The course was designed by a seasoned tour professional, renowned for his long hitting and clever approach shots. The fairways were cast upon acres and acres of lush greenery, breathtaking scenes, dense hazards, ample water and eighteen holes of pristinely manicured landscaping. A golfer's dream.
The course was only available to members and almost impossible to gain access too. The common man and public could only dream of stepping foot on the sacred greens. Membership alone was nearing $100,000 per year and only the very successful ever played at the illustrious and private course.
Naturally, such a price had its perks and there were many rumours surrounding those who carried membership. The course was shrewd in its secrecy and a haven for the rich and famous. It was also almost exclusively for men with only a handful of women ever known to have graced the course.
Emma had two hobbies, golf and investigative journalism. Both hobbies had often led her longing to get inside the walls of the club and experience all the course had to offer, for better or worse. The only issue was that you had to be recommended by a current member who would take you on a round but only once you paid the 10% deposit. That meant almost $10,000 would need to be spent just to access the course for a single round. As much as she loved the sport, that kind of money was out of her reach.
Emma had begged her boss at the local newspaper to give her the funds to complete the round and get an inside view of what the club offered. 'I know they are hiding something in there.' She had pleaded. 'I just need a chance to expose them. The story could be huge!'
Her pleading had mostly fallen on deaf ears but out of the blue, he had accepted and, in doing so, had completely taken her by surprise when he had made a startling admission. 'The owner has expressed a desire to have more women at the club and they have a few openings, I can take you for a round and they will waive the deposit.'
'What about being escorted by a member?' She had asked with her excitement peaking.
'I am a member.' He had confided, causing her jaw to drop. 'I'll take you on a round this Sunday and you'll be given the full tour, the whole package. You'll be treated like a member for the day and you'll see all it has to offer.' He stared at her, enjoying her reaction and uncontained excitement. 'And I'm told they are so keen to have a few more females that you'll be given a way to join the club, free of charge.'
'Free of charge!?' she exclaimed. '$100,000 off? They must be really keen for more women!'
'You in or not?'
'Does a bear shit in the woods?'
'Meet me here on Sunday at 8am.'
With that Emma was sent back to work, a skip in her step as the delirium of the occasion echoed through her body. She could hardly wait.
The day dragged as did the week, but she practically bounded out of bed when her alarm sounded Sunday morning.
She arrived at the meeting point at 7.30am, parking her old sedan in the empty garage. No one worked on a Sunday and she had her pick of the parking spots, choosing to stop near where her bosses often parked. She jumped out the car, nervous energy pulsating through her. Emma grabbed her clubs and waited.
At exactly 8am, a rather expensive and unfamiliar sports car rolled to a stop beside her. Two men were inside, and she recognised one to be her boss who gradually got out the car to meet her. The other man was introduced as the owner of the course and handshakes were conducted. The owner, Drew, looked over her intently, taking in her long blonde hair, light blue shirt and short white skirt that had a faint pink outline down the seams. Apparently, he approved and motioned her to get into the car.
Emma had grabbed her clubs, but Drew had raised a hand in protest. 'You won't be needing those dear, he smiled, handing her the car keys. Today, you're getting the whole membership package which includes a brand-new set of clubs and a car. You'll be member 167, hence the licence plate.'
Emma stared in disbelief at both men and took notice of the plate which simply had the number 167 on it. No more. No less. Emma wondered at its legality which caused the journalist inside her to twitch, however, the golfer inside of her was far more interested at this point and she eagerly grabbed the keys. She had never driven a sports car before and the engine purred as she pressed down on the accelerator.
Twenty minutes later and perhaps taking a slightly longer route than required, she manoeuvred the vehicle down a long drive, past the security gates and into the private surrounds. Taking in the scenery for the first time and gasping at the affluent grounds, she parked the car beside a row of similar vehicles. Looking at the licence plates she concluded she had parked between members 117 and 142. There were approximately 30 other sports cars within the parking spaces, all with personalized number plates.
Three motorized carts immediate appeared and Emma became aware she would have her own transport for the round. The cart was far from the usual golf attire and was decked with gold, leather seats, wine cooler, radio and numerous other features. Her cart was the only one that held a set of clubs and she marvelled over the brand-new set, a popular brand and seemingly tailor made for her. On closer inspection, she saw 167 had been etched into both the cart and every club within her set.
As she marvelled at the attire, she noticed Drew and her boss in discussion before the owner approached her.
'Emma, love, we are quite keen to have more females at our club, but we only offer our membership to the very best. I'm willing to place a wager with you, if you beat me today, you can join for free. Right here. Today.'
'Oh wow!' Emma was ecstatic at the opportunity. 'Thank you! But you mentioned a wager? What happens if I lose?'
'You'll be given a chance to meet some of our other members and given a second chance.'
'So, if I win, I'm in and If I lose, I still get another shot?' Emma asked inquisitively.
'Correct. Shall we start?' Drew asked, motioning towards the sign with 'Hole One, 457m, Par 4' written upon it.
'Absolutely!' Emma shrieked.