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It is a long-standing tradition in most golf clubs for the newly-elected Captain to ‘drive-in’.
The tradition can be said to date back to 1754, when 22 ‘noblemen and gentlemen, being admirers of the ancient and healthful exercise of the golf’ banded together to present a silver golf club to be played for annually over the St Andrews links.
This was open to all golfers, as was the first golf competition at Leith, and used the same rules, with very little change.
The competition was won by Baillie William Landale, who, as the winner, went on to become the first Captain.
Even though the tradition of Captain being the winner of the silver golf club disappeared many years ago, the R&A still maintain a fictitious competition for their new Captain to enter and win. He is the only competitor and drives off the first tee on the Old Course. The caddie who collects the ball is presented with a sovereign.
This is called ‘driving-in’ and is a tradition that most other golf clubs now replicate for their newly-elected golf club Captains.
Members are invited to guess the combined distance of the two captains’ drives. They pay a nominal entry fee and the one who guesses the nearest wins a percentage of the entry fees, with the balance being donated to the Captain’s charity.
Many members traditionally watch the drive, either by standing around the tee, or from the clubhouse balcony.
