Who was James Braid?
Born in the village of Elie, near St
Andrews, in 1870, James Braid learned to play a forceful style
of golf at Elie links and became fascinated with the
game.
Due to his dislike of travel he designed just one
golf course in the United States - but he did so on paper and never
once visited the site.
But what was a loss to the rest of the world in
terms golf design, was a significant gain for Scotland. Braid
travelled the length and breadth of Scotland constructing golf
courses after his playing career began to subside. In truth, he was
prolific, creating over 250 courses in the United Kingdom, the best
of them in his homeland.
Pioneering designs
He was a pioneer in his field and, according to
some golfing historians, is credited with the invention of the
dog-leg, primarily in his inland designs, and the pot bunker.
Indeed, with his vast experience of tournament
play, his keen eye and understanding of design and construction,
Braid set the standard in golf course design that the rest of the
world had to follow.
To fully understand why James Braid is considered
one of the finest golf course designers of all time, you simply
have to see his work for yourself. Only then will you realise why
his designs, and legend, have stood the test of time.
Open Championship success
Before he became one of the world’s great golf
course architects, James Braid was a hugely successful golfer. He
won five Open Championships, a record that is only matched by JH
Taylor, Peter Thomson and Tom Watson. Only one player has won the
Claret Jug more times than Braid, and that man is Harry Vardon, who
won six.
He was a tall, powerful player who was well known
for striking the ball with considerable venom, but he always
maintained an appearance of outward calm. Though he started life as
a poor putter, he soon recovered - through practice and a new
putter - and became lethal on the greens.
The James Braid Trails were established as a
tribute to the man’s immense contribution to the game as both a
champion golfer and a golf course pioneer.
