Tee-time with pro golfer Carly Booth

Investec recently hosted its annual Golf Day event at The Grove hotel in Hertfordshire, which was attended by 100 clients and staff. As part of a packed schedule of golfing contests and activities, Scottish professional golfer Carly Booth gave attendees a glimpse of tournament-level play as the host of the day’s ‘Beat the Pro’ challenge. Off the course, Carly sat down for an exclusive interview covering her golfing inspirations, favourite places to play and her planned return to competition.

You made history as the youngest Scottish woman to qualify for the Ladies European Tour – at 17-years-old. Could you please share a bit about your journey?

I started playing golf when I was five. I have a brother who is seven years older than me, and I got into it through him. Luckily enough, my dad built a little golf course in our back garden, so that helped me to progress very quickly.

I finished my A-levels and turned professional. I’ve had a lot of experiences, a lot of amazing highlights and lowlights during my career, but it’s my journey, and I'm so blessed for it.
 

Could you describe the golf course that your father built for you?

The greens were upturned saucers, and they helped me so much with my short game. Having that on my doorstep was just amazing. My parents gave me every option for the sport that I wanted to play.
 

What was the most challenging part of being a junior professional golfer?

I think there was so much pressure when I first turned pro. It took me two years to find my feet. I won twice back in 2012, which was great! The whole journey – being away from home, the travel – it’s not the luxury that people might think. There are a lot of hard times, and you just keep going. That’s the way that any athlete has to behave to achieve their goals.
 

How did you prepare mentally for that sort of rise at such a young age?

I had quite a tough dad – a strong dad – which was great for me, and a loving mum, so they balanced each other out. I stayed very humble, and my brother kept me very grounded. I just wanted to achieve what I could achieve. You can only expect what you work for.
 

Was there a particular player that inspired you when you were growing up?

Tiger Woods was somebody who I idolised. Another influential player was my oldest brother, Wallace. He was the person that I continually wanted to be, and the person I wanted to impress.

You’ve played golf around the world. Which golf course is your favourite and why?

There are a lot of South Africans in here – Fancourt is one of my favourites. I’ve played at a lot of courses, and it’s hard to tell whether you judge it by your scorecard or by the course itself. In Scotland I would say Loch Lomond; in England it would be Queenwood or Hankley Common; and if you go Stateside it’s Sage Valley, which is near Augusta.
 

Let’s finish with some quick-fire questions. What are the parties like on tour?

Parties? Well, I don’t know because I’m not there!
 

What’s the strangest thing that’s ever happened to you on a golf course?

Less strange than sad – I’ve seen two people die of heart attacks.

 

You have an upcoming knee surgery next week. What are your ambitions for the future?

I just want to get fit and healthy again. In January I had my right knee done, and now it’s my left. So it's just a year of patience, really. It’s about getting fully fit, and hopefully by March 2025 I'll be ready to go and hopefully back on tour.