Golf has enjoyed a real surge in popularity among young people over the past couple of years. It seems like every influencer, YouTuber, and former reality TV star now has a social media account dedicated to their quest to lower their handicap. A sport long viewed as ’pale, male, and stale’ is slowly starting to shake off that reputation.

At the forefront of this explosion of interest in golf is the ever-controversial Bryson DeChambeau. The two-time US Open champion has become a titan of Youtube golf – which has now resulted in widespread support on the course, especially amongst younger fans. Love him or loathe him, every golf fan made sure to watch his every move (and tantrum) at this year’s Ryder Cup.

With the prime of his career now in the past, ‘Lefty’ Phil Mickelson has also grown a huge presence on social media, regularly creating content with professional golf youtubers such as Grant Horvat. In the women’s game, American Nelly Korda has become a star, while Charley Hull remains central to growing women’s golf here in Britain.

“There is no better time to give it a go”

Of course, golf is not a personality contest. The men’s world No.1 Scottie Scheffler is notoriously – to put it politely – a little dry. However, the mix of personalities and talent on the circuit is translating into unprecedented ratings. Average viewership of this year’s Ryder Cup – an infamous three-day battle between Team USA and Team Europe – was up 45%, with a record-breaking five million viewers tuning in to the Sunday rounds on Sky Sports.

So, with the sport on the rise, there is no better time to give it a go. If your handicap isn’t quite Blues level, here are Varsity’s three ways you can play golf casually in Cambridge.

1. Cambridge Golf Driving Range. Situated in North Cambridge, this is the perfect place to really give golf a go. No holes, just acres of open space to whack balls into. Need to let out some frustration during the Week 5 blues? This is the place. If you’re lucky, you might even spot World Snooker Champion Neil Robertson, who is known to practice his golf here.

2. Kingsway Par Three Course. My personal favourite. Before I could tackle a full 18 hole course, I spent many a happy Saturday morning playing the local pitch and putt with my Dad. Kingsway is a nine-hole course with holes ranging between 80-140 yards. A round costs just £9.50 and you can hire clubs for £4. A truly accessible way to get into the sport.

3. The Cambridgeshire Golf Club. As someone whose local club in South Yorkshire starts at just £17 per round, I wasn’t expecting to find anywhere with remotely the same value down here. However, the Cambridgeshire Golf Club offers an excellent test of golf for just £20-25 on a weekday afternoon, with even cheaper prices if you’re willing to tee off in the evening. You can also hire clubs here which is a real bonus!

“Golf is one of those sports that just grips you”

Golf is one of those sports that just grips you. It will break you down and make you question whether your hands are indeed connected to your brain. However, just when you’re about to pack it in, the game will throw you a hook. A perfect drive. A chip-in. A long-range putt (I’m still waiting for this one, sadly). Whatever the game gives you, you’ll always keep chasing that rush of adrenaline.

On a personal note, this year golf has given me two of the most special Sunday evenings of my life. At 01:36 BST, as the 13th of April quietly slipped into the following morning, Rory McIlroy finally exorcised his decade-long demons to return to major glory and, more importantly, complete the illustrious career Grand Slam, just the sixth male golfer to achieve this feat. Six months later, at 22:16 BST, Irishman Shane Lowry holed his putt to ensure Team Europe would bring the Ryder Cup back across the Atlantic.

I watched both moments sitting in the same spot, on the same sofa, with my dad. I’ve been fortunate enough to witness some incredible sporting moments live in stadiums, but there’s something about sharing those moments – on a TV screen in sleepy north Sheffield – with the person who got me into this beautiful sport, both of us trying not to wake the neighbours with our celebrations. That I will forever treasure.

So this term, when the pressures of university start to engulf you, step away from the madness for a while and step into nature and play some golf. It might not always feel like a way to decompress, but it’s certainly the perfect escape from the Cambridge bubble.