🏌️‍♂️⛳️ Lessons Learned from Ailsa Course at Turnberry with Billy the Caddy

The Ailsa course at Turnberry is truly unparalleled, with stunning scenery and immaculate playing conditions that make it one of the most breathtaking and challenging courses in the world.

As we arrived at the course I couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement and nervousness. This is one of the top golf courses in the world, and I wanted to play my best game. Thankfully, I had a caddy with me - Billy - who not only helped me with my game but also taught me some valuable lessons.

The first lesson Billy taught me was the importance of relaxation. It's easy to get caught up in the moment and want to hit the ball as hard as you can. But as Billy reminded me, golf is much easier when you’re enjoying yourself and are relaxed. Taking a deep breath, relaxing my grip, and focusing on a smooth swing helped me hit the ball farther and more accurately.

The second lesson Billy taught me was that on some holes placement is often more important than distance. It's tempting to try and hit the ball as far as possible, but in my case this resulted in a fair few lost balls and high scores. It's better to score a double bogey with conservative shots than a triple or worse by losing balls. Remembering this will help me approach each shot with more care and precision. As I get more experienced, I’ll hopefully find it easier to identify holes that require this mindset.

One of the most interesting lessons Billy taught me was about hitting onto the green from below a hazard. As I approached the green, I often felt nervous about hitting the ball too far and ending up in the hazard. But Billy showed me that there is usually more room than it looks like, and by walking up and onto the green allows me to realise this. Hitting it past the hole, leaving a long putt, is better than hitting it short into the bunker or water. Remembering this will help me approach these shots with more confidence and less fear.

Playing with Billy was not just educational but also enjoyable. He taught me a lot about golf course etiquette and shared some entertaining stories. His positive attitude and good humour made the round even more enjoyable.

As I reflect on my experience, I realise the importance of adopting a more strategic and relaxed approach to golf. It's easy to get caught up in the moment and become too focused on hitting the ball as hard and as far as possible. However, by focusing on finding the safer landing areas, rather than just how far I want it to go, I will be able to make more strategic shots.

In golf, as in life, it's important to focus on what we can control and let go of what we can't. We can't control the weather or the condition of the course, but we can control our mindset and approach to the game. My main aim for the trip was to enjoy and take in as much of the course and the surroundings as possible, playing golf on such a beautiful course was a bonus and the standard of golf I played was not important.