More than a game: High hopes

• Wednesday, 13 September 2006
• Fergus Bisset
• 0 Comments

Week 1 – Braemar
Date: 13 September
Weather: Fairly cold, windy, odd rain shower
Greens: Summer
Tees: Summer
Mats on fairways: No
Preferred Lies: No

A wonderfully picturesque setting and an excellent wee course with superb greens. It’s the highest track in Scotland and there are no bunkers, they did have some for a while but all the sand blew away. The round got off to a good start as the clubhouse provided an above average bacon roll – a 9/10 in fact. Things got better on the second tee when the group in front let us through. Slow play is a problem in the Alliance and any progress through the field is a bonus. When we walked off the 18th green the group behind were four holes back. Despite its elevation Braemar did not witness an equally high standard of golf from me. A handful of three putts and various other frittered shots interspersed with a huge amount of self-loathing and vociferous moaning resulted in a lacklustre +7. Cormack played solidly and his level par round was good enough for second place and £65. Luckily for me and Stewart, Cormack had driven to Braemar so we could enjoy a few pints in the clubhouse afterwards. We then went to a pub called Kylie’s to play some darts and had a few more beers, then visited the Balmoral in Ballater and then the Huntly in Aboyne for good measure. Thursday morning was not pretty.

November 22: A great discovery
November 17: Going cold turkey</a
November 9: A series of unfortunate events</a
November 1: The weather turns</a
October 25: A costly exercise</a
October 18: A gritty performance</a
October 4: To pastures new</a
September 20: Arboreal adventures</a
September 13: High hopes