Have a meander around some of the trophy cabinets in a variety of clubhouses and you’ll be confronted with the kind of shimmering collection of silver and gold that was assembled during the restoration of the monarchy.
The prestigious Edward Trophy at Gailes Links, for instance, is a mighty shield of such ornate majesty, you half expect it to come with a lance and mounted cavalry.
The spoils of golfing war are rich and varied. Take the prize awarded to Barassie’s Euan Walker for his win in the Swiss Challenge the other month, for example.
“It was a giant cow bell,” said the 29-year-old of this bovine-themed bounty. “I got a smaller replica to take home. It’s certainly the most interesting trophy I’ve won.”
In the ding-dong battle to earn promotion to the DP World Tour, Walker’s timely win in Switzerland has set him up nicely for a push for the line in this week’s Challenge Tour Grand Final in Mallorca.
For the third year in a row, the Scot heads into the second-tier circuit’s season-ending shoot-out with it all to play for. The top-20 on the rankings come Sunday night will earn DP World Tour cards and Walker, who currently sits 24th, is right in the mix. Again.
Having narrowly missed out on promotion over the past couple of seasons, the former Walker Cup player is hoping to finally earn his stripes this week.
“I’ve been knocking on the door the last three years,” said Walker, who also won the British Challenge during the 2022 campaign. “If you’re finishing in the top-30 of the rankings you have to be playing well as the standard is so high.
“If I’d been finishing further down the rankings and nowhere near the top 20, I’d maybe be asking questions of myself. But the fact I’ve been so close in recent years gives me hope.
“Do you ever feel your golf is ready for the main tour? I don’t know. Maybe some guys do? You never know until you’re out there. But I’ve played a lot on the Challenge Tour and have gained a lot of experience, on and off the course. I think the time is right now and the sooner I can step up, the better.”
Scaling the heights in this game, of course, can be an arduous task that’s akin to the gruelling hike a Swiss farmer would make when he has to track down those tinkling coo bells in the high pastures of the Alps.
With a canny, composed and analytical approach, Walker continues to make good progress in his bid to climb the order.
“I’m actually better this year statistically,” said the mathematics graduate who enjoys crunching the golfing numbers. “My stroke average is lower, I’ve been more under-par for the rounds, my putting and driving stats have been better.
"Overall, it’s moving in the right direction. But golf is a frustrating game. Just because your stats are better it doesn’t mean you are in a better position.”
It's a fickle, unforgiving old business but Walker’s apprenticeship on the Challenge Tour has stood him in good stead. It’s not so much the fierce competition that can be daunting, more the general logistics of touring life.
“If you can make getting around as stress free as possible then that really helps you,” he said. “That’s probably the best thing I’ve learned to do. I can tell you exactly where the hire car centres are in about 20 different European airports. Going to different places and worrying about getting there or where you’re going can cause a bit of anxiety.
“I’m familiar with tour life now, though. When I won in Switzerland, it was the fourth time I’d played in that event. I’d stayed in the same hotel, I didn’t need to use any maps. I was on autopilot going from the airport to the hotel and from the hotel to the course. It’s like driving about in your own backyard.
“Dealing with the financial side is big too. If I’d gone straight on to the main tour it could’ve been quite overwhelming. You’re upwards of £80,000 in expenses. Every week, there’s so much money coming out of your account.
“The Challenge Tour is not cheap either, but I’ve manged to be quite successful over the last few years and that’s put me in a decent financial position. Every week on tour, though, you’re gambling on yourself.”
At the Grand Final, Walker is ready for one last roll of the dice.
