First sight of Old Course changes

February 28, 2013February 28, 2013 PerryGolf Staff

With debates taking place on many topics within the world of golf, the planned modifications to the Old Course of St Andrews announced late November last year, and covered in our blog post of that time , caused considerable controversy and divided opinion.

In announcing the changes the St Andrews Links Trust and the R&A said they were being made “to stiffen its defences in some places to ensure it remains as challenging as ever to the professionals. The proposals from (highly respected links architect) Martin Hawtree should place more of a premium on accuracy and ball control while retaining the spirit and character of the Old Course.” In underscoring the minor nature of the work R&A Chief Executive Peter Dawson said “It’s men with shovels and wheelbarrows rather than bulldozers.”

The first phase (winter 2012/13) is now complete. The changes appear minor, blend in well, and are consistent with the Links Trust’s measured and caring yet progressive custodianship of the St Andrews Links. The images below reaffirm that the affected areas will be fully ready and in play for the 2013 season.

Hole #2

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Links Trust Description; On the 2nd hole, the two bunkers right and short of the green will be moved closer to the right edge of the green. The ground to the right of the green will also be recontoured to create more undulations and the width of 3rd tee will be reduced to accommodate this. Two bunkers on the right side of the fairway, near the 3rd Championship tee, will be removed.

Hole #11

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Links Trust Description; the back left portion of the green will be lowered to create more hole location options.

Hole #17

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Links Trust Description; the Road Bunker will be widened by half a metre at the right hand side and a small portion of the front of the green will be recontoured to enable it to gather more approach shots landing in that area.

By Colin Dalgleish, Founding Director at PerryGolf

Trump International ~ 2nd Course

February 18, 2013February 18, 2013 PerryGolf Staff

Donald Trump has just unveiled plans for a second course on the Balmedie Estate in Aberdeen. The second course is to be called the Mary MacLeod Course after Trump’s Scottish born mother and will have the same designer (Martin Hawtree) who did a great job on the original course. As yet, no timings are available, however further details can be found by clicking here.

By Alastair Niven. Alastair is one of PerryGolf’s Golf Travel Specialists.

Honorary Membership for Ivor Robson

February 6, 2013 PerryGolf Staff

[singlepic id=37 w=320 h=240 float=]Ivor Robson is comfortably the most recognizable starter in the game of golf. Having worked as an official starter for the European Tour since 1975, Ivor has worked at 39 Open Championships, many Ryder Cups, and countless European Tour events. Hopefully he can do the job for many years to come, and I’m sure he is relishing the opportunity of being the starter at Gleneagles for the Ryder Cup in 2014.

He is probably best known, amongst other things for his robust, authoritative but pleasant voice…and for never leaving his post on the first tee. He does this regardless how long tee times extend, e.g. during the first two rounds of the Open Championship this may be for 8 hours or more.

Ivor’s home club, Moffat Golf Club in Dumfriesshire, recently awarded him with honorary membership; a fitting award for someone described by Peter Allis as ‘a quiet and modest man, who epitomises all that is good about the game of golf.’

Click here to read on.

By Gary Sheppard. Gary is one of PerryGolf’s Golf Travel Specialists.

Rory McIlroy Teams Up with Nike

January 27, 2013January 22, 2013 PerryGolf Staff

Nike has announced a huge sponsorship deal which will make Rory McIlroy one of the highest paid sports stars in the world. The deal is reported to be worth around $100m – $125m over a five year period, which could earn the Northern Irish golfer around $50,000 per day!

Tiger Woods has been Nike’s main standard bearer for the past 15 years, however the new world number one will now be paid even more than Woods. Rory is quoted as saying “I chose Nike for a number of reasons. They are committed to being the best, as am I. Signing with Nike is another step towards living out my dream.”

To view a fantastic new Nike advert, featuring both Tiger and Rory, click here.

By Keith Baird. Keith is one of PerryGolf’s Golf Travel Specialists.

Little Italy, St Andrews

January 24, 2013October 3, 2013 PerryGolf Staff

[singlepic id=32 w=320 h=240 float=]Little Italy is a fantastic, relatively new restaurant in the centre of St. Andrews. At first glance it won’t blow you away as the décor is fairly low key; however the food, the atmosphere and the service certainly will! The staff are exceptionally friendly and helpful from the minute you step foot in the restaurant, with fresh crusty bread, balsamic vinegar / olive oil and a generous dish of olives coming free of charge as you sit down.

The menu is very traditional; offering homemade specialities such as Veal Milanese. The portions are generous and the value for money is excellent, so if you’re looking for somewhere to dine in St. Andrews which will provide excellent food coupled with wallet-friendly prices, Little Italy fits the bill perfectly. It’s also worth noting that PerryGolf gathers feedback from our groups about where they’ve dined, and time after time Little Italy comes out very high on their list.

By Keith Baird, Golf Travel Specialist at PerryGolf.

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