Fantasy trip: A month in Scotland UPDATED: DAILY ITINERARY ADDED

[philsRHman]

So here is the Scottish hospitality for  you…

 

Last week I caught up to a guy and his wife on 17 as the sun was setting, so they invited me to play in with them. He was excited about my trip and took my email and said he’s going to arrange tee times for me and all this stuff. 
 

But they were going away for a few days, so figured I’ll never hear from him again. 
 

He just emailed to say he entered us into the Old Course local lottery for Thursday morning (he remembered I have to work), then also set up a provisional tee time for Thursday and another one for Friday. And that I can play as his guest and pay like half price rate. 

The warmth and genuinely welcoming nature of everyone I have met on this trip has been as legendary as the golf. 

[Chanceman]

10 hours ago, philsRHman said:

So here is the Scottish hospitality for  you…

 

Last week I caught up to a guy and his wife on 17 as the sun was setting, so they invited me to play in with them. He was excited about my trip and took my email and said he’s going to arrange tee times for me and all this stuff. 
 

But they were going away for a few days, so figured I’ll never hear from him again. 
 

He just emailed to say he entered us into the Old Course local lottery for Thursday morning (he remembered I have to work), then also set up a provisional tee time for Thursday and another one for Friday. And that I can play as his guest and pay like half price rate. 

The warmth and genuinely welcoming nature of everyone I have met on this trip has been as legendary as the golf. 

Suggest you find out what his favourite dram is!!

[philsRHman]

Couple more days, been hard to keep up. A few notes --

Carnoustie was the dud I was expecting. I found it lacking any charm or personality, zero quirk. Just brute, straight forward design. I also played it in a somewhat foul mood, and it had a strike against it before I showed up (remember they were the only one over the past 2 years that refused to refund my greens fee, finally budged by offering a 50% refund). The whole place just had a very municipal feel to it, somewhat corporate. No warmth whatsoever. Not aloof, just nothing to embrace in the clubhouse or on the course itself.

 

I've really enjoyed the St. Andrews courses - Jubilee (2x), New and Eden. I know the New gets all the accolades, but I found it a little redundant, especially off the tee. I found the Jubilee to be far more varied and required more thinking/planning, but I also only saw the New once. On the other hand, the Eden was a WOW for me. So fun, loved the greens, some really good personality. There are a few holes (which I understand are new) that don't really fit, but overall I could see playing both the Eden and Jubilee a lot and really enjoying them. 

 

Against my original plan, I wound up at Lundin today, thanks to a 50 pound offseason special (as a note, they're hiking from 100 to 120 next year, and I'm basically hearing that everywhere I go, 20% increases seem the norm). I enjoyed it a lot, the conditions were very solid, definitely among the best greens I've seen. Again, some really quirky, strategic holes, and some of the best water views of the trip. It's another example of how 6200 yards in Scotland can still test every club in your bag. The blend of length and wind meant I had a 330 yard par 4 that played driver-4 iron, and another I drove the green pin high. 

 

Couple days left. It hasn't been bad playing in the morning and working in the afternoon/evenings. Going back to the Castle tomorrow with my new local pal (we didn't make the ballot but he invited me to join him there instead). 

 

And as luck would have it, since it's been a storybook trip throughout, I made it through the ballot for Friday, so I'm playing the Old Course for the third time, for my final round, with three guys from Ballot Buddy. That added some nice additional pep to my step, as I was starting to drag today.

[scott_Donald]

Glad you have had a great experience!

 

I much prefer the Jubilee too, just he first 2 and last 2 holes are better. In all honestly neither are amazing though but fun.

 

 

[Chanceman]

Carnoustie is no dud - and it shows no respect to those who misjudge it. Perhaps you were a victim.

[philsRHman]

My trip seemed destined for a storybook ending. First, hitting the Old Course ballot for a tee time on my last day. Second, perfect weather conditions. 
 

Then, the 18th hole. With emotions already boiling away for the last 5 holes, realizing it was coming to an end. 
 

Standing in the 18th fairway. I had 77 yards to the flag, 73 to clear the valley of sin, according to my caddie. As soon as I hit my wedge I said “oh no, get up!”

 

He corrected me, so softly: “it’s perfect.”

 

He was right. It landed and stopped about 4’ from the pin. Sadly the putt lipped out, but it was just a special way to finish. Not sure I’ll ever forget the way he just said “it’s perfect.”
 

In the movie version of the trip, if the putt fell you’d never believe it! So I guess it’s better it missed haha. 

[tboh]

I don't think you know just how many of us nutjobs have followed your year long odyssey ... I am sorry its over as well

 

You've given putzers like me hope that one day we will get the stones to just go & do it

 

But ... 

 

In the meantime we are expecting one helluva novel like recap

 

Thank you @philsRHman

[milesgiles]

agree on the jubilee, far more interesting than the new. Eden is fine as well. Waiting with baited breath for your review of the Castle..

 

£120 for Lundin? Lundin??? Won't be back to Fife, personally.

[philsRHman]

@milesgiles

I took the Castle for what it is. Modern, engineered links golf, big and bold and in your face and a completely different style than the rest of the Links Trust portfolio. It wasn’t my favorite but i didn’t hate it. I enjoyed it enough to go back a second time and the second time was a lot better once I could better picture the holes, even if the scoring conditions were impossible in the wind. The greens are so over the top but that’s ok from time to time. I wouldn’t want to play it regularly but it’s definitely a nice change of pace. Unlike some of the vitriol for it here, I didn’t find it to be a crime against civilization or a blight on Old Tom. It was the closest thing I played in Scotland to Bandon Dunes, which makes sense given the designer. 

Edited October 20, 2021 by philsRHman

[El Gringo]

On 10/18/2021 at 9:01 AM, milesgiles said:

agree on the jubilee, far more interesting than the new. Eden is fine as well. Waiting with baited breath for your review of the Castle..

 

£120 for Lundin? Lundin??? Won't be back to Fife, personally.

Really? Joob over New? I think the New is one of the most under rated courses in GB&I. 

[scott_Donald]

Funny thing I am now playing the New this afternoon.

 

Price is decent too. 

Edited October 20, 2021 by scott_Donald

[milesgiles]

2 hours ago, El Gringo said:

Really? Joob over New? I think the New is one of the most under rated courses in GB&I. 

 

more doglegs, more contour, more semi blind shots, just more memorable to me. Struggling to think of many holes on the New at all. 

[philsRHman]

10 hours ago, milesgiles said:

 

more doglegs, more contour, more semi blind shots, just more memorable to me. Struggling to think of many holes on the New at all. 

I only got on the New once, but I found the holes starting to feel monotonous. Compared to the Jubilee where I was thinking more off the tee, considering where I wanted to play from into greens. And I’m a sucker for “playing through the dunes” and Jubilee had several memorable examples of that. Maybe with another round on the New I would appreciate it more but that’s the limitation of only seeing a track once. It’s no coincidence that the places I saw multiple times leap to the top of my favorites list. 

[scott_Donald]

41 minutes ago, philsRHman said:

I only got on the New once, but I found the holes starting to feel monotonous. Compared to the Jubilee where I was thinking more off the tee, considering where I wanted to play from into greens. And I’m a sucker for “playing through the dunes” and Jubilee had several memorable examples of that. Maybe with another round on the New I would appreciate it more but that’s the limitation of only seeing a track once. It’s no coincidence that the places I saw multiple times leap to the top of my favorites list. 

 

First hole is a nothing hole, 4 iron - SW but its an old course just there for fun. It's a pretty easy course - I couldn't release the driver, 30mph wind and still shot 2 over. I would certainly play it again for fun but not as an every day course.

 

 

 

Edited October 20, 2021 by scott_Donald

[philsRHman]

A slightly different perspective… if I could call St Andrews Links my home club and had the choice of the New, Jubilee, Eden and Castle as a 72 hole portfolio i could pop around day to day, I can’t imagine being much happier. Add the Old Course and just wow. Trying to rank them is like trying to rank Bandon Dunes’ courses, everyone has a different order and most people’s change each trip. 

[philsRHman]

I should add, I have so much bouncing around in my head, I need to figure out how to put together my trip report. It might end up being a whole series lol

[scott_Donald]

5 hours ago, philsRHman said:

A slightly different perspective… if I could call St Andrews Links my home club and had the choice of the New, Jubilee, Eden and Castle as a 72 hole portfolio i could pop around day to day, I can’t imagine being much happier. Add the Old Course and just wow. Trying to rank them is like trying to rank Bandon Dunes’ courses, everyone has a different order and most people’s change each trip. 

 

Yes like my friend I played with, so far this week he had played - OLD Monday, EDEN Tuesday and NEW Wednesday, he was having a day off Thursday then seeing where he can get on Friday.

 

5 hours ago, philsRHman said:

I should add, I have so much bouncing around in my head, I need to figure out how to put together my trip report. It might end up being a whole series lol

 

You Played some amount of golf so you have a lot to type about!

Edited October 21, 2021 by scott_Donald

[philsRHman]

On 10/15/2021 at 1:24 PM, philsRHman said:

My trip seemed destined for a storybook ending. First, hitting the Old Course ballot for a tee time on my last day. Second, perfect weather conditions. 
 

Then, the 18th hole. With emotions already boiling away for the last 5 holes, realizing it was coming to an end. 
 

Standing in the 18th fairway. I had 77 yards to the flag, 73 to clear the valley of sin, according to my caddie. As soon as I hit my wedge I said “oh no, get up!”

 

He corrected me, so softly: “it’s perfect.”

 

He was right. It landed and stopped about 4’ from the pin. Sadly the putt lipped out, but it was just a special way to finish. Not sure I’ll ever forget the way he just said “it’s perfect.”
 

In the movie version of the trip, if the putt fell you’d never believe it! So I guess it’s better it missed haha. 

Sitting here watching a third loop of Live From on Golf Channel and It feels so familiar, it’s like I was in St Andrews this morning. Which is especially surreal since if you asked last me last week, I’d say it feels like a decade since I was there (not 9 months).

Between scrolling through my photos, scorecards, seeing the love North Berwick got last week, I honestly feel a severe, physical longing to go back. Literally, I feel it in my guts. 

 

I recognize I never really wrapped up my trip here, but just reading through, I really hit the highlights.
 

But the stickiest feeling, the greatest memories are my three trips up the 18th hole. Of more than 400 holes played, lots of good memories (especially at North Berwick), those 3, I can close my eyes today and feel that near out-of-body experience, as if Old Tom and all the golf ghosts were standing shoulder to shoulder, ushering me to the green. Chills, smiles, tears, laughs. Pain and ache of wondering if and when I’ll ever get back. 
 

Long story short, can’t wait to watch this Open! And if I needed motivation to save for and plan my return, I have it abundance. 

[scott_Donald]

Awesome; glad you had such good trip! golf courses are in better condition this year so you will just have to come back!