Golf, politics and religion in Scotland

I was delighted to read that common sense has apparently prevailed with Sport Scotland finally awarding the Isle of Harris Golf Club in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland £64,000 to assist them in the improving of their golf course.  This is a golf course that Nick Faldo, who played the course in the early Nineties before heading for the US Masters, described as “one of the most beautiful settings for golf” and a “paradise” on a fine day.  The members still annually play for the “Faldo Fiver”.

Astonishingly, although this community club which plays an extremely important role in island life, had satisfied all other criteria for sportscotland funding, they were earlier denied it simply because the course, in common with many facilities on the Isle of Harris, was closed on a Sunday to mark the widely religious belief on the island that the Sabbath should be duly recognized.  Bizzarely, the politically correct animals at Sport Scotland took the view this meant the club was not “equally available to all” and accordingly denied the application.   But finally, some 18 months later, sense at last!
 

About the Author: Gordon Dalgleish is the Co-Founding Director of PerryGolf, the leading provider of international golf vacations. You can find him on Google+

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Is Nebraska close to Scotland?

A few years ago I travelled for the first time to Nebraska to play Sand Hills. Designed by the team of Ben Crenshaw & Bill Coore I had extremely high expectations….and they were surpassed The story of Sand Hills is worth reading in the above link. Quite simply, the topography in that part of the USA is remarkable for building golf courses. The recent article in the Omaha newspaper similarly caught my eye as another fine venue is built, even during these challenging economic times. I am not for one moment suggesting that Nebraska replicates the overall experience of golf in Scotland, however, based on my time at Sand Hills, for 4 hours, if you focus solely on the golf course at hand and ignore the surroundings, you could be a thousands of miles away. This region of Nebraska where sand hills were formed is very similar to the sand hills of North Carolina (home to Pinehurst amongst others) and the sand belt in Melbourne, Australia (home to Royal Melbourne, Kingston Heath, etc).  Possibly golfers are one of the few groups who find value in sand hills!
 

About the Author: Gordon Dalgleish is the Co-Founding Director of PerryGolf, the leading provider of international golf vacations. You can find him on Google+

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Dress for success on the fairways & beyond

One of the many enjoyable aspects of the golf industry, is that there are so many good guys who work in it.  A recent article in Golfweek about Peter Millar only touches on the success of this company. The article does not dwell on the people involved who are truly some of the best you will find…anywhere.  The company was founded by Chris Knott who remains the chief designer and inspiration for all things color. Whereas I remain as the safe blue blazer and white shirt dresser, Chris defines fashion sense. He can take stripes, solids, paisley prints and polka dots and make it look perfect, while I would take the same basic elements and come across as coco the clown. Chris sets the tone for a hard, but fun work ethic at Peter Millar….a tip of my (plain khaki) hat to you and everyone at Peter Millar.
 

About the Author: Gordon Dalgleish is the Co-Founding Director of PerryGolf, the leading provider of international golf vacations. You can find him on Google+

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The Machrie – a true original

The Machrie
The Machrie

I will never forget some of my trips to the Machrie, off the west coast of Scotland.  Situated on the island of Islay, the Machrie is a classic links course in the truest sense of the word. I recall 10 blind shots to greens over towering sand dunes. The details on this golf experience can be enjoyed at LinksMagazine.com While the golf is memorable I will never forget the trip, in 1986 when my brother and I played 9 holes in fierce weather only to return to the clubhouse and an extended lunch break. Indeed, the lunch continued to dinner as were joined by the manager of one of the local distilleries with a new bottle of his product. Golf is a wonderful sport, but more often then not it is the people and life experiences which make it so special.
 

About the Author: Gordon Dalgleish is the Co-Founding Director of PerryGolf, the leading provider of international golf vacations. You can find him on Google+

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The Ryder Cup for 60% off!

Ryder Cup Matches are invariably exciting
Practice for the Ryder Cup Matches

Consistent with our goal of trying innovative ideas, both for golf trips and promotion we have decided to provide 4 cabins to the 2010 Ryder Cup at deeply discounted prices. The prices represent a savings of approximately 60% from the retail rates. So how do we determine the lucky traveler who is eligible to purchase the cabins?

The idea is simply to predict the winning score at any one of the four Majors this golf season. Full details of the offer can be viewed here and we hope that you will take this opportunity to participate in a fun event and possibly be eligible to buy a deeply discounted cabin to the Ryder Cup.  Please fell free to share this with your friends and tell them about PerryGolf and our blog.
 

About the Author: Gordon Dalgleish is the Co-Founding Director of PerryGolf, the leading provider of international golf vacations. You can find him on Google+

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