
Does anyone know how this would have worked?
Maybe all those stunning views of the Lake District had gone to the heads of a few of the chiefs at Windermere back in 1920.
The course had a par of 72, but you might have needed some fine arithmetic skills to work out your handicap on individual holes.
That’s because the 1st had a par of 4 and a ½. Yes, you read that right. 4 and a 1/2.
And it wasn’t the only one to employ an odd scoring system.
The 8th was a par of 3 and a ½, while there were also two 3 and a ½ holes on the second nine.
Play through and add it all up at the end, I suppose.
Today, Windermere is known for being one of Britain’s most scenic clubs.
It is often referred to as a ‘miniature Gleneagles’ and you won’t be disappointed if you pitch up for a round.
You won’t find a single bunker on the course but there are plenty of other ways to tot up a snowman.
Crags and boulders abound in the middle of fairways.
If they don’t send your ball careering off in an entirely different direction, the nearby foliage will claim any errant shots.
Windermere celebrate their 125th birthday this year and, for the first 18 months of their existence, were only a 9-hole course.
It soon became 18 but, unusually, the course returned to 9-hole status during the Second World War.
The steward, professional and greenkeeper all joined up to fight for King and country.
Windermere didn’t have enough staff to maintain the course.
Now it is flourishing and, if you like your golf quirky and unusual, it’s a course you simply must visit.
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