In the third of his blogs for “Golf Highland,” American businessman and lover of all things Scottish, Doug Pendleton shares his fond memories of visits to Brora Golf Club.
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TWENTY minutes north of the world-famous Royal Dornoch Golf Club is a lesser-known golf club called Brora. The mere mention of the name brings smiles to the faces of anyone who has played it. Established in 1891, the James Braid-designed course dating to the 1920s has remained much the same with the passage of time. My first experience of Brora was back in 2008 when I was 50 and I was fortunate enough to return this year after turning 65. As on so many links courses, the scores have long been forgotten – but poignant memories have endured.
My first round at Brora was only the second time I had taken to the links in Scotland. I needed to understand the nuances of golfing in the country which gave the game to the world. We’d flown into Inverness and played one round at a lovely parkland course in the Highland capital. We’d then driven north and checked into The Eagle Hotel in Dornoch. We walked through the picturesque town to Royal Dornoch Golf Club and played on the Championship Course. I distinctly remember there were no pitch marks on the greens and when you hit a ball from the fairway the ground was so hard that the club bounced, not leaving any divots. The idea of firing at the green and hoping it would stay there proved to be foolish. I quickly learned that the trick was to gauge how far in front of the green you should be landing to allow for the bouncing and rolling golf ball to end up on the putting surface. Anywhere near the green seemed to favour putting rather than the American wedge style. I took quickly to this game, having grown up playing golf in the burnt-out fields of the local cemetery with only a 7-iron when I was a young boy.
On my first trip to the Scottish Highlands, I joined my best friends Mike Murphy, Mark Zork and Paul Rich. They had often been across the pond, but I was the recent wash ashore. Since I typically enjoy playing with nine clubs or less, my golf bags tend to be on the small side. On this trip, I had brought along a pencil bag with only a tiny pocket for a few balls, tees and a warming flask. Mark had offered to carry a few things for me and perhaps I took advantage of his generosity. By the time we got to the back nine at Brora, he’d been carrying my rain gear, cigars and camera for over 45 holes. He lost it completely when I called him over the umpteenth time, wanting my camera from his bag to capture another stunning view. The next thing I knew, my gear was sprinkled across the fairway, with Mark muttering that he wasn’t going to be carrying my – let’s call it stuff – across Scotland anymore! I had, however, noticed he had been enjoying a wee nip of whisky from my flask so when he wasn’t looking, I slipped a heavy grapefruit-size rock into his golf bag. Murph, Paul, and I chuckled as he picked up his bag, not even noticing the added weight.
When we got to the parking lot, I told Mark I appreciated him carrying my stuff for all those holes and had left a Brora souvenir in his golf bag. We all enjoyed a laugh about that and his earlier altercation with a rather fresh cowpat.
You may wonder why there was a cow pie on the fairway. The reason is that the golf course is also a working farm with sheep and cattle feeding on the ancient links.
Every green is encircled by an electric fence that you must step over, cautiously. Some might think livestock would be a distraction, but many visitors find it one of the course’s many attractions.
One thing is for sure, Brora is the real deal, with an excellent layout in equally fine condition.
There is something truly magical about walking with sticks amongst sheep in a land where shepherds with sticks invented golf.
It would take me 16 long-overdue years to return to Brora, and when I did, my son and his golf buddies would be with me. That made the occasion even more special.
For anyone who has yet to experience playing links golf in Scotland, hearing others who have played on proper links courses drone on about them must surely be tiring.
For all these years, I am sure my son was just being kind, pretending he was listening to my random stories about the fabulous courses, quaint villages and caddies who frequently bet on your game.
My return to Brora was a particular highlight. We arrived in Dornoch the previous evening, settled in and had a few wee drams at The Dornoch Castle. We’d rented a flat sandwiched between the bookstore and a lovely breakfast place called Milk & Honey. I didn’t tell anyone, but for some reason I chose not to take any yardage readings at Brora. Play it as it is, no caddies, just us lads carrying our bags over a challenging links. This was the experience I had hoped my son would appreciate. Arriving at the 16th tee box, the fairway in front of us was filled with sheep. Not to worry, the shepherd and his two sheepdogs were on hand. We stood silently watching the scene unfold before my son, who had got lucky with the Old Course ballot, looked at me and, with a big smile, said: “Hey, Dad, I get it; I really get what you have been talking about all these years. This is so cool!”
*Brora Golf Club is regarded as one of James Braid’s masterpieces and the headquarters of the Golfing Society founded in his name. “Braid’s Plan” or redesigning the layout was implemented in 1924 and the Par 70 course, covering 6211 yards off the white tees, is largely unaltered. The views are stunning, taking in Kintradwell Bay and the Sutherland hills.
