BROUGH GOLF CLUB (TOUGH AT BROUGH BUT HAVE I HAD ENOUGH?)

BROUGH GOLF CLUB	https://www.brough-golfclub.co.uk/
Type of course	Parkland	18 holes	Par 71
Course distance	White 6072 yds	Yellow 5887 yds	Red 5473 yds
Holes	1 x par 5	12 x par 4	5 x par 3
Played	24/07/20
Claim to fame: A magnificent Clubhouse with first class catering
In the area of the East Riding of Yorkshire, Brough Golf Course has a distinguished history and this is well documented on the clubs website. Coming in off the M62/A63 it is easily attainable for anybody living in the Yorkshire area. £32.50 per round may seem a tad expensive but it is a course of the highest quality. Containing only one par 5 and five par 3’s one would think it to be an easy track to navigate. Far from it, you need to have your wits about you when you go round here. On the commencement of our round, I thought I did, but that soon unravelled. More about my game later. As you enter the car park you are greeted by a foreboding Victorian mansion with bifurcated baroque steps leading to the main entrance. Painted arrows crisscross the crenulated flagstones in a hope that people will follow directions in this heavily Covid conscious world we currently inhabit. Internally, socially distanced furniture and multiple safety signs at every turn, provide you with a feeling that someone is moving home. The slightly musty odour pervading the lounge, bar and conservatory does nothing to deter you from this thought. Exiting the conservatory doors, one can stand on the terrace and take in a panoramic view of the course Directly to your right stands a pro shop that is easily accessible from the car park, and a putting green which runs fast and true is situated directly in front of this. In the distance is the inviting first tee and its gently rising fairway. Near to the first tee is another putting green with bunker, allowing you to practice as you wait for your tee time to come round, which for our fourball was a long time in coming. This second society meeting of the season had some 20 players turn up at 10.10 am for bacon butties and coffee, Money was handed over, four balls were selected, cards were handed out and we were all ready for the off but with no prior set tee time we did not start our round till 11.30! Today the constituent parts of our group were, me, Nigel and Simon, who as a three ball had previously played The Oaks together (See “What’s A Society” Blog). Making up the four was Hogie, a low/mid handicapper whose social disposition was something to behold. As the game progressed there was something about Hogie that interested me greatly. The first, a gentle par 4 SI 11 at 354 yards, the fairway tree lined on either side doesn’t hold too much trouble if you are accurate. Which I suppose you can say about any hole on any course! As the best handicapper Hogie had the honour of driving us off. He went into the semi rough down the right handside. Nigel went left into the distant trees and Simon drove into the trees on the right. On this occasion I had the best of shots down the middle. When we reached the green Hogie went through what can only be described as a repetitive ritual. To get a feel for the putt he held his left arm loosely by his side and with an open palm he waved his hand back and forth. On sinking his putt he retrieved his ball muttered “five” and swiftly moved to the next tee. It would not be an understatement to say this was the main thrust of his conversation as we went round and as I was marking Hogie’s card, I could only assume he thought I was as focussed as he was, or I had excellent hearing for my age. Hogie therefore came off with a bogey as did I (probably my best hole of the day) and Nigel and Simon hit six apiece. The second, at 255 yards SI 17, is the shortest par 4 on the course but to deter players from aiming directly at the pin it is protected by high trees skirting the green. If you veer right a small stream meanders across the fairway. From the tee all four of us hit trees but whereas the others coped with it very well, I unravelled, slicing my second into the meandering stream with no chance of hitting it out. The third, being the first of the five par 3s at 193 yards SI 13, provides a sloping green slightly below the level of the tee box. Hogie placed his iron nicely on the green while we all faltered. As the holes progressed my drives were in the main satisfactory however my second shot woods off the fairway, were dog turd poor. As much as I tried to focus the mindset or alter my grip or stance, nothing helped, I fluffed shot after shot. Thankfully, it didn’t slow the play down too much, as Simon was finding it difficult to hit the fairways and his round contained more branches than Boots the Chemists but he could recover fairly well, whereas I couldn’t. Meanwhile Nigel was finding his line and length once again and Hogie carried on his own inimitable style. Indeed Boom Boom Nigel won nearest the pin at the par 3 6^th SI 15 at 139 yards, a mere to feet away from a hole in one. On completing the 8^th SI 5 at 430 yards a young man who had already passed through our following society groups was coming up fast and direct. The 9^th, the third par 3 on the outward nine at 178 yards is a cracking hole, it's just a pity I didn't enjoy it. Tree lining all the way along the left-hand side and a punch bowl of a green protected by a long drop on the right hand side. It was agreed we should take our tee shots and then let the fine gentleman through. Hogie was on the green, Nigel and Simon were in the dip and I hit an abysmal scuff to the left of the tee box. Before taking my second shot, I was more than happy to watch the young gent tee off, when out of nowhere, an irate Hogie raises his voice and says, “take your shot, get a move on, or you’ll slow the game down!”. Looking behind me, I saw the following four ball walking to the 8^th tee. I therefore asked where they were at, with no reply from the Hogie man. Now, at the best of times I do not take kindly to people raising their voice towards me and I was far from happy. Nigel unaware of what had gone on before stated there was no hurry. At which point in a loud voice I declared, “Well it all depends on who you ****ing listen to on this course”. This was in the hope that Hogie got message. Suffice to say what little game I had disappeared without a trace whereas the social dyslexic continued unabated and as there was little reaction from him I don’t even know if he was aware of my disgruntlement and then it dawned on me! Repetitive behaviour and routines, difficulty interpreting verbal and non-verbal language, difficulty 'reading' other people and expressing their own emotions, sensory sensitivity and highly focused interests, the blokes on the spectrum. Everything about him shouted ASD (Autistic Syndrome Disorder). No wander there was little communication with him as we went round. This also got me to thinking whether all good golfers are on the autistic spectrum. Perhaps a study could be undertaken at doctorate level to see if this is the case or not. Rest assured I will not be undertaking it though. A quick trip to the world wide web however reveals that golf is considered an excellent sport for children with autism. Of course, it is, why hadn’t I recognized this until now? So much for the ex-pedagogue. The 11th SI 4 par 4 at 383 yards is a unique dog leg left, uphill all the way, with a public footpath running along the front of the raised green, Again Simon hit the trees, I fell short of a clear path to the green and Nigel and Hogie were handsomely placed to par. My third an easy chip to the green saw yet another disaster unfold as I once again scuffed my iron, twice! The sooner this game was over the better. The par 4 15^th SI 8, is a slight dog leg right with a set of airplane steps at the tee box, allowing a player to ascend and check ahead. It also provides a bird’s eye view of the surroundings. Once again branches for Simon, fairways for us three. Second shots were well struck by three out of four and just for a change I wasn’t one of the three. In respect of my play the final three holes were nothing to write home about, although Hogie did hit his second out of bounds at the 18th. Perhaps he had just internalised my comment at the 9^th? Then it was all over and done with, a truly awful day of golf which saw me take home the wooden spoon. A social drink to reflect on what might have been saw Hogie depart almost immediately, while we waited for others to come home and engage in some friendly banter. So, in answer to the question posed in the title of this blog I can honestly answer “NO” but what this game has taught me is: 1. Do not take exception to comments made by individuals 2. Get to understand ASD better 3. Obtain a lesson or two before it is too late As for Brough Golf Course I would very much like to play it again sometime soon but perhaps in a more convivial atmosphere.