IT MUST be an ingredient in the February air. Or perhaps we should automatically expect something special from an eccentric month with an extra day every four years. Either way, I find it a fascinating coincidence that three golfers with whom I have crossed paths, have all celebrated their 94th birthday over the blast two weeks.

Not surprisingly, Gene Sarazen, who was 94 last Tuesday, has become quite a hero to the other pair. They are Bill McGarry, whose birthday was on February 19th and Brendan "Bunny" O'Donovan, who reached the same milestone three days later. From my own perspective, I still treasure the charming letter written to me by "The Squire" after his 91st birthday, three years ago.

It would take only a brief meeting with the venerable McGarry to assuage any fears that golf was becoming an over dominant element of our lives. In fact, the sparkle in his eyes when we met at Clontarf GC last Thursday said it all. "Now and again you hit a good shot and it all seems worthwhile," he beamed. "I did it yesterday. I teed the ball up on the fairway and hit a drive of 200 yards. Well, maybe there was a little bit of a wind helping, but it was still a good shot."

Sensing my admiration, bordering on amazement, he quickly added "Now that would be an exception, of course just in case anyone would think I was boasting." Though aware of the distinction he shares with Sarazen, he couldn't resist informing me that "I met Walter Hagen in 1928 when he played here at Clontarf in a four ball with Willie Holley, Willie Nolan and our own Jack Quinn."

McGarry's love of golf is truly remarkable. Since he stopped driving last year, he travels to Clontarf each day by bus from his home in Chapelizod, whatever the weather. "It normally takes about an hour, but today I did it in 40 minutes," he said. And you could generally set your watch by his arrival at 12.50.

He will then potter around the 15th, 16th and 17th with two clubs, a seven iron and a metal headed driver. On Thursday, he included a putter, which "I haven't brought in ages". His normal routine is to hit balls while taking care to move out of the way of oncoming golfers. The sessions last about two hours which, he explained, is the time it would take for about nine holes.

Captain of Clontarf in 1957, he was a career civil servant, working in the revenue commissioners. "I was once pulled to five, but I couldn't play to it, so I always consider my lowest handicap to have been seven," he says modestly. "Golf is a great blessing, a wonderful way of walking in the fresh air, away from the smells of motor cars. Even if I couldn't play, I'd still come here, just to walk around."

O'Donovan, a retired banker and a member of Bray, was forced to quit golf 18 months ago because of fluid on his right knee, though, unlike McGarry, he still drives. And he also enjoys regular games of bridge and snooker at the club. "I'm looking forward to Bray's centenary next year, if God spares me," he said.

Active or not, these wonderful old men have experienced a spiritual bonding through a remarkable game. For those who might wonder what further joys golf might hold, McGarry concluded "If I'm hitting the ball anyway well, I still get a great kick out of it." Which would be music to the ears of young Peter Alliss, who reached the pensionable age of 65 on Wednesday.

"HE'D line up a six inch putt four ways, even if it was for a 12." Lee Trevino on the competitive nature of Gary Player.

THE Gullible Golfer is becoming addictive. Here I am, looking through the magazine at the golfing horoscopes, keenly aware all the while of possible problems from our in house censor. So I have chosen these examples very carefully.

Leo: Your wife will leave you for your best friend, the house will burn down and you'll be fired for embezzling company funds. But your short game is in great shape. All in all, not a bad month.

Capricorn Break the shackles of superficial emotions. Forget those holiday pictures of your wife in "Hello!" and your photo fit appearing on Crimewatch. Your golf will suffer if you don't.

And finally, for this week, Aquarius You are on a roller coaster of golfing resentment. The game has clicked for everyone but you. Locker room violence is not the answer, but it will make you feel better.

BRANDEL CHAMBLEE the American tournament professional whose name wouldn't be out of place among the last of the summer wines, is planning a return to the British Open at Royal Lytham and St Annes in July. It marks an interesting development in his career, now that he has got a taste of what golfing life is like for your average club member.

The 33 year old will be bringing his own supply of golf balls to the Lancashire venue. It seems that a failure to do so when travelling to last year's Open at St Andrews, caused him considerable grief, even though he succeeded in getting through the final qualifying with an aggregate of 134 at Scotscraig.

His problems started on discovering that the club shop at Scotscraig had run out of balls. And he became quite alarmed when locals directed him to a nearby farmhouse. "They had brand new Titleists stacked everywhere," he recalled. "I bought a dozen, the first time I'd done that in years. And the guy charged me £34. That's like $55, almost $5 per ball. Believe me, I hoarded those balls for the next 10 days."

Perhaps because of his hoarding, Chamblee failed to make the cut at St Andrews after rounds of 80 and 78. But as I say, there was the hidden bonus of making contact with the real world.

TRADITIONALISTS will be horrified at the possibility of the game's hierarchy in St Andrews succumbing to Murdoch's millions by selling the television rights of the British Open to BSkyB. But there are a quite a number of golfers in this country who have benefited greatly from the good husbandry of the Royal and Ancient.

As R and A secretary, Michael Bonallack pointed out earlier this week "We have to weigh that (a marked reduction in the viewing figures) up against what we could do with the extra money. We could put it back into golf and help a lot of people."

From the so called External Activities Fund, initiated in 1986 from British Open profits, the R and A have enriched the combined coffers of the GUI and the ILGU by £164,000. And Irish golf clubs received grants totalling £274,000. Bonallack also points out that more than £1 million in interest free loans has been advanced to Irish clubs by the R and A during that period.

So, while enthusiasts would be entirely justified in mourning a departure from Peter Alliss and the BBC, one could say that the picture is not quite as simple as it might appear.

IRELAND will again be without a representative in the US Masters at Augusta National on April 11th to 14th. The country hasn't had a representative since 1992 when David Feherty was tied 52nd after rounds of 73, 72, 77 and 70 for an aggregate of 292. He was preceded by Ronan Rafferty in 1990 and 1991.

This year's European Tour invitees are Seve Ballesteros, Michael Campbell, Alexander Cejka, Nick Faldo, David Gilford, Bernhard Langer, Sandy Lyle, Colin Montgomerie, Frank Nobilo, Jose Maria Olazabal, Costantino Rocca, Mark Roe, Sam Torrance and Ian Woosnam. Yes, even as former winners, Ballesteros, Faldo, Langer, Lyle, Olazabal and Woosnam must await invitations.

TEASER A player elects to take relief from an immovable obstruction or abnormal ground condition and lifts his ball. He then realises that the only area in which he may drop under the Rules is such that his ball, when dropped, will almost certainly be unplayable. He replaces his ball and plays it from its original position. What is the ruling?

ANSWER The player was entitled to lift the ball to take relief under Rule 24 or 25. However, by subsequently deciding not to take relief, his right to lift the ball was negated and he incurred a penalty stroke under Rule 18-2a for having lifted his ball in play.