Playing Golf in Braidwood

Golf is a game of long standing and debatable origins, but usually considered to have taken its modern form in Scotland in the 18th century. The concept of a game of 18 holes came from the fact that a bottle of whisky contained 18 nips, we are told. I guess you can work out the connection for yourself. This early beginning is still apparent in some rules of dress and behaviour that seem a bit old-fashioned. I played first as a young teenager, and remember I was obliged to wear a skirt; all women were ‘associate’ members, not full members.  But I was only a Junior and had absolutely no say in anything.

Each of the holes/fairways will be described by current players so you have an idea of what it is like out there. But many of you will need a guide to terminology in golf. Like most sports, it has its own language, and while not quite as comic as that of cricket (‘fielding in slips’, ‘silly mid-on’), it is rather incomprehensible if you have never played.

So, here we go:

Clubs –these are the tools of the game, commonly called ‘sticks’, and consist of what used to be ‘woods’ (of which they were made), for using on tees, mostly, and are now pinging light metal clubs of great efficacy, and irons, for use (mostly) along the fairway until you have hit onto the green and use a putter. Each of these has a number, which relates to the angle of the head of the stick: the higher the number the steeper the angle. For example, if you want to ‘chip’ onto the green (a pretty up in the air ‘shot’) you would use a 7 iron, or a wedge perhaps. There are specialist ‘irons’ for particular surfaces, like a sand iron (a 9 or 10) which might get you out of one of the ‘bunkers’ – a sand pit, usually near a green (and best stayed away from!).

Hole – this consists of a) the tee – a raised mown platform - from which you hit your first ‘shot’, called a ‘drive’, b) the fairway or mown grassy area on which you try to land the ball, and c) the putting green which surrounds the actual hole (the ‘pin’) into which you try to eventually ‘sink the putt’. This might take you any number between 3 and infinity, from tee to hole, depending on your skill and experience, along with your concentration and temper at the time.

Par – this is the number of ‘strokes’ or ‘shots’ (hits of the ball) it would take a professional golfer to sink the putt. Sometimes you will get par, and feel very self-important. Don’t worry, this feeling never lasts in golf! All holes on a golf course have a par of 3, 4 or 5.

Rough – this is the area alongside the fairway, of longer grass, trees, rabbit holes, wombat scratchings etc. There are also mushrooms, a bonus if you are fond of them. It is usually harder to hit a good shot from rough than from the mown fairway, mostly because there are trees in the way. 

Handicap – this is the equalising factor in golf which gives everyone a chance to win in competitions, whatever their level of skill. All players are assigned a handicap when they begin to play in competition; the highest is 45 and the lowest zero (professionals). This means that however many shots you have on a ‘round’ (18 holes), you subtract your handicap, which gives you your score. Thus, if you have a handicap of 36, you are ‘playing to your handicap’ when you score no more than 2 shots over par on any hole (ie, 5 on a par 3, 6 on a par 4). As you improve, your handicap is reduced.

This sport, as those of you who have lapsed know, is never boring, believe me; frustrating, annoying, challenging, occasionally downright mortifying, and just now and then, wonderfully rewarding. It has no age limitations:  the male Club champions in the past 3 years were, respectively, in his 40s, in his 70s and 15 years old. My Mum played until she was 88 and still has not given away her sticks, ‘just in case’.

If you have recently wandered into other sports, why not come back and join us?

Enquiries: braidwoodgolfclub@gmail.com or call Michelle 48422108.