My Little Adventure with Golf Coin Markers
So, I’ve been meaning to talk about this little project I got myself into – messing around with some golf coin markers. It all started pretty simply, really. I was out on the course, like I often am, and I just got tired of using the same old boring plastic markers, or fumbling for a coin that looked like everyone else’s. Sometimes you just want something a bit different, you know?
Getting the Idea in My Head
You know how it is, you want something a bit more personal, something that feels like yours. I’d seen some fancy ones in pro shops, but they can be pricey, and where’s the fun in just buying one? I figured, how hard could it be to make something decent myself, or at least personalize something? Gave me a little something to tinker with on a quiet afternoon.
First Attempts and What I Gathered Up
My first thought was to use some old coins I had lying around. I’ve got a tin full of random foreign currency from holidays taken years ago. Some of them have pretty interesting designs. So, I dug those out. My plan was straightforward enough:
- Clean them up really well, get rid of any gunk.
- Maybe try to add a tiny dab of bright paint or something to make them stand out more on the green.
I found some fine-grit sandpaper in the shed, a bit of metal polish from under the sink, and even a couple of those permanent paint pens you get from the craft store – the kids used to use them. The polishing part was easy enough; it was actually quite satisfying to see the old coins shine up. But those paint pens? That was a bit more of a faff than I expected. My hands aren’t quite as steady as they once were, and getting a neat little initial or a clean dot on a small coin was harder than I bargained for. My first few looked a bit like a child had attacked them with the pen, if I’m being totally honest. A bit blobby.
Changing Tack a Bit – The Clay Idea
After a few messy attempts with the paint pens on the coins, and not wanting to ruin the nicer looking coins, I thought maybe I needed a slightly different approach for some of them. Then I remembered I had some of that polymer clay stuff tucked away in a cupboard from when the grandkids were into making little figures. It’s pretty easy to work with, and you just bake it in your regular kitchen oven to harden it.
So, I got that out. I decided to try making a few completely custom markers from scratch. Nothing too ambitious, mind you. Here’s what I did:
- Rolled out small bits of clay – I had a few different colours.
- Used an old bottle cap to cut out some nice round discs, about the size of a ten pence piece.
- Then, before baking, I tried pressing some simple designs into them. An old button with a raised pattern, the ridged edge of a key, even just my initial using a toothpick.
- Popped them on a baking tray and baked them according to the instructions on the clay packet.
For some of the old metal coins, I just decided to leave them as they were after a good polish. The ones with really interesting designs didn’t really need anything else added, I reckoned. For a couple of the plainer ones, I did manage a very simple, single-color dot with the paint pen eventually, which looked okay once I got the knack of dabbing it lightly instead of trying to draw with it.
The Results and What I Think Now
So now I’ve got a little collection. A few nicely polished old foreign coins, a couple of those coins with a simple color mark so I can spot them, and a handful of these homemade clay markers. They’re not professional looking by any stretch of the imagination, but they’re mine. They’re unique, and I know which one is mine on the green.
It was a fun little way to spend an afternoon or two, to be honest. Didn’t cost much at all, as I mostly used stuff I already had lying around the house. And now, when I’m out playing, I’ve got a marker that’s a bit of a talking point with my mates, or at least, it makes me smile a bit. It’s often the little things, isn’t it? Plus, if I happen to lose one, I know I can just whip up another one. No big drama.
It’s not really about making something absolutely perfect. It’s more about the process, the tinkering. Gives you a bit of satisfaction, creating something with your own hands, however simple. Definitely feels better than using those generic plastic things they give away, or losing yet another pound coin.
