Reverend’s holy guide to playing a round of golf
EVERY golfer, no matter their handicap, requires a bit of divine intervention from time to time.
Now anyone struggling reach the green at the Royal Dornoch Golf Club in Sutherland will have some spiritual advice to hand.
Rev Susan Brown, minister of 13th century Dornoch Cathedral, has written reflections for each of the 18 holes to help inspire players and ‘exercise the body, mind and spirit’.
The keen golfer, who is also a Chaplain to the Queen, said the thoughts, which are in part advice on how to best tackle the links course, were designed to help quieten the minds of golfers.
The 57-year-old, a club member for 20 years, wrote the glossy course guide as part of celebrations to mark four centuries of golf in the area. Mrs Brown said: ‘I walked the course to get a sense of the uniqueness of each hole and from what I saw, created a simple “thought” for each hole.’
Mrs Brown’s advice for the first hole reads: ‘In the beginning… draw breath and enjoy the clean score sheet and all the possibilities that lie ahead. Choose now to take one step at a time and enjoy what that step holds.’
Her advice for the sixth hole says: ‘Be warned! A bunker with a magnetic draw awaits you. Choose your club carefully and think of the choices you have made in life. You have to live with the consequences!’