There are many things golfers dream about.
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The perfect shot to the middle of the green, sinking a long-range putt like Tiger Woods and if the stars align, a hole-in-one.
There is one other dream which seldom comes true and that's to have your own private course, which recently came true for Bridgewater-on-Loddon GC member Betty Higgs.
During recent lockdown restrictions golf courses across Victoria were off limits to players.
Golfers across the state were left scratching their heads as to how they would be able to continue playing, in whatever way possible.
The 92-year-old was determined to keep her game in-form so she continued to practice in the family's paddock in Arnold.
One day Betty's sons Bill and Max were watching their mum out having a hit and an idea sparked.
The brothers decided it was time to build their mum her very own course.
"Max turned up to the farm one Monday afternoon, he took off on one of the mowers and we just designed the course as we went along," Bill said.
After a couple of afternoons of hardwork and a team effort which included Bill's wife Debbie, the course officially named 'The Blue Wren' was born, a neat little nine-hole par-3 course with its very own signature hole.
"I was over the moon when they made the course up for me," Betty said.
"I always used to go out and have a hit around the paddock, but now there are holes set up and everything."
The course features nine holes, which Betty plays everyday, sometimes alone and other times with her daughter Sonya.
Each hole has a small sand scrape green with a cup and flag stick.
The family also incorporated a small dam located on one of the paddocks into the course, with the end result a hole with a tricky tee shot over a fence and water in-play if you aren't careful.
"You need to hit the ball over the fence, which Sonya is able to do, but I haven't quite mastered it yet," Betty laughed.
One element of nature which always makes a golf course all the more better is a lovely backdrop and while at The Blue Wren you are gifted with a stunning open sky for as far as the eye can see.
The course might be on the family's property, but sharing is deep in Betty's nature and last weekend she invited a small group of ladies from her club to come play the course.
"The weather was perfect and all the ladies loved it, they were amazed by our course," Betty said.
Every Wednesday the ladies have their weekly competition at their club in Bridgewater, followed by a trip to the bakery for a hot cup of coffee and a piece of Australia's best vanilla slice.
The social aspect of golf is one of the reasons Betty has played since the mid-90s.
Betty recalls her days as a teacher at Bridgewater Primary School when she would see the ladies heading off to play golf.
"I remember thinking to myself that going out to play golf would be such a lovely thing to do, so after I retired one day I decided to go and have a hit and I very much enjoyed it," Betty said with a smile.
Now 25 years later her love for golf only gets stronger.
"Golf is a really self-motivating sport which you can either play by yourself or with a team," Betty said.
"It's a real personal challenge and I plan to play for as long as possible."
To celebrate her 90th birthday two years ago, Betty embarked on Australia's most renowned golfing experience, the 1,365km long Nullarbor Links.
The course stretches from Ceduna to Kalgoorlie and features one hole in each town along way, all-in-all creating the world's longest golf course.
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