It’s the same old hackneyed story every year with the sour minority trying to wreck the day by dragging out the same old negative arguments why it should be scrapped.

Invasion day, leftie councils and a radio station axing it altogether and the Greens calling for a ban and to fly flags at half mast and generally disrupt Australia Day ceremonies.

Why do they want to rain on our annual party by trying to take a day that unites all Australians and turn it into one that divides us?

GOLF, they say, is hitting a very small ball into a very small hole, but the Americans have changed all that to try to make playing golf a hole lot easier.

More than 100 courses across the US boosted the size of the 10 centimetre holes on the greens to a gaping 35 centimetres in a move to improve players’ scores, increase the speed of the game and encourage more beginners.

The idea is if you can take out some of the frustration of golf, players will be more relaxed, will enjoy their day more and will want to come back.

The move hasn’t stirred the three Orange clubs into action but if the pizza-size holes were trialled here golfers at Wentworth would be able to sink a putt from as far away as the railway line or Coronation Drive, while players at Duntryleague could line up their putts from Forbes Road or Woodward Street.

And Country Club players would have no trouble sinking a shot from the hospital or Sir Jack Brabham Park.

Bigger holes would also make things much easier for hackers who end up kilometres away from the green.

But then golfers have always been a strange lot, wandering around in small groups, belting the daylights out of the little white balls and surrounded by hills, gum trees, grass, crows, sand, water and dozens of other players.

So it’s little wonder the Yanks have come up with something that’s increased the number of birdies, eagles and holes in one.

WE describe an unusual event as happening once in a blue moon.

The expression was first noted back in 1821 and refers to occurrences that are uncommon, not very often or now and then.

Blue Moon is also a classic popular song written by Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart in 1934 and over the years has been sung by Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, Elvis Presley, The Mavericks, Dean Martin, The Supremes and Rod Stewart.

But next Wednesday night we’ll be able to something spectacular that last happened 152 years ago in 1866.

A blue moon, named that because it’s the second this month, and it’s also a super moon because it’s at its closest to earth.

On top of that there’ll be a lunar eclipse, all together.

Orange people will get an excellent view of the rare occurrence in the evening sky and unlike a solar eclipse, a lunar eclipse is safe so get outside and have a look.

The best view is once it gets into the deep red shadow and special equipment isn’t needed but binoculars would enhance things.