time being)

A good and distinguished friend of mine, most recently located in the Philippines, passed away a few weeks ago. I extend my warmest condolences to two of his sons that were avenues toward my meeting and getting to know Peter, as well as my sympathies to Peter’s family in the Philippines, and to his many personal friends worldwide. He was a fine English gentleman and an inspirational presence, constantly conveying a learned and effective can-do approach to life’s curves and fast balls. I put this column together from contributions by his sons, Steve, James, and Martin… as well as my own recollections.

First. my own thoughts

I came to know Peter—it would have been plus or minus a few years around 2010—when he visited his son, Steve, nearby in Northville, Michigan, USA. In those days I was part of a regular foursome who would play golf on Saturdays, mostly, at local courses. And for a spell, he would sub for one member or the other of the foursome. Peter was in his mid-70s in those days and we were in our early 60s. The photo, above right, shows Peter, probably while he was still a business leader in England when he would have been 60-something.

Steve, his son, I had worked with at an EDI (electronic data interchange) software company in Livonia.. At some point after I had left that EDI company, Steve became a member of the Western Golf and Country Club of Detroit and was close to a scratch-handicap (par) player. It was during this time that Steve introduced me to his father. As you’ll see from the obit-like details, Peter was at one time a professional golfer in England, with several notable wins and accomplishments. Continue reading

Book Review: Golf, Life, and Fun in the Philippines (2014)

A lifestyle upgrade definitely worth looking into…

Golf_viewEspecially for Yanks or Englishmen and Europeans stuck in northern climes in the winter months. No, Golf in the Philippines is not a book… yet. But I’m posting a review today of a special Website of a friend of mine, Peter Shanks, that features all the attractions of the country for the male golfer in particular. I’ll more or less just condense and excerpt the Website in my review, but let me make a few comments at the outset. Continue reading