Birdies And Bogeys – Better Outdoors

Alicia Harney created her own mini-festival on her front lawn to celebrate the Women's British Open on the hallowed Old Course at St Andrews - a first for a women's professional tournament and the village where she lives

I had been looking forward all week to holing up in the lounge with a box of Cadbury Heroes and watching the Women?s British Open, the rain comfortingly bashing the windows. But on Saturday morning I awoke to clear skies the shade of blue promising a scorcher and presenting a dilemma. It would be a waste of a rare sunny day to spend it indoors.

It was then when I came up with the genius idea of opening the window and swivelling the television round so I could multi-task by soaking up some vitamin D enriched rays and picking up some tips from the world?s finest female players at the same time.

I set up a couple of garden chairs, precariously placed as the front lawn slopes dramatically down a hill. I dragged out the coffee table and made a massive pitcher of Pimms which instantly became a wasp magnet. Only trouble was I couldn?t see the television very well with the glare of the sun. Sunglasses blackened everything out but experimentation with angling the television slightly and squinting, plus the shade from a broken golf umbrella meant I could just about follow golfing history on the Old Course.

Ignoring the strange looks of ramblers and dog walkers passing by, I clung onto my seat as I watched Catriona Matthews miss four putts within seven feet. Rebecca Hudson looked like she was going to strangle her ball. Only Lorena Ochoa was playing some awesome golf but she looked frozen in her black rain suit in contrast to my choccies which were melting as fast as I could shed the wrappers.

The Old Course looked eerily quiet. I suppose the crowds fled the wind and rain as soon as they realised that Ochoa was home and dry.

The leading website from the world’s oldest golf magazine, we’re the go-to destination for amateur and keen golfers alike who are keen to up their golfing game. As well as expert course reviews, news and tips to improve your handicap our golf-focused travel content will help you pair teeing off with your travels in some of the best destinations around the globe.