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My 3 week trip has ended and I am now back home. Here are some highlights as well as some thoughts.
I was able to play 24 rounds of golf in 15 days.
Old course 3 times
New twice
Jubilee twice
Eden twice
Dumbarnie twice
The following course were played once, Kingsbarns, Elie, Carnoustie, Gullane #1, 2, North Berwick, Dunbar, Craigielaw, Muirfield, Monifieth, Panmure, Lundin Links, Leven Links.
My most like courses, Dunbar & Panmure.
My least liked courses, North Berwick & Carnoustie.
Thee nicest course of all, KINGSBARNS hands down, not even close. I played Dumbarnie the day before Kingsbarns. At Kingsbarns my caddie asked me, "how many times did you say wow yesterday at Dumbarnie?" Man for sure 6 or 7 I replied. "how many times did you say wow today here at Kingsbarns?" I started smiling, Man on almost every hole.
A couple of do's and don'ts or things that I took away from playing nothing but ocean links courses. I learned that I can not hit a sand wedge or a fairway metal from those rock hard fairways. However, this forced me to be more creative and allowed more fun to be had. Putting from 47 & 68 yards from the pin would never happen here. Using the slope of an imposing bunker to help my putt travel around said bunker within par range was an absolute kick.
Not being able to hit a fairway metal did come with issues, mostly, all par 5's became non reachable in two. Driver, 4 iron wasn't going to get it done for me on those 5's. LOL
Another valuable lesson or takeaway for me, I'll never use a caddie again, EVER. Absolutely nothing against them, zero disrespect toward them. This is all about me. Within 4 holes they have your distances figured out. Where it gets me is I don't get to process anything on my own. I don't get to do any thinking for myself. Thus I have no time to focus. We get to the ball, the caddy gives me a number, he then says, lets hit this, and I go. I just can't play this way and my game suffered because of it. No excuses, it's all on me. I just can't be a big enough prick to tell someone who does this every day for thousands of people a year, "hey listen, when I need your help I'll ask". The worst golf I played were on days I used a caddie.
Another awesome takeaway, the daily single ballot is your BEST friend!!! PERIOD. The first time I won a 640 am tee time, first group out. The 2nd time I was #4 on the wait list. You get down to the pavilion at 615 when it opens and wait. I got out at 650. The third time when I went to bed the night before I was #20 on the wait list. When I woke up the next morning I was at #16. I arrived at the pavilion at 615 again with hopes I would end my trip one last time going around the Old course. By 815 the starter told me to sit tight I'll get you out shortly and by 840 I was on the first tee once again. AWESOME!!!!
The New, Jubilee and Eden courses were pretty easy to get out on. The Castle I tried twice and failed. We'll leave that for the next time. Hopefully I'll return some day.
St. Andrews was so much fun, so much fun. It is filled with so much history, Hell I stood in front of the graves of Old Tom & young Tom Morris on two separate occasions where I found myself not wanting to leave. Call it what you will, for me, it was so freakin moving to stand in the presence of such golf history.
My hotels and their respective locations were phenomenal. The Ardgowan in St. Andrews was a 2 minute walk with clubs to the Old course. The Mallad in Gullane was within minutes of most of the courses I played over on that side. The people in both of these area's were so nice, friendly and most of all helpful to a complete stranger. I spent 21/2 days in the Royal Infirmary located in Edinburgh with kidney stones. The first day and half my ride was made complete via ambulance. The second however was a cab driver who when we arrived and I gave him my CC he told me "we don't accept CC". I had no paper pounds/money. What did this guy do, something that would never happen here in the states. He allowed me to bring him the 60 lbs when I got out of the hospital to his house. "just look me up when you are feeling better" WTH are you kidding me???
And to make things even more remarkable, 21/2 days in the infirmary, Xrays, CT scans, Ultrasounds, Meds to leave with for pain (Codiene) no bill to pay. Telling this story to the hotel person her response to me, "isn't free health care wonderful" Again are you freakin kidding me???? I'm not a local person and I don't pay a thing, unbelievable.
In the end, an absolute blast, a trip I will never ever forget. The golf was fabulous, the memories will be there for my lifetime!!!!!!
I was able to play 24 rounds of golf in 15 days.
Old course 3 times
New twice
Jubilee twice
Eden twice
Dumbarnie twice
The following course were played once, Kingsbarns, Elie, Carnoustie, Gullane #1, 2, North Berwick, Dunbar, Craigielaw, Muirfield, Monifieth, Panmure, Lundin Links, Leven Links.
My most like courses, Dunbar & Panmure.
My least liked courses, North Berwick & Carnoustie.
Thee nicest course of all, KINGSBARNS hands down, not even close. I played Dumbarnie the day before Kingsbarns. At Kingsbarns my caddie asked me, "how many times did you say wow yesterday at Dumbarnie?" Man for sure 6 or 7 I replied. "how many times did you say wow today here at Kingsbarns?" I started smiling, Man on almost every hole.
A couple of do's and don'ts or things that I took away from playing nothing but ocean links courses. I learned that I can not hit a sand wedge or a fairway metal from those rock hard fairways. However, this forced me to be more creative and allowed more fun to be had. Putting from 47 & 68 yards from the pin would never happen here. Using the slope of an imposing bunker to help my putt travel around said bunker within par range was an absolute kick.
Not being able to hit a fairway metal did come with issues, mostly, all par 5's became non reachable in two. Driver, 4 iron wasn't going to get it done for me on those 5's. LOL
Another valuable lesson or takeaway for me, I'll never use a caddie again, EVER. Absolutely nothing against them, zero disrespect toward them. This is all about me. Within 4 holes they have your distances figured out. Where it gets me is I don't get to process anything on my own. I don't get to do any thinking for myself. Thus I have no time to focus. We get to the ball, the caddy gives me a number, he then says, lets hit this, and I go. I just can't play this way and my game suffered because of it. No excuses, it's all on me. I just can't be a big enough prick to tell someone who does this every day for thousands of people a year, "hey listen, when I need your help I'll ask". The worst golf I played were on days I used a caddie.
Another awesome takeaway, the daily single ballot is your BEST friend!!! PERIOD. The first time I won a 640 am tee time, first group out. The 2nd time I was #4 on the wait list. You get down to the pavilion at 615 when it opens and wait. I got out at 650. The third time when I went to bed the night before I was #20 on the wait list. When I woke up the next morning I was at #16. I arrived at the pavilion at 615 again with hopes I would end my trip one last time going around the Old course. By 815 the starter told me to sit tight I'll get you out shortly and by 840 I was on the first tee once again. AWESOME!!!!
The New, Jubilee and Eden courses were pretty easy to get out on. The Castle I tried twice and failed. We'll leave that for the next time. Hopefully I'll return some day.
St. Andrews was so much fun, so much fun. It is filled with so much history, Hell I stood in front of the graves of Old Tom & young Tom Morris on two separate occasions where I found myself not wanting to leave. Call it what you will, for me, it was so freakin moving to stand in the presence of such golf history.
My hotels and their respective locations were phenomenal. The Ardgowan in St. Andrews was a 2 minute walk with clubs to the Old course. The Mallad in Gullane was within minutes of most of the courses I played over on that side. The people in both of these area's were so nice, friendly and most of all helpful to a complete stranger. I spent 21/2 days in the Royal Infirmary located in Edinburgh with kidney stones. The first day and half my ride was made complete via ambulance. The second however was a cab driver who when we arrived and I gave him my CC he told me "we don't accept CC". I had no paper pounds/money. What did this guy do, something that would never happen here in the states. He allowed me to bring him the 60 lbs when I got out of the hospital to his house. "just look me up when you are feeling better" WTH are you kidding me???
And to make things even more remarkable, 21/2 days in the infirmary, Xrays, CT scans, Ultrasounds, Meds to leave with for pain (Codiene) no bill to pay. Telling this story to the hotel person her response to me, "isn't free health care wonderful" Again are you freakin kidding me???? I'm not a local person and I don't pay a thing, unbelievable.
In the end, an absolute blast, a trip I will never ever forget. The golf was fabulous, the memories will be there for my lifetime!!!!!!
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