Tell me why you don’t like Brora

[Simon Barrington]

For those that DO like Brora they are currently advertising for both Country (+35miles) and International Members:

https://broragolfclub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/BGC-Membership-pack-2024.pdf

c. £570 per year, with benefits and conditions as detailed

Cheers

[John Mayhugh]

After a 16 year hiatus have returned the past two summers and conclude its the very essence of what I love in golf. Hi it the ball(always) find it and then work out what to do next. Due to the combination of landform and wind, the next shot is always new. Greens are small and more interesting than the general discussion suggests.

I'm sure that the Brora design could be improved, but not sure it could be made better. If that makes sense.

[Charlie Goerges]

Here's a photo of Brora from 1955 that I came across:


Brora 1955 by goerges_family, on Flickr


I think if you click and open in a new window, you can get to the full size version. When you do and zoom in, you can see the cows and some people walking among them.

[Thomas Dai]

Note the beach huts in the photo posted by Charlie above. A fair few other differences too.
Atb

[Philip Gawith]

I have played Brora at least 50 times over 25+ years and its appeal never dims. It is pure “soul” golf, unique in my experience though I think Pennard is quite a similar experience.


 I completely recognise the comments about some holes being hard to remember, and while I am definitely someone who places a high value on memorability, Brora for me is somehow more than the sum of the parts. Ian does a nice job in his post of capturing some of what is unique about Brora and if some of these feature not architectural, that is not a problem! Every year I drive into the dip on the 4th hole making the next shot blind, but I don’t think less of the course for this! It is just the way the land falls.


Like David I am also a fan of Golspie, but it does not speak to my soul like Brora does and I would reverse his split. He is right about the blindness - I guess just a matter of taste.


In a discussion like this, maybe especially with Brora, i am reminded of the phrase (allegedly attributed to Einstein!) that “not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted”. I don’t think the essence of Brora is about the quality of the one shotters, repeat shapes, direction etc. it is about the unique natural feel of the course and the atmosphere that surrounds it.

[Ben Sims]

I didn’t mean for this thread to evolve into a love-fest for Brora. It has many fans and I knew that going in. I have enjoyed learning about the weaknesses some have identified thus far. But I have equally enjoyed the several posts than have pointed out the timeless nature of the layout and how its whole is greater than the sum of the parts. It’s something we tend not to do with more modern courses. We have to make sure everything adds up. It’s only at places like Brora where we learn how unimportant the sum total of a course is to our overall enjoyment of a golf course.


Personally, I’ve decided it will be the course my brother, kids, friends, and anyone else that hasn’t yet experienced Scotland will visit first on my trips with them.

[Marty Bonnar]

One word, ehm, photo:

 
F.