Golf Feature
Golfing Girl Talk
Carnoustie Country is a golfing paradise for lady golfers. Whether you take your game very seriously or simply enjoy the social experience of playing golf with friends, there's a great selection of courses to choose from.
"Low handicap lady golfers love the challenge of Carnoustie Championship,Downfield, Montrose Medal, Panmure and the Old Course at Letham Grange," explains Aileen Hunter, Junior Secretary of Angus Ladies County Golf Association and a member of Monifieth. "While Edzell, Kirriemuir, Downfield and Ballumbie Castle are very popular with high handicappers."
Other courses which are very popular with lady golfers in Carnoustie Country include Edzell, Glen Isla and Monifieth – but there are so many wonderful courses in Carnoustie Country, any lady golfer would be spoilt for choice. "I love playing at Forfar," reveals Sarah Chapman, who is a member of Forfar Golf Club. "I also enjoy Edzell and Downfield, which, despite being in the middle of Dundee, has an abundance of wildlife!"
Regardless of your handicap or level of skill, lady golfers all agree that the one thing that makes a good golf course a good ladies' golf course is the position of the ladies' tees. "The tee should be sensitively placed so female golfers can enjoy a comparable challenge to their male counterparts," states Karyn Dallas, golf professional at Kirriemuir Golf Course.
"I've found that, on most of the courses in Carnoustie Country, a lot of thought has gone into where to place the ladies' tees and, as a result, lady golfers in are able to play the course as the designer intended it to be played."
Karyn loves playing golf on Carnoustie Country courses but singles out two courses in particular. "Kirriemuir is an excellent course for ladies as the emphasis is more on accuracy rather than distance, which is ideal for the majority of lady golfers. Alyth is also a good course for ladies as it's a slightly longer version of Kirriemuir – interesting and, again, demanding accuracy!"
Links courses can be notoriously difficult and, in other parts of the country, are often avoided by lady golfers. However, that's not the case in Carnoustie Country, where many lady golfers are members of both a links course and an inland course as they enjoy the different challenges both types of course have to offer.
"Every golfer has to experience the challenge of a Carnoustie Country links course," stresses Karyn Dallas. "The greens are slick and very fast, the bunkers are steep, the wind can be awkward and it's more difficult to get the ball in the air due to the tight lies on the fairway. However, play the course as it's meant to be played – bump 'n' runs and punch shots - and you'll discover just how exhilarating links golf can be."
Last summer, Sarah Chapman played on the Carnoustie Championship Course for the first time. "I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge the course had to offer," she says.
"Carnoustie is a long course andit can be treacherous, with Barry Burn meandering through quite a number of holes and well-placed bunkers to catch both high and low handicap players.I found the condition of the course and the manicured greens to be second to none and I'm looking forward to playing Carnoustie again this year."
The Oldest Ladies Golf Club in the World
Carnoustie Ladies' Golf Club - the oldest ladies golf club in the world - was established in August 1873 for the benefit of the wives of the members of the Dalhousie Golf Club.
These ladies played over an 18 hole, par 3 golf course which stretched westwards from the Lochty Burn. The course was on land donated for the ladies' use by a Miss Kinloch. The upkeep of the golf course was paid for entirely at the expense of the members who hired their own greenkeeper, the ladies also owned their own green keeping equipment! Unlike today, the golf season at that time was very short, usually from July to September which coincided with the influx of summer residents from Dundee, Edinburgh and surrounding areas, to the seaside resort of Carnoustie.
In 1875, the annual subscription to the club was 2/6d (12p) with an entry fee of 5/- (25p). The prizes played for were often donated by the gentlemen of the Dalhousie Golf Club who were very generous. In 1868 a Miss E Stewart won the Gold Medal with a score of 115 over 36 holes, she was also presented with a set of gold bangles, 2nd prize on this occasion was a gold scent bottle.
In 1895 the club moved to its new, purpose built clubhouse which has changed very little since these days. In 1899 the upkeep of the course was taken over by the borough commissioners and, after the redesigning of all courses by James Braid in the 1920's, the short Ladies' course was abandoned in favour of the new Ladies' tees which had been built on the Carnoustie links.
The Carnoustie Ladies' Golf Club continues in much the same way as it always has, the membership of 100 Ladies' remains fairly constant. The Gold Medal first played for in 1875 is still played for today as are many other old trophies that have been collected through the years. Carnoustie Ladies' Golf Club has the proud distinction of being the oldest remaining all Ladies' golf club in the world. The club continues to look to the future and nurtures a small but valuable junior section and are happy to extend their overseas membership.
