Category: Around the World

Around the Top 100 World – Day 61 to Day 70 / London to Long Island

Gordon Dalgleish

Click here for trip summary & overview

Day 61  Play Sunningdale (Old)        Play Wentworth (West)            Drive Virginia Water/Rye

Day 61 was one of the longest days of the trip. Having had less than a full sleep, I left Ascot Place just after 7 am and drove 10 minutes to the Sunningdale Golf Club (Old Course rated 39, designed by Park 1901 and remodeled by Colt)(played September 1985). This is one of the few courses where my initial member contact did not respond and Plan B was activated. Club secretary Stewart Zuill arranged for an 8 am starting time. However, the starter appeared at 7:55 am and posted a sign on the message board “Old Course Closed – Competition.” The man then quickly disappeared, so I went into the pro shop to ask about this surprise development. I was told that the first tee was open and I should hit off immediately.

With trolley in hand I teed off in 60 degrees, no wind, and gloom with rain threatening. I moved along at a reasonable pace by myself with the course open in front. On the fifth fairway a motorized cart appeared with someone from the pro shop. I was told a mistake had been made with my starting time, that a shotgun start was commencing on the Old Course at 9 am, and I would have to finish my round on the New course. I explained that I could only play the Old course, that I would play as many holes as possible, and then come back later in the day to finish the round.

I then actually raced through the next holes (all uphill), reaching the tenth tee in a total sweat. There I realized that the shotgun actually started on holes 10 through 18 because none of the groups were behind me. The good news was that I would be able to complete the round without having to come back. The bad news was that the group immediately in front consisted of  a bunch of hackers and I was looking at three hours to play the last nine holes. Adding to the ordeal was medium-to-heavy rain beginning on the twelfth hole.

Old Course, Sunningdale Golf Club, England

At 12:30 pm the Sunningdale round was concluded, and there was a quick five-minute drive to Virginia Water and Wentworth. There I called club member Jim Loughrey (1996), and he came right over. We went back to his house at Wentworth and met his wife Inga. She produced lunch and a dryer for my wet rain gear. At 2:10 pm Jim and I were on the first tee of the West Course (rated 65, designed by Colt and Morrison 1924)(first played September 1985 and again August 1991/total 2 rounds). The weather was the worst of the trip with tremendous rain falling.

Not only did the rain not stop for one second during the round but also at times it intensified. By the middle of the round there was standing water on all greens and we had to chip to the pins because putting was impossible. The course was unplayable, but thankfully was not closed. The eighteenth green is in a bowl with a somewhat steep walk up a hill and then more uphill walking. To someone totally soaked who had played 36 holes the short walk looked like climbing the Himalayas.

We then went back to Jim’s home, and my heavy-laden rain gear was again thrown in the dryer. We went back to the Wentworth Club for an excellent meal. I was on the road by 8:30 pm for a 100-mile drive south to Rye on twisting country roads. The heavy rain was still falling, and I arrived at The George hotel by 11:30 pm. The town of Rye has very narrow streets and is hard to maneuver around. The hotel was difficult to find, even with the streets vacant, and I was wondering how I would have done it earlier in the evening with heavy traffic.

Day 62  Play Rye                   Drive Rye/Sandwich                          Play Royal St. George’s

I was up at 5 am and drove five miles east to the Rye Golf Club (rated 94, designed Colt 1894 and remodeled by Simpson and then Campbell)(played May 1989). When I left the hotel the skies were clearing, and I had high hopes that the worst was over as far as the rain was concerned. Unfortunately, in the Rye car park the skies darkened and more rain came crashing down. In these miserable conditions I was amazed when my member contact Peter Gracey (1989) pulled up. Peter is a rugged 75-year-old, and starting at 6:30 am we walked all 18 holes together with clubs on our shoulders through rain and wind.

In planning play at Rye Peter Green (1986) had noticed a one-day member-guest event on the club’s schedule starting at 8 am on the first and tenth tees on the day I was originally scheduled to play starting at 8 am. Consultation with the club secretary Major Chris Gilbert determined that by starting at 6:30 am I would be past the tenth tee by 8 am. Rye is not the easiest course for a stranger to maneuver around, especially with head beaten down by heavy rain. Fortunately, Peter Gracey was there to navigate. Rain came down in buckets during the last four holes. Later in the morning I learned that 1997 had the wettest June in England since records began in 1860.

By 9:30 am I was in the locker room stripping off every stitch of clothing on my body. I was wishing for the use of Inga Loughrey’s dryer for my rain gear because there was another round to play that day. After donning a whole new wardrobe I had tea with Peter Gracey, Chris Gilbert, and Peter Marsh (retired Rye head professional after 40 years of service). The long discussion about Rye’s course architecture was very helpful.

I then drove east for 60 miles to Sandwich and the Royal St. George’s Golf Club (rated 28, designed by Purves 1887 and remodeled by Colt/Alison and then Pennink)(first played September 1985 with  eventual membership/total 21 rounds). At the start of the drive rain was still pelting down, but later a miracle appeared in the form of clearing skies with the sun popping out of the clouds.

Just before 1 pm I had a key to a room in the club’s dormy facilities (officially called Club Accommodations). I then called Ian Findlay (1991 and past club captain) and he along with wife Alison came over for lunch. Then Ian and Neil Roach (member of R&A general committee and past captain of Royal St. George’s) were on the first tee with the sun shining, 65 degrees, and a light breeze (a perfect late June afternoon in England). The Findlays had driven down from London that morning in awful weather and thought our chances of playing that afternoon were zero. The rain did continue all day in the London area, causing cancellation of play at the Wimbledon tennis tournament.

That evening I enjoyed dinner at the Findlays’ summer home in Sandwich.

Day 63  Drive Sandwich/Walton-on-the-Hill                                    Play Walton Heath(Old)

Drive Walton-on-the-Hill/Gatwick Airport

The morning of Day 63 had the luxury of moving at an unhurried pace. Being a member of Royal St. George’s provided a little more scheduling flexibility, so this morning had been left open in case of a cancellation on the previous day. I was running a little low on golf balls, so to be safe I bought a dozen balls in the pro shop. I also enjoyed a long conversation with club secretary Gerald Watts.  Then there was a 84-mile drive east to Walton-on-the-Hill and the Walton Heath Golf Club (Old Course rated 79, designed by Fowler 1904)(played September 1985).

My companion for the afternoon was the pleasant, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic Ken Macpherson. Ken has been the head professional for 20 years, and I had a delightful time with him. Before teeing off I made one of the major purchases of the trip. At Wentworth Jim Loughrey had strapped a thin, hard plastic cover over his forehead to keep the rain off his glasses. During that round I became so wet that I could not even take my handkerchief out of my pocket to wipe the rain drops and fog off my glasses. Meanwhile Jim had no problem seeing out of his glasses for the entire round because of his Aquavis protection. I was pleased to find a pair of Aquavis for sale in Ken’s pro shop.

Penina Golf, Portugal

As we started play at 2:30 pm the weather was 60 degrees, overcast with no wind. It looked as if the Aquavis would be put to good use, but the rain held off. Ken and I pulled trolleys and had the course to ourselves. I could not have ended the U. K. part of the trip with a nicer person. Several weeks later Ken wrote me the following: “By now you will probably have had a double leg transplant! I trust that your world tour was an unforgettable experience and I was glad and honored to be a small part of it.”

In the early evening I drove 32 miles south to the Gatwick Airport and the Forte Posthouse Gatwick in Horle. My car for the past 18 days was cleaned out, and all the paraphernalia spread around the car was squeezed  into my luggage. The car was returned to the Budget office, and the previous damage report came in handy as the agent grilled me about the dents and bruises on the car. Then a mediocre buffet dinner was had in the hotel dining room.

Day 64  Fly London/Faro, Portugal                                         Drive airport/Penina

Play Penina                                                                 Drive Penina/Vale de Lobo

At 9:25 am a British Air 737-400 flew 1,048 miles to sunny Faro, Portugal, where I was met by the San Lorenzo director of golf Antonio Rosa Santos (1994) at 12:30 pm (watch set ahead one hour and now dealing in escudos). We went to the Avis car-rental office, and I picked up a car. The next destination was the Merdian Hotel Dona Filipa, which is a 22-mile drive from the airport to Vale de Lobo in Almacil. After lunch Antonio drove 50 miles east along the Algarve to a sister hotel Penina. During my 1994 Portugal/Spain trip Penina had been closed for extensive reconditioning, so I was pleased to have the opportunity to play it now.

We were met by the director of golf Leonel Rio, and the three of us teed off with clubs on motorized carts. We had the course to ourselves in mostly sunny weather, 70 degrees and 10-mph winds. I actually had to use sun screen for the first time since day 21 at Cabo del Sol in Mexico. Penina was designed by Henry Cotton and has strong par 3’s, which makes sense because Cotton was one of the best long-iron players ever. After golf dinner was enjoyed in the attractive hotel, and then Antonio drove back to the Dona Filipa.

Day 65  Play San Lorenzo                                         Drive San Lorenzo/Sotogrande, Spain

Play Valderrama (9 holes)

I was up at 6 am and drove a short distance to the San Lorenzo Golf Club (rated 100, designed by Lee and Roquemore 1987)(played September 1994). At 7:32 am my clubs were on a trolley, and I was a single player with the course to myself in mostly sunny weather, 70 degrees and no wind. On the seventh hole my heart started pumping real fast because a snotty British “lady” was walking two unleashed dogs on the fairway. One dog came charging directly at my ankles with a vicious snarl. The dog circled my legs for about two minutes with constant snarling, which I feared might turn into chewing on my leg. The owner stood by passively and made no attempt to call off her dog. After the animal became bored and walked off the owner said nothing, not even an apology. I had a few choice words for this “lady.”

At 11:15 am I was fortified by candy bars and bottled water provided by the generous Antonio and on my way to Spain. Unfortunately, Avis had no maps of Spain, and mine was missing. Thus I drove the 281-mile route to Sotogrande (now using pesetas) by memory from my 1994 trip. I drove as fast as possible because I wanted to play Valderrama late that afternoon in order to accelerate the schedule somewhat. My goal was to return to the U.S. via the Newark airport at 5 pm and not the distant Kennedy airport at 9 pm.

Arriving at 4:45 pm, I went to see the club general manager James Stewart (1994), who said I could play the back nine;  the front was closed for maintenance. It was now early July, and the Ryder Cup was to be played at Valderrama (rated 51, designed by R.T. Jones 1975)(played October 1994) in mid-September. With golf bag on shoulder I had the course to myself in 80-degree temperature, bright sun, and no wind.

Valderamma, courtesy of Russell Kirk / GOLFLINKS

After golf I went down the hill and over the newly expanded highway to Sotogrande and the guest house of Jimmy Patino (1994), the owner of Valderrama. Jimmy was not in residence, but I did have the pleasure of being with his son Felipe at a local restaurant for dinner that also included James and Connie Stewart. Felipe asked me how I would like to play the next day —  with a caddie, by myself, or with the head professional? I told him my favorite way was alone carrying my own bag.

Day 66  Play Valderrama (9 holes)      Drive Valderrama/Malaga    Fly Malaga/Valencia

Drive Valencia/El Saler                   Play El Saler

At 8 am I was on the first tee, and there was a sign that said the front nine was closed. Felipe had made sure that I would have the whole front nine to myself. Finishing just before 10 am I enjoyed refreshments with Felipe and James before racing 78 miles to the Malaga airport and dropping off the Avis car. During the planning of the trip PerryGolf had noted an early afternoon nonstop flight from Malaga to Valencia. However, I thought the schedule was too tight, so we booked later flights from Malaga to Madrid and then on to Valencia. By finishing Valderrama earlier than planned, I was now able to take Iberia directly to Valencia.

The 293-mile flight arrived at 2:30 pm. I had originally planned to take a taxi for the 17-mile trip to El Saler. However, I asked the Avis representative if she could provide good directions to El Saler so that I could rent one of her cars. She assured me that her directions were foolproof, so I rented a car. The directions were awful, and I became terribly lost. Fortunately I eventually found El Saler and checked into the Parador El Saler.

At 4:45 pm I convinced the non-English-speaking starter to grant me a waiver of the greens fee. I then went to the first tee and was able to join a man and two women. Campo de Golf El Saler (rated 60, designed by Arana 1967)(played July 1987) is a public course with a huge amount of play. I teed off in 80-degree weather, partly sunny, with wind howling at 20 to 25 mph. The course is directly on the Mediterranean, and half the holes are links and exposed to the elements. Play was very slow, and I was doubtful of finishing. Fortunately, my non-English speaking companions departed after nine holes, as did some of the players ahead. I finished at 8 pm as sunset was approaching.

One of the most pleasant surprises on the entire trip was the dramatic improvement in the condition of the El Saler course. When I played here in 1987 the course was a dog track in terms of  conditioning. In fact, I used El Saler as an example to show that not all courses needed to be in Augusta National condition to be rated in the World 100. Today I found a course in above- average condition, especially the greens. This is saying something because El Saler has massive greens that may be the largest in the world 100 (the seventeenth is 54 yards deep, and the eighteenth is 85 yards deep). I was so excited about this development that I wanted to congratulate someone connected to the course. Regrettably, there was no one around.

Before going to dinner, I called Gordon Dalgleish in Atlanta to tell him I was running ahead of schedule and ask if he could change the rest of my flights. Within an hour a fax was received from PerryGolf with the requested revisions. Dinner in the hotel was above average, and I felt satisfied with how well the day had developed.

Day 67  Drive El Saler/Valencia       Fly Valencia/Madrid       Fly Madrid/Paris(DeGaulle)

Drive airport/Senlis             Play Morfontaine

Arising at 5:45 am and with excellent directions from the hotel’s front desk, I quickly made my way back to the Valencia airport in light early-morning traffic. Luckily I was able to gain the attention of an Iberia reservations lady at an out-of-service window so that my ticket could be changed. I was originally going to play El Saler in the early morning and then fly on a very tight schedule to Barcelona and on to Paris. If all had gone well I would have reached the hotel in Senlis at about 11 pm.

The new schedule had a flight to Madrid on Iberia (177 miles) and then a transfer to Air France and on to Paris (661 miles and now dealing in francs). The rental car booth was commanded by a really surly young lady. It took about a half hour to process my simple reservation because some of the time was occupied by a personal phone call. Finally I leaped into the tiniest car I have ever driven — Citroen AX Image (diesel). If I had hit anything I would have been squashed like a bug.

Charging out of the airport, I headed north for 16 miles on the motorway in awful weather — 50 degrees and rain coming down in buckets. Under these conditions there was no way a sane person would even think about playing golf. Coming off the toll road at Senlis I stumbled upon my hotel (Ibis Senlis). Fortunately, I stopped to register and take possession of a room because they had no reservation in my name. I do not know what would have happened under the original schedule with an 11 pm arrival;  the hotel was fully occupied by 8 pm.

Of course, the hotel had no local map, and no one knew where the course was. I had been there in 1990 and received excellent directions at a local gas station. Going on memory and with a couple of wrong turns I found the small village of Mortefontaine just south of Senlis and finally the course. I went into the deserted clubhouse, and a nice young lady said I could play that day even though I was scheduled for the next day.

Golf de Morfontaine (rated 61, designed by Simpson 1927)(played two rounds June 1990) was another course for which Plan B was needed. After my original member contact did not respond, I called Baltusrol friend Mark Williams (1980), and he worked very hard to make the arrangements. In the meantime I wrote the club directly. After more than two months had elapsed, both avenues responded almost simultaneously.

At 3 pm a trolley was obtained from the caddiemaster. He and his wife then watched me unpack the bulky golf travel bag. He must have thought I was daft, and I was laughing at myself as I pulled on all my rain gear, including the recently purchased Aquavis, and headed for the first tee. Rain was still coming down heavily, and, needless to say, I had the whole course to myself. I finished in 2 hours and 15 minutes, and when I returned the trolley the caddiemaster kept asking me dix huit, dix huit? He was amazed that I had played all 18 holes in this cold and rainy weather in such a short period of time.

After golf I spent an absolutely pleasant and informative hour with Jean E. Dulout, directeur du golf. He has been associated with Morfontaine for almost 40 years, and his love for the club and the facilities was matched by his enthusiasm for the history of golf. I felt very privileged to meet and be able to discuss the history of Morfontaine with such a nice man. When I left he said that his friends called  him “Jimmy” and I was welcome to come back any time.

I would love to go there more often because Morfontaine is in such an enchanting setting that it truly is a “course of a life time.” Actually, if I spoke French I would make every effort to try to become a member. So as I walked to the car and drove down the narrow road through a forest of trees there was a glow on my face. The U.K, Ireland, and Continental part of  the trip could not have ended on a happier note.

Day 68  Drive Senlis/DeGaulle         Fly Paris/London(Heathrow) Fly London/Newark

I was up at 5:30 am to pack for the trip home. The temperature was about 50 degrees and the skies very overcast. It certainly would not have been much fun to play an early round under those conditions

The revised plane ticket was now DeGaulle/Heathrow/Newark. It was a good thing I had left plenty of time to get to the plane because the signs at the DeGaulle were terrible and I had great difficulty finding the British Airways terminal and the rental-car return. If I had been on the original very tight schedule of playing Morfontaine that morning and then racing to the airport in late-morning traffic, I think I would not have made it.

Remember I said you cannot plan enough. I learned something new on this trip. If you rent a car in a foreign country you had better be able to translate the rental-car-return sign if it is not in English. With much more time to spare I stopped at an airport hotel and found two helpful young employees. They gave me proper directions and said the signs with “Park de Louage” were for rental car return. Even with directions it was not easy to locate the final parking place for the tiny Citroen.

A British Air 757 took me on a short hop to Heathrow (216 miles and watch set back one hour), where I boarded a British Air 747 for a 6-hour and 55-minute 3,466-mile flight over the Atlantic Ocean to Newark (watch set back five hours and now using good old Yankee dollars). The weather at 90 degrees with sun, was substantially better than what I had left behind in France. The plane was packed, and there was a one-hour gap between touchdown and luggage arrival. A taxi delivered me to my Springfield condo, and I was finally in my own bed at 9:30 pm (3:30 am in France). Despite the 22-hour day I felt lucky because the original schedule had called for an  arrival at JFK at 9:10 pm. There is no telling when I would have reached home or how much it would have cost from that distant airport.

My luck continued. Exactly one week after my trip from Paris to Newark the British Air cabin crews went on a 72-hour union protest, and the carrier was forced to cancel half the scheduled flights.

Day 69              Open

The day was spent doing laundry (desperately needed) and reorganizing the last part of the trip. There were hotels, and host contacts to notify that only one room was needed because I had become a single player with the early release of my traveling companion. It was complicated because Bell Atlantic had crossed my phone line with that of a teenage girl, and I could not receive incoming calls directed to me. I did receive several calls from the girl’s boy friends, and they were not happy to have reached an old fogy. In addition, the cable company had neglected to activate the system and the TV did not work. Also, the dryer would not produce wrinkle-free golf shirts. Welcome home!

Day 70  Drive Springfield/Farmingdale, NY                                    Play Bethpage (Black)

Drive Farmingdale/Springfield

Thanks to Bill Bennett my car was parked in my Springfield garage when I arrived home the night before. So at 5:30 am I arose and drove 70 miles east past Kennedy Airport to Bethpage State Park on Long Island. I had to reprogram my right foot and reduce the pressure on the gas pedal after having raced around Scotland, England, Portugal, Spain, and France without much regard for the speed limits.

The World 100 course that should have been one of the easiest, if not the easiest, to schedule was the public-access Bethpage Black Course (rated 86, designed by Tillinghast 1935)(played July 1969). In my original ideal schedule I nonchalantly slotted Bethpage for late July with the other Long Island courses. I am not going to name any of the people involved in the arrangements because nothing worked as it was supposed to. From September 1996 through June 1997 more faxes and phone calls were made to pin down a starting time there than in arranging to play any other course on the list.

First, I found out the course was going to close in mid-July 1997 for one full year of renovation before the U.S. Open. I was amazed because the Open will be held there in 2002, and the shutdown started in July 1997. Consultation of my magnetic planning boards showed that the only date fitting my schedule for Bethpage was the second day after returning to the U.S. Then the question was how to arrange an early-morning guaranteed starting time on a busy weekend. I was given the name of a Bethpage Park official, who said he would send me the necessary permit to apply for a specific time. When the permit failed to arrive I attempted to reach him several times, but to no avail. I went back to my original contact, but nothing happened there either. Finally, during the early part of the trip, I turned the problem over to Arnold Langer (1994) of Sea Gate Travel, a semi-regular player at Bethpage. Arnold did the trick, but it was not until after returning to the States from France that I was sure Bethpage was under control.

The “sign” at Beth Page Black

The weather during the preceding week had been extremely hot and humid, and Arnold (a thin 68 year-old) decided he needed a caddie because the course is fairly hilly and the ground hard.  But there are no caddies at Bethpage, so Arnold had to make special arrangements. Unfortunately, two men appeared and insisted on carrying all four bags at $60 a bag. We tried to point out that this was a higher fee than one would pay at Pine Valley, but they were adamant. We considered the fee ridiculous, and, because the weather was not hot and humid on that early July day, we told the two guys to take a hike.

Then at the refreshment shack on the sixth tee a burly Bethpage Park employee appeared on an electric cart. He wanted $60 for having arranged for the caddies. At this point it became clear why the initial caddie rate was so high. My impulse was to tell this guy to take a hike too, but I did not want to risk being hustled off the course without finishing the round. So the park employee received his kickback. On the basis of my brief exposure to the machinations of the New York State Parks dominion, I wish the USGA luck in being able to battle successfully through this political and bureaucratic maze between now and 2002.

Thanks to Arnold, I was on the first tee for the 8:08 am tee time with him and two of  his friends, Brad Davis, a PGA member, and Jeff Haltman. We did not hit off until 8:16 and while waiting observed the following sign at the first tee: “WARNING: THE BLACK COURSE IS AN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT GOLF COURSE WHICH IS RECOMMENDED ONLY FOR HIGHLY SKILLED GOLFERS.” In bright sun with no clouds, no wind, and 65 degrees I was back in the U.S. and on the final leg of the trip. It had been six weeks since my last round in the U.S. and, not surprisingly that day would be the longest round of the trip. It took 3 hours to play the front nine and another 2 hours and 45 minutes to play the back nine. After this exhausting round I was back in my car retracing the route to Springfield.

TO BE CONTINUED

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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Video #9: Kingsbarns Golf Links, St Andrews, Scotland

Gordon Dalgleish

Golf dates to 1793 on the site where Kingsbarns Golf Links is found today, overlooking the North Sea 7 miles east of St Andrews.   Everything changed in 2000 when Kyle Phillips reinvented links golf with the opening here of the game’s first “modern classic” links layout.

Read more “Video #9: Kingsbarns Golf Links, St Andrews, Scotland”

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Around the Top 100 World – Day 51 to Day 60 / Ayrshire to Ascot

Gordon Dalgleish

Click here for trip summary & overview

Day 51  Drive Turnberry/Gullane                                                                 Play Muirfield

Instead of rising at the crack of dawn for the originally scheduled 7:30 am starting time we were able to have a relaxing breakfast in the hotel’s lovely dining room overlooking the golf course and out to the Irish Sea. It is one of the world’s best views from a hotel window. We then had a visit with the hotel director and general manager Christopher Rouse (1995). It turned out that the best person at Turnberry to talk to about the architecture of the courses was George Brown, manager of courses. Fortunately, George was available, and we had a very productive meeting.

We drove 121 miles north and then east past Edinburgh to the pro shop at the Gullane Golf Club. In making arrangements to play Muirfield Plan B had been employed. My initial member contact did not respond, and then I got lucky with a group of Edinburgh golfers coming to play Baltusrol in September 1996. David Kirkwood, member of Gullane, put me in touch with Archie Baird. In the 1992 “O” Archie’s famous golf museum (called The Heritage of Golf) was covered extensively.

Archie took us to lunch at the Gullane Golf Club. Then he and I were on the first tee at 2 pm as a twosome with golf bags on our shoulders and the course to ourselves. Dan was not allowed to play because Muirfield (rated 8, designed by Morris 1889 and remodeled by Colt and then Simpson)(first played October 1979 and again May 1992/total 3 rounds) does not permit three- or four-ball play on any afternoon. The weather was 65 degrees and mostly sunny and a light breeze. Archie wanted to play a friendly match, and he proved to be a fierce competitor with both  his clubs and his mouth. I did not stand a chance!

Archie was the perfect host. He knows an incredible amount about the design evolution of Muirfield. Equally impressive is his ability to turn a great phrase and even to spout poetry. We continued to benefit from his knowledge and enthusiasm with a tour of his museum and at dinner. Greywalls is a famous and impeccable Edwardian Scottish country hotel adjacent to the ninth green at Muirfield. Accompanied by Archie’s wife Sheila (granddaughter of the famous golfer and course architect Willie Park, Jr.) we enjoyed a gourmet meal with excellent service. The whole experience at Greywalls was one of the very best on the trip and put the Glassdrumman to shame. A good night’s sleep was obtained at the unpretentious Mallard Hotel.

Day 52  Drive Gullane/Glasgow                               Visit Brian Morgan’s Golf Photo Gallery

Drive Glasgow/St. Andrews                        Play St. Andrews (Old)

My book will be mostly text with a few pictures that demonstrate unique architectural features. Brian Morgan (1994) is acknowledged to be the most competent golf photographer in the world, and I am fortunate to know him. We had discussed an arrangement over the phone, and then I made arrangements to visit his office during the trip. So Dan and I drove 73 miles to Glasgow and met with Brian’s former wife Dorothy for five hours. She runs the office while Brian travels around the world taking golf pictures.

Old Course, courtesy of LC Lambrecht

Then we drove 86 miles to St. Andrews, where I checked into Waldon House, which is the R&A’s bed and breakfast adjacent to the eighteenth fairway of the Old Course. At 6 pm we wandered over to the starter’s booth at the Old Course (rated 5, original layout sixteenth century with no known designer)(first played October 1979 and last played September 1996/total 5 rounds) and were amazed to find a totally vacant first tee. Dan was dying to play the course, so I asked the starter if we could play then. He said certainly, so I produced my R&A card, which allows free play. An added benefit was that Dan’s 72-pound greens fee was reduced by 50 pounds because he was playing as my guest.

With clubs on shoulders we teed off in 60 degrees with overcast skies and 5-to 10-mph winds. We played the entire round unimpeded. As if on cue the sun came out on the thirteenth hole and bathed the whole course and the town in late-evening shadows. We finished at 9:30 pm and had a mediocre bar meal with excruciatingly slow service at a local pub.

Day 53  Play St. Andrews (Old)                                            Drive St. Andrews/Carnoustie

Play Carnoustie (Old)                                              Drive Carnoustie/Newburgh

Arranging to play the Old Course is difficult, even for an R&A member. Thanks to Euan MacGregor, finance and administration manager for the St. Andrews Links Trust, I was given a 6:50 am time, which was just before the field started. Euan had also arranged for Walter Woods to join me in a twosome. Walter just retired after 20 years as links supervisor for all five courses under the Links Trust. He is an excellent golfer, has an unrivaled knowledge of the Old Course, and gave us some valuable insights into the recent history of the course. Dan walked with us and particularly admired the way Walter raked the two bunkers he was in — efficiently and with a surgeon’s stroke.

We played the round with no wind, 60 degrees, and overcast skies. When we teed off there must have been 50 people surrounding the starter’s booth. Many were single players hoping to fill in for a no show. Our round was completed at 9:45 am, so within 12 hours I had finished two unimpeded rounds on one of the busiest courses in the world carrying my own bag.

Dan and I then drove north for 24 miles to Carnoustie (rated 21, designed by Robertson 1842 and remodeled by Braid)(this was my first links course played October 1979 and again May 1992/total 2 rounds). We said hello to David Curtis, Secretary of the Carnoustie Golf Club, which is a separate entity from the municipally run golf course. After lunch the club historian Bill Coupar spent some time with us.

At 2:30 pm Dan and I were off the first tee as a twosome in 60 degrees, 5 mph, overcast with a threat of rain. Play was slow; two Englishman joined us on the ninth green; and then it rained on holes 11 through 15. We finished in the gloom at 6:30 pm. Then we talked with the course superintendent John Philp for one hour. We would have talked to him longer because he was full of knowledge and enthusiasm about the architecture of the course, but we had a long trip ahead of us.

At 7:30 pm we left Carnoustie and immediately stopped for some traditional Scottish cuisine — fish and chips. We nibbled at the food while driving 85 miles in heavy rain and fog through Aberdeen to the village of Newburgh and the Udny Arms Hotel. At 10:30 pm I registered, and Dan went down the road to a bed and breakfast. After hauling my luggage to the third floor I collapsed and fell fast asleep.

At 11:45 pm I shot awake with the ringing of the phone. It was the front desk demanding to know where my traveling companion was. I told them two things: 1) the reservation had been canceled several weeks before and 2) they had no business calling my room at 11:45 pm to make such an inquiry! I pointed out that they could have made the inquiry when I was checking in. Then I tried to go back to sleep and was immediately hit by severe cramps in the backs of both upper legs. After doing battle for the next half hour the cramps went away, but sleep did not resume until about 2 am.

Day 54  Play Cruden Bay                                                      Drive Cruden Bay/Skibo Castle

I  was up at 6 am and told the front-desk clerk I was not going to pay for my room because the hotel did not provide the environment for the basic service of a decent night’s sleep. I also said that it would be appropriate for the hotel to write me a letter of apology if the room had indeed been canceled in the proper manner.

Subsequently it was determined that the room had definitely been canceled according to the official policy established by the hotel and there was a written record of such cancellation. Not surprisingly, when I returned to the U.S. I found the room charge on my credit card statement and no letter of apology. I will not bore you with the subsequent correspondence with the self-righteous hotel manager Jennifer Craig, who strongly claims never to have made a mistake. Suffice it to say that the hotel can now be referred to as the  “Ugly Arms.”

Now back to the golf. Dan and I drove five miles north to the Cruden Bay Golf Club (rated 99, designed by Fowler and Simpson 1925)(played one round July 1992). In the car park the weather was foggy, drizzly, windy, and cool. I decided to pack the golf bag with a complete set of foul weather gear, and we set out at 8:30 am with bags on our shoulders. Some of the holes at Cruden Bay are extremely hilly and the walk between the eighth green and the ninth tee is like climbing the Swiss Alps. The sun came out early in the round, and the temperature rose to 70 degrees. With 36 holes the previous day, the long drive, the Ugly Arms special treatment, and an unnecessary heavy golf bag, I was pooped by the end of the round.

After lunch at the club we drove 156 miles north to Dornoch, where Dan said goodbye. (He played 46 holes in drenching rain at Royal Dornoch from 5:30 pm to 10:47 pm and then drove to Glasgow where he hit the hay at 3 am.)  I drove to the nearby Carnegie Club at Skibo Castle for the night. The first thing I did upon arrival was to request laundry service because I was down to my last you know what.

In 1994 I was at Skibo before the official opening and ate dinner with just three other people in the main dining room at a long table that could easily have held 30 people. In 1995 I returned after the club was officially opened and ate at the same table with nine other people. In 1997 the bustle of activity throughout the entire complex was noticeable. Not only was the main dining table entirely occupied, but a side table holding ten was also full. What amazed me was the proliferation of young people (one American had his wife and four children ages 18 through 25 along). It was pleasing to see the realization of owner Peter de Savary’s hard work and dream.

Day 55  Play Royal Dornoch                                     Drive Dornoch/Loch Lomond

I was up at 5:30 am and on the first tee of the Royal Dornoch Golf Club (rated 13, designed by Morris 1886 and remodeled by Sutherland and then Duncan)(first played September 1986 and again July 1992/total 6 rounds). The weather was miserable — cold, windy, rainy. I played by myself and pulled a trolley.

After golf I had a long talk with the club secretary John Duncan and then another long talk with  Willie Skinner, head professional for 24 years. At dinner the previous night Allan Grant, Skibo golf secretary, had made arrangements for me to meet with two of the older Dornoch members who were knowledgeable about the course architecture, John Grant and Tommy McCulloch, and I had a very informative chat with them.

I returned to the Castle and had lunch with the club golf professional Willie Milne. We were going to play 18 holes on the Carnegie Links, but a two-hour-long downpour made that plan inoperative. Instead I started south on a 221-mile scenic drive and was exposed to high Scottish mountains and some beautiful lochs.

Royal Dornoch Golf Club, Scotland

Unfortunately, the trip was partially marred by overcast skies and frequent rain showers.

The long tour delivered me to the Lodge on Loch Lomond at 7 pm. At the reception area I was asked if I wished a dinner reservation. Giving an affirmative answer, I was told 9 pm was the first available time. Because the hotel restaurant also did business with non-hotel guests I asked why paying $130 for a room did not entitle me to a preferred time. Not receiving a satisfactory answer I went into the dining room and was pleased to find several empty tables. Pointing this out to the management of the hotel did immediately produce a table. However, in order to charge the meal to my room I had to surrender my room key to the maitre d’ until I signed the check after the meal. For all this aggravation  I received an average meal with average service.

Day 56  Play Loch Lomond                                                   Drive Loch Lomond/Ganton

I woke up at 6 am and threw open the curtains to find very dark skies, light rain, and strong winds. I met playing companion Colin Dalgleish (he runs the part of PerryGolf located in Scotland) at a little after 7 am outside the temporary clubhouse of Loch Lomond Golf Club (rated 44, designed by Weiskopf and Morrish 1994)(played two rounds July 1995). We were scheduled to have the first tee time at 7:30 am, but eight eager Americans were approaching the first tee. Luckily they permitted us to hit off first, and we sped around in two hours and 45 minutes carrying our own bags.

Even though the weather threatened all the way around and we wore rain gear, it hardly rained. The temperature remained in the 50’s, and on the exposed parts of the course the wind blew 25 mph. However, because many of the holes are sheltered by many tall and thick trees there was not a constant battle with the wind.

After a quick early lunch I spoke briefly with the head professional Colin Campbell (the day had been arranged by Michael Daswick of the Lyle Anderson Group in Arizona). Then Colin and I had an extensive tour of the impressive new clubhouse facilities by Keith Williams. Keith arrived at Loch Lomond in February 1997 to direct construction after having done the same thing with a multimillion-dollar expansion and modernization of Wentworth near London.

Then I drove 268 miles southeast to England (Yorkshire) and the small village of Ganton near the city of Scarborough. During the trip the skies continued ominous with occasional heavy showers. I arrived at the Ganton Greyhound at 5:30 pm in a heavy downpour. The chief Greyhound was the burly owner Terry Bennett. He showed me to a room overlooking the busy main road. I asked if there was something quieter and was strongly informed that all the rooms were taken. However, Terry did assure me the traffic noise would die down later in the evening. He was correct on that score, but he forgot to mention that my room was directly over the public bar. In Japan I was subjected to paper thin walls and now at the Greyhound I was resting on a paper thin floor. The noise level from the crowded bar increased with each passing hour, and I finally fell asleep in the wee hours of the morning.

Day 57  Play Ganton                                                              Drive Ganton/Lytham St. Annes

I was up at 6:30 am on a cold day with no heat in the room and no hot water. Breakfast service began at 8 am, but there was a sign saying “A continental breakfast may be taken earlier if requested the previous day.” You would have thought I was asking for the crown jewels when I inquired about receiving the continental breakfast.

At 8:15 am I was on the nearby first tee of the Ganton Golf Club (rated 67, designed by Dunn 1891 and remodeled by Vardon, Colt, Hutchinson, Fowler, Ray, Braid, Hilton, Cotton)(played September 1985) with a pickup member arranged by the friendly caddiemaster. It was 60 degrees, no wind, and misty. Light rain fell occasionally throughout the round.

Arrangements for this day had been made by the club secretary Major R.G. Woolsey, who had sent along several pages of course history before the trip started. After golf, the assistant club secretary Mrs. Jean Matthewman provided more written data and sandwiches. Then it took about three hours to drive the 138 miles due west across country from Ganton to Lytham St. Annes. At the Chadwick Hotel in St. Annes I had dinner with John Twissell (1985), who had made arrangements for golf the next day.

Day 58  Play Royal Lytham              Drive Lytham/Southport                    Play Royal Birkdale

At 7:15 am I arrived at Royal Lytham (rated 58, designed by Lowe 1886 and remodeled by Simpson, Fowler, Colt, Morrison, Cotton, Steel)(first played September 1985 and last played May 1989/total 3 rounds) and found John Twissell and our host Dr. Steven Reid. Steven was recently captain of the club, has written a course history of County Sligo (Rosses Point) in Ireland, and is very knowledgeable about the Lytham course history. Before play one of the crises of the trip had to be addressed. The wings on my collapsible long putter were constantly coming loose with tightening required. I bit the bullet and asked a nice young man in the pro shop to give the implement a sound tightening. He obliged, and the problem disappeared for the rest of the trip.

We teed off on that late June day with the sky partly sunny, the temperature in the high 50’s, and a wind of about 10 mph. Lytham is a true links course, but no body of water is anywhere in sight. Considerable discussion centered on how far away the water was that once covered the course. The answer is about 800 yards.

After the round and lunch in the main dining room I went to see the club secretary Lytton Goodwin  to ask him to call Royal Birkdale to see if I could play there that afternoon. I wanted to reshuffle the deck to take advantage of the good weather and also avoid the killing schedule I had set for the following day (a doubleheader of Birkdale and Liverpool plus a long drive to Woodhall Spa). The answer was affirmative.

I then drove 40 miles to Southport and found Royal Birkdale (rated 26, designed by Low 1889 and remodeled by Hawtree)(first played September 1985 and last played May 1989/total 3 rounds). The club secretary Norman Crewe was most cordial, and we had a long talk about the rebuilding of the Birkdale greens. At 5 pm I was out on the course by myself pulling a trolley. It was 55 degrees, partly sunny, and 20 mph. Play was somewhat slow on the front nine.

Royal Lytham Golf Club, courtesy of Russell Kirk/GOLFLINKS

On the tenth tee I was joined by host Gordon Jeffrey (1989), who was captain of the R&A in 1995. Gordon had arranged a foursome for the next morning but was understanding when I told him about wanting to accelerate the schedule. On the back nine Gordon acted as caddie by pulling my trolley. The early-evening shadows outlining the tremendous sand dunes at Birkdale were a bonus. Gordon then took me to dinner, where I was able to thank him and Birkdale for adapting smoothly to my new schedule. I was at the Scarisbrick Hotel by 10:30 pm.

Day 59  Drive Southport/Hoylake    Play Royal Liverpool     Drive Hoylake/Woodhall Spa

I was up at 6 am for a 33-mile drive south through the Liverpool tunnel and out to the town of Hoylake. At 8 am I met with Royal Liverpool (rated 82, designed by Morris and Chambers 1869 and remodeled by Colt and then Pennink)(first played September 1985 and last played May 1989/total 5 rounds) club secretary Group Captain Christopher Moore. Member John Behrend (1989) had made the initial introduction to the club on my behalf. At 9 am I was on the first tee with member Dr. John Graham, who is a good friend of Lytton Goodwin. The weather was 45 degrees, partly sunny, and 15 to 20 mph. On the downwind 374-yard par-4 second hole came the shot of the trip. After I hit a 9-iron second shot, neither John nor I could see where the ball finished up because a bunker lip hid part of the green. When we arrived at the green the ball was nowhere in sight, so I looked in the cup and there it was — eagle two!

After lunch with John I drove 198 miles south and east to the village of Woodhall Spa. This is not an easy place to get to, and I was grateful not to have had to do the navigating in the dark as called for by the original schedule. At the Golf Hotel an average dinner was presented, but the sleep was restful.

Day 60  Play Woodhall Spa                                                        Drive Woodhall Spa/Ascot

After a 7:20 am continental breakfast I drove about 500 yards to the entrance of the Woodhall Spa Golf Club (rated 29, designed by Hotchkin and Hutchinson 1926)(played two rounds September 1985) clubhouse and was greeted by manager Ben Fawcett. He offered a caddie, but I said playing alone was preferrable. At 8 am I set off in full foul-weather gear pulling a trolley in 55 degrees with no wind, and light rain. This is a heavily tree-lined course, and after each of the first 12 holes I was able to huddle under a few of them to write my notes with a ball-point pen. A felt-tip pen does not work if the least bit of moisture is present. Fortunately, I had one ball-point pen with me.

Rain poured down heavily during the last six holes, so the umbrella came out and I wrote my notes while juggling the umbrella in a steady breeze. Coming down the eighteenth hole I was moving very slowly and felt about as tired as at any time during the trip.

A quick change had me looking presentable for a long discussion and an enjoyable lunch with the club president Neil Hotchkin. He had inherited the club and the surrounding land 40 years before and had recently sold the club to the English Golf Union (EGU) to be used as its national training center for amateur golfers. Neil has been active in the EGU for many years.

The route out of Woodhall Spa is not any easier than the route in. After 11 different junctions and 4 hours (178 miles) in pouring rain and medium-to-heavy traffic I arrived on the western outskirts of London and the Cottage Inn in Maidens Green. There I was informed that my reservation was not reconfirmed and therefore no room was available. They then arranged for a room in the next town, and I maneuvered my way to Ascot Place, a bed and breakfast just across the street from the Ascot race course. Unfortunately, there was a dog in the house with a loud bark that was in evidence until midnight.

An excellent “bar” meal was enjoyed at the nearby Rose & Crown in Windsor. The service was superior, and there was no pretense of seeking a tip.

TO BE CONTINUED
 

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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Video #8 / Cruden Bay Golf Club, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Gordon Dalgleish

Tom Doak will point out that proper course routing follows the same path a person would take on a walk through the original property.   In 1926, Tim Simpson agreed.  His redesign of Old Tom Morris’ work at Cruden Bay produced a circuit that meanders all over the place.  Golf Magazine’s world #83 was Read more “Video #8 / Cruden Bay Golf Club, Aberdeenshire, Scotland”

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Around the Top 100 World – Day 41 to Day 50 / Adelaide to Ayrshire

Gordon Dalgleish

Click here for trip summary & overview

Day 41  Play Royal Adelaide

At 7:40 am a taxi drove me four miles to Seaton and Royal Adelaide (rated 63, designed by  Gardiner 1904 and remodeled by Mackenzie). It hardly ever rains in Adelaide, but that day rain was pelting down, the wind was blowing hard, the temperature was 55 degrees, and the skies were dark. I was greeted by a most friendly young lady in the pro shop. She said I was welcome to start play by myself. With the weather so bad I told her I might wait until the skies cleared. She then informed me that this was ladies’ day and a steady stream of players would be starting shortly. I could not believe that anyone would play in this weather, but sure enough the first group appeared right on time. I rushed to put on golf shoes and headed for the first tee with the golf bag on a hand trolley. At the first tee the rain ceased.

Even though the terrain is fairly flat this proved to be a very tiring round. I was constantly taking off and putting on a jacket as the wind and temperature fluctuated. I kept my rain pants on for the entire day. There was a fierce, but short rain squall accompanied by high winds on the fourteenth hole. The first foursome of ladies was on my heels the whole day as I tried to record detailed course notes while playing and changing clothes.

Afterwards I had a nice chat with the young greens superintendent Mark Prosser. He went there from Royal Melbourne three years before and has done an excellent job. The greens putted reasonably fast and very true. The fairway lies were excellent and the bunkers well maintained. Michael was very inquisitive, and we had a long chat. The club is hosting the Australian Open in 1998, and a few minor modifications in the course have been recommended by Peter Thomson. Michael then produced the club’s centenary book (1892-1992) for me to read.

A while later the manager/secretary Bruce Scott (1987) appeared, and I had an informative chat with him about Mackenzie and the course architecture. In 1926 the club heard that the Doctor was in Perth on a boat headed for Melbourne. They persuaded him to stop for a few hours at Adelaide. At the front entrance he announced his fee was 250 pounds payable in advance. In 1926 this was a substantial sum of money and not available out of petty cash. Apparently the money was found, and Mackenzie spent the rest of the day looking over the property. He came back for a longer stay and submitted a plan. The recommended new course outline was framed and is currently displayed on the club’s walls. Amazingly, not all of the Mackenzie recommendations were implemented because there was great debate within the club over the next several years. Today Royal Adelaide is a mixture of the original 1923 Seaton course, Mackenzie, and to a lesser extent Thomson and Wolveridge.

A taxi took me back to the motel, where I was pleased to find a washer and dryer for guest use. Not knowing when laundry service would next be available, I could not pass up that opportunity. A mediocre evening meal was served in the motel’s dining room.

Day 42  Fly Adelaide/Perth/Johannesburg/Durban

At 7:30 am, with rain coming down, the motel van took me to the airport, where I boarded a Qantas 737-300 for a 3-hour-and-10-minute 1,317-mile flight to Perth. There I set my watch back 1 ½ hours. At 11:30 am a Qantas 747-400 was airborne to Johannesburg on a 10-hour-and 15-minute 5,173-mile flight over the Indian Ocean. My watch was set back another six hours. Although the whole plane was only about 60 percent full, every seat in my upper-deck business class section was taken. This flight goes every other day and, luckily for me, went the day that best fit my schedule.

We arrived in Johannesburg on time, and I was able to obtain a flight earlier than planned to Durban (South African Air 311 miles one hour). At the airport I was met by John-Terry Lloyd (1988) and Greg Larson (1993). After a quick freshening up at the Edward Hotel it was off to dinner at the Durban Country Club with John (former club captain), Greg (former club captain), David Suddards (club captain), John Swain (club president), Barry King (former club captain), and Alf Sudheim (club manager). Everyone but Alf was accompanied by his wife. It was a relaxing time for me, and I was back in the hotel by 10:30 pm and a good night’s sleep. (On this leg of the trip I had flown 6,801 miles and been awake almost 24 hours.)

Day 43            Play Durban Country Club                                                 Fly Durban/London

At 8:45 am I was on the first tee of this very busy course with John-Terry Lloyd and David Suddards (played in several British Amateurs and reached the finals once). My caddie, Michael, was shoeless for comfort. The Indian Ocean was visible. The weather was 75 degrees and partly cloudy with no wind. Durban Country Club (rated 72, designed by Waters and Waterman 1922 and remodeled by Hotchkin)(played November 1988) has the distinction of being the only World 100 course with  monkeys frolicking around it.

After lunch John took me across the street to the 50,000-seat King’s Park stadium for my first live view of a professional rugby match. The local team, Natal Sharks, was playing the Western Province Lions. Natal won, and with very detailed instructions from John I grasped some, but certainly not all, of the nuances of rugby. Then John took me to the airport for my 10 ½-hour 5,931-mile flight on a British Airways 747-400 to London.

The schedule had allowed for an extra day in Durban in case I did not arrive on time or bad weather caused play cancellation. I had alerted John to Plan B, which was to leave the same day  we were first scheduled to play. As you have seen, everything went so smoothly that Plan B was activated. Actually Plan B had a better flight schedule, with the London-bound plane originating in Durban so that there was no change of planes in Johannesburg. Alf made all the arrangements and then faxed PerryGolf in Scotland and Atlanta to inform them of the revised schedule.

Day 44  Arrive London                      Fly London/Glasgow  , Scotland     Drive Airport/Troon

Play Royal Troon (Old)       Drive Troon/Stranraer

After arrival in London at 8 am (watch set back 2 hours and now using Britain pounds sterling), there was an easy transfer for the one-hour 345-mile flight to Glasgow. A Toyota four-door Carina with manual shift was obtained at Eurodollar Rent A Car. There had been some body damage to the rear door and rear panel, and these were noted on a form. (If you do not check your rental car extra carefully at the beginning you could have big trouble when it is returned.) After all the paperwork was completed I sped 48 miles south to the village of Troon adjacent to the Irish Sea.

The Postage Stamp at Royal Troon Golf Club, courtesy of LC Lambrecht

It was not until February that a problem with Royal Troon had  become apparent. I had relied on a member to advise me of the situation, and unfortunately he made no effort to ascertain the true circumstances. However, in the end I have no one to blame but myself. Knowing that the club was going to hold an international event, I should have checked directly to see about unusual guest-play restrictions.  Royal Troon was hosting The Open in July 1997, and because of guest-play problems before the last Open there, severe restrictions were put in place for the 1997 Open. After many faxes, it turned out that the only day that fit their schedule and mine was my first day in the UK.

Now I was at Royal Troon (Old Course rated 36, designed by Hunter 1878 and remodeled by Fernie, Braid, Mackenzie, and Morrison)(played September 1986) a day early. In the club reception area I found three efficient and understanding staff members as well as the club secretary John Montgomerie (father of Colin). I was directed to the luncheon area and then was able to tee off at 2:30 pm pulling a trolley and playing with an American and an Australian.

The weather was partly sunny, the temperature was about 60 degrees, and a strong 15-mph crosswind was blowing on that early June day. This was my first true links course of the trip, and there was some necessary mental adjustment to the absolutely flat and featureless terrain before me. In the middle of the round the weather turned ugly, with heavy rain and stronger winds than at the start. Note taking had to stop, and all rain gear was put into force. The famous par-3 Postage Stamp 120-yard eighth hole played directly into a 20-mph wind and rain. A six iron was used. Later I was told this was the first meaningful rain at Troon for the past two months.

We played in exactly three hours and afterwards had a refreshment in the comfortable club bar. There I learned that my Australian companion Bruce Johnson was president of the Lakes Golf Club in Sydney and knew David Burton at New South Wales and Bill Richardson at Royal Melbourne, two people I had been with in Australia just a few days before. Golf is indeed a small world.

I then drove 56 miles south to the small town of Stranraer and the North West Castle Hotel. I was a day ahead of the original schedule, but Cameron Reid in the Helensburgh office of PerryGolf  rescheduled the room reservations for the next four nights. It was now 9 pm, and the option was dinner or bed. I chose the bed because I had been awake for 36 hours.

Day 45  Ferry Stranraer/Belfast, Northern Ireland Drive Belfast/Ballybunion, Ireland

The original plan had a flight Durban/London/Shannon and this part of the trip starting with play at Ballybunion. The aforementioned situation with Royal Troon caused the schedule to be altered. Early on I decided that even if one course had to be changed I would do anything possible not to change any other part of the schedule. Hence the long trip from Scotland through Northern Ireland and the entire width of Ireland to Ballybunion.

At 9 am I drove on to a SeaCat ferry for the 90-minute ride across the Irish Sea to Belfast. Heavy fog slowed the trip somewhat. Then it took six hours to drive 287 miles between Belfast and Ballybunion. The road system is notoriously poor in the Republic of Ireland, and you cannot plan on going any faster than 40 mph. I arrived at the Marine Links Hotel in early-evening gloom and fog. The windows in my small room were rattling from the strong wind, and rain was pelting down. An above-average meal was had in the hotel dining room. The service was excellent, as it was from all the staff during my entire stay.

Day 46  Play Ballybunion (Old)

The official schedule called for playing Ballybunion (Old Course rated 12, designed by Murphy 1906 and remodeled by Simpson)(first played May 1984 and last played May 1992/total 4 rounds) at 6:50 am the next morning, driving to Lahinch, and playing there at 3 pm. Despite very heavy rain, high wind, and cool temperatures I decided to play Ballybunion as soon as possible. There was no telling how the weather would be the next day and I certainly did not want to play a doubleheader in those weather conditions.

Thus I was at the Ballybunion clubhouse at 7 am and found the first tee crowded with four American foursomes. After an informative chat with the head professional Brian O’Callaghan I was sent out with a father-and-son twosome from Sweden. At 7:30 am I was in full rain gear with my golf bag on my shoulder. The weather was atrocious — cold, heavy rain, strong wind. Even worse, the round took forever because the American group in front of us thought they were playing in a major championship — continual club-selection consultation with caddies, four practice swings on every shot, and then the search for balls after the many inevitable wayward shots.

The locals said there had been no rain there for the past six weeks and it had turned bad only the day before. But how could I complain about the weather because this really was only the fourth bad day of the trip and I was still able to get the job done. After the round I had a long talk with the secretary/manager Jim McKenna.

Returning to the hotel, I asked for a barber shop. An appointment was made, and I walked a few blocks and was greeted by a pleasant young lady. The cut was so short that the hair at the back of my head could not be combed, and gave me the appearance of a rooster. The benefit was that I no longer had to worry about hair in my eyes while playing golf, and I definitely would not need another haircut during the rest of the trip. (Actually the next cut came eight days after the end of the trip.)

Dan Turner arrived, and I took him to the course so that he could enjoy a round in the miserable conditions. We then had a good meal at the hotel.

Day 47  Drive Ballybunion/Lahinch  Play Lahinch (Old)         Drive Lahinch/Dublin

At 6:30 am we drove to the Tarbert/Shannon Ferry, which is the best way to cross the Shannon Estuary and avoid driving through Limerick on the way to the village of Lahinch. After the 46- mile trip we were at the Lahinch Golf Club (Old Course rated 73, designed by Morris 1893 and remodeled by Mackenzie)(played May 1992) at 9 am. We were scheduled to play at 3 pm, but starter Paul Smith maneuvered us around a group of Korean players, and we even had the course to ourselves as a twosome with our golf bags on our shoulders. The weather was 55 degrees and overcast with a light breeze.

After golf we visited with the secretary/manager Allan Reardon (1992), who told us an interesting story about how most of the Mackenzie-designed greens had been leveled by a member in the mid-1950s. This explains why the Lahinch greens lack the character of typical Mackenzie greens. The club does not have the money or the time to restore the greens because the course receives very heavy play.

Ballybunion – Courtesy of LC Lambrecht

In the early afternoon Dan was formally introduced to the “main road” between Limerick and Dublin as we drove 172 miles to the Deer Park Hotel in Hawth just north of Dublin. An average meal was served in the hotel dining room.

Day 48  Play Portmarnock                      Drive Portmarnock/Newcastle, Northern Ireland

At 10 am we arrived at the Portmarnock Golf Club (rated 38, designed by Ross 1894 and remodeled by Pickeman and Hawtree)(first played May 1984 and again May 1992/total 2 rounds). My long- time contact there was James McCarthy, but he was ill that day. We went in to see the secretary/manager John Quigley to thank him for arranging our play. (Portmarnock has limited tee times for visitors.) We were then introduced to playing partners Morris Buckley and Ivor Bailey. Morris is the honorary secretary at Portmarnock, which turns out to be a very important position at all golf clubs in Ireland. It is multi-year in duration and provides decision- making stability for the club as various members pass through the club offices.

By 11 am we had our clubs on trolleys and played in 55 degrees with light wind and overcast skies. Even though other players were on the course we played the entire round without being bothered. Following refreshments Ivor led us out on the back roads to the “main road” north. The route took us 94 miles over the border to Northern Ireland, through Newry, and on to the village of Annalong.

Our destination was the Glassdrumman Lodge, which turned out to be a high-end 10-room bed and breakfast. There was a very expensive fixed-price dinner. I ordered lamb chops and was served two overdone and tough tiny chops the size of dimes. The rest of the plate overflowed with vegetables that only a true vegetarian could love. The service started out efficiently and personably, but when a large group of nonresidents arrived we were almost forgotten. My room was directly over the front door, and the noisy group of nonresidents made their exit known when they departed at midnight. As I paid the $190-per-person bill the next morning, I noticed a large sign with bold letters announcing “gratuities are accepted.” That is how you know you are staying at a pseudo-sophisticated establishment that caters to rich American tourists.

Day 49  Play Royal County Down                                                    Drive Newcastle/Portrush

At 8 am we were on the road for the 20-mile drive to Newcastle and the Royal County Down Golf Club (rated 10, designed by Morris 1891 and remodeled by Dunn and then Vardon)(played two rounds May 1984). My initial contact was member Charles Adams, who winters in Naples, Florida, and referred to my trip as an orgy. Unfortunately he was not available, and Harry McCaw (1996 R&A Captain) was brought in as a substitute. Harry was the ultimate Irish host, and we had a great day on the course and in the clubhouse.

On this mid-June day we teed off in cloudy 60-degree weather with a light breeze. We had the course to ourselves and enjoyed playing through some towering dunes and soaking in the ambience of the Irish Sea and especially the Mourne Mountains.

Saturday is an institution at County Down, with many of the Belfast members coming down for refreshments, a noon meal, and eventually golf. We circulated in the bar and particularly enjoyed meeting the past captain John Edwards and the current secretary Peter Rolph. After a late lunch Harry invited us to his house, which is just past the eighteenth hole. There we enjoyed viewing some of his memorabilia from his year as R&A Captain. It was a perfect way to end our short stay at County Down.

We then drove 102 miles north past Belfast and on to the town of Portrush. The road system in Northern Ireland is clearly superior to the “road system” in the Republic. It is said that this is the case because the British feel they can more easily catch IRA members if the roads are good. We reached the Royal Court Hotel, which overlooks the Royal Portrush courses and the Irish Sea. Dan went off to play an early evening round of golf, and I went to sleep without having had dinner.

Day 50  Play Royal Portrush (Dunluce)    Drive Portrush/Belfast    Ferry Belfast/Stranrarer

Drive Stranraer/Turnberry          Play Turnberry (Alisa)

Fortunately the hotel had the cold part of the breakfast set up before the prescribed time, and we had a most friendly elderly waitress. We were at the course for our 8 am starting time, which had been arranged by the club secretary Wilma Erskine. During the planning stage Brian Gallagher of the Malone Golf Club was helpful in first establishing contact.

We had our bags on trolleys in a nippy 50 degrees, partly sunny with a 10-mph wind. No one was ahead of us on the Dunluce Course (rated 15, designed by Colt 1920)(played May 1984). After play we said hello to Mrs. Erskine and then enjoyed a substantial Sunday noon meal in the club’s dining room. Then we drove 67 miles to the ferry terminal near downtown Belfast. The 30-mile ferry trip took 75 minutes to Straraner, where we arrived at 6 pm.

Not many golfers know about the landscape just south of Turnberry. In an absolutely perfect early-evening setting with bright sun framing the Irish Sea on one side and the hilly countryside on the other, we breezed up the coastline for one hour to Turnberry. This 37-mile drive is almost as exciting as the drive south of Carmel along the Pacific Coast Highway.

Aerial view of famous Turnberry Lighthouse, Scotland

During the drive I mentioned to Dan that maybe we should attempt to play our round at Turnberry that evening instead of early the next morning. Because the next day’s schedule was going to be hectic, completing the round that evening made sense. But the real benefit would be to experience the course (Alisa Course rated 16, designed by Ross 1947)(first played May 1984 and again July 1995/total 6 rounds) bathed in the evening sun and shadows.

Upon arriving we went straight to the pro shop, where we were told by the friendly staff that the course was ours. So the clubs immediately came out of the car trunk (boot in the U. K.) and onto our shoulders. What a  memorable evening! The bright sun slowly gave way to beautiful evening shadows and rich colors that highlighted the hotel on the hillside, Alisa Craig, the lighthouse, the war memorial, and the distant islands. The air was cool (60 degrees), the wind was blowing 15 mph, waves were crashing in the Irish Sea, and a full moon was visible. As if on cue the bagpiper started to play by the hotel, and the sounds covered the entire course.

Finishing at 10:30 pm in total darkness we then went to register and were told that the U.S. Open was still on the telly. So we spent the next one and a half hours with room-service food and beverage watching Els finish off Montgomerie and Lehman. At midnight we could reflect on a full day: playing 18 holes in Northern Ireland and another 18 in Scotland and then seeing the final holes of our Open. This was the co-highlight of the trip (along with the Pebble/Cypress day) because we had played the fifteenth- and sixteenth-best courses in the world in one day. There is no way this day could have been planned, and the spontaneity of its last part  made it even more special.

TO BE CONTINUED

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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