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The James Braid Golfing SocietyAs founder members of this society, we rub shoulders with some famous names – Ben Crenshaw, Peter Alliss, and Peter Thomson (the Society’s President), to name but a few. For various reasons however, time has not permitted our full participation in the Society’s activities, which include annual matches against Walton Heath and the Golf House Club of Elie, as well as international clashes with the Shivas Irons Society of California and clubs in Mauritius and New York.Club competitions like the Curate’s Egg and Pink Balls are best left to the imagination, although the St Andrews Stableford is more comprehensible to the uninitiated. Suffice to say, however, that the highlight of the Society’s golfing year is the Summer Meeting in Brora, where the James Braid Open is played over the great man’s design, which to this day remains faithful to its creator. As in Braid’s day, the rough is still kept down to a playable level by grazing sheep and cattle, with small electric fences protecting the fast and undulating greens. Views of the Northern Highlands compete for attention with majestic coastal vistas, and the natural, rolling fairways provide a perfect illustration of the intrinsic suitability of linksland for golfing purposes. Brora is essentially a holiday course, with length rarely a problem and hazards neither unfairly placed nor unduly penal. However, the contours on and around the greens will test anyone’s short game and the finish is challenging to say the least. The 15th and 16th are two stout par 4’s, the latter of which requires a canny approach to a green perched high on a hillside. The 17th then demands two very long shots to get anywhere near home, before the par 3, 18th calls for a wood or long iron up a narrow valley to a raised green set below the clubhouse. Members sitting in the bar see few tee shots come to rest on the putting surface, so those who achieve the feat may enter with distinction. This year, the summer meeting featured a match against Royal Dornoch. Played in four ball better ball format with sixteen players in each team, it proved to be a very social occasion. Paired with Robert Powell (vice-president of the Braid Society and co-owner of the Royal Marine Hotel in Brora), I was relieved to hear my partner had won the Curate’s Egg the day before. A man in form – just what I need in a partner, I reflected, as I repaired to the practice putting area to clear my overnight hangover. The previous evening’s dinner had been held at the Royal Marine, and despite arriving too late to join in the day’s competition, I had played my full part in the evening session. A few gentle chips to the putting surface were, I decided, the ideal preparation for the Big Match. As I addressed my first ball I felt a pat on the shoulder. “Have we met?” asked a kindly face. I assured the speaker that indeed we had, mouthed pleasantries about how nice it was to see him again and addressed my ball. “Of course, you know this is the finest golf course in the world, don’t you?” he said over my shoulder. I nodded and duffed a chip just as he launched into a description of the course. Excusing myself, I went to find Robert who was busy phoning two Irish gentlemen who had not yet turned up. They were just crossing the bridge over the Dornoch Firth, so the team would be complete and we could go back to a little pre-match practice. Next Page - Click Here |
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