Current second year film student Charlie Herbert contemplates the balance of playing a sport alongside his university degree, and mulls over his experience of playing away from home.
Golf isn’t currently a society at the University of Gloucestershire, with its predecessor discontinued following the 2020 lockdown. Herbert believes the difficulty of the sport plays a part in its lack of popularity.
“I’ve got a few friends who go to Bath and Bournemouth and they’ve both got university golf teams and they play matches. But I just also think despite it surging recently in popularity, golf is just in general a slightly less popular sport.
“It’s hard to play a lot, it’s hard to be good at, it’s an expensive thing to set up as a society. And I think in general there’s just a lot of work that goes into it that is a lot more logistical when it comes to football or rugby.”
Herbert is currently in his second year of a film degree, which offers a heavy workload and little spare time. However, the golf player recognised the benefits of upkeeping his skill in the sport.
“I think just the idea of it being social is a big thing, I know there’s a few people here and back home that I would get a round in with. It’s just a good skill that I want to upkeep, and it’s a useful thing to be good at.
“I’ve always thought if I’m not playing golf professionally, it’s still a useful thing to be good at. In terms of connections in the industry that you want to get into, in my case it’s film, a lot of people, a lot of connections and a lot of deals are made out on the golf course.”
Herbert previously played back at Frilford Heath golf club, a course located in Abingdon, Oxfordshire. It is widely popular as one of few venues in the UK to home 3 Championship golf courses and is ranked #124 of the 200 best courses in England.
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In comparison, Brickhampton Court golf complex doesn’t have a national ranking.
“If I’m being brutally honest, it’s not really in the same league at all. I think we played the 9-hole course yesterday and it was four par 3s, straight par fours, straight holes, nothing going on.
“It’s not in amazing condition and compared to Frilford it’s just not even on the same level, at all. I would much rather be back there.”
With golf currently not a part of the University of Gloucestershire, Herbert contemplated the possibility of re-visiting the previous society in the future.
“I think if there was one available I definitely would’ve joined it, it would’ve been interesting to meet new people who also play. It would be interesting to see who shares the same views on maybe putting in a society.
“I think in terms of putting one in place, that’s definitely something I would be interested in if I could get the numbers, but it’s then also a case of balancing that going into third year with the increased workload.”
