The five courses I’m going to play when lockdown is over
Golf courses to play after lockdown: Brora
When your financial plight gets worldwide attention – and helps you raise a life-saving £70,000 in a single week – it’s obvious you’ve got quite a course on your hands.
Those who are prepared to travel to the Scottish Highlands, and Brora, are very aware the James Braid layout is the real deal.
The views look stunning. I like the idea of a golfing pilgrimage and there’s also the warm fuzzy feeling of having helped support a national treasure. Start the car.
- Related: Top 100 Golf Courses in Scotland
- Related: Best Golf Courses in the Highlands
Was Brora on your list? Turn the page to find out where Steve is going next…
Steve Carroll
A journalist for 25 years, Steve has been immersed in club golf for almost as long. A former club captain, he has passed the Level 3 Rules of Golf exam with distinction having attended the R&A's prestigious Tournament Administrators and Referees Seminar.
Steve has officiated at a host of high-profile tournaments, including Open Regional Qualifying, PGA Fourball Championship, English Men's Senior Amateur, and the North of England Amateur Championship. In 2023, he made his international debut as part of the team that refereed England vs Switzerland U16 girls.
A part of NCG's Top 100s panel, Steve has a particular love of links golf and is frantically trying to restore his single-figure handicap. He currently floats at around 11.
Steve plays at Close House, in Newcastle, and York GC, where he is a member of the club's matches and competitions committee and referees the annual 36-hole scratch York Rose Bowl.
Having studied history at Newcastle University, he became a journalist having passed his NTCJ exams at Darlington College of Technology.
What's in Steve's bag: TaylorMade Stealth 2 driver, 3-wood, and hybrids; TaylorMade Stealth 2 irons; TaylorMade Hi-Toe, Ping ChipR, Sik Putter.