Category: Local Knowledge

Hickory Golf Experience

PerryGolf Staff

[singlepic id=20 w=320 h=240 float=]With so many excellent courses in the St. Andrews area, you can easily stay for a week at the one spot and work your way around all of the great courses.  An idea for something different for your group to try is the unique Kingarrock Hickory Golf Experience which is played over 9 holes at and is a fantastic way to see and experience how golfers used to play 100 years ago.  You will be provided with original hickory clubs, an original canvas and leather bag, together with balls and tees.  Located about 20 minutes from St. Andrews, this is an ideal way to spend the afternoon.  Can be arranged for both small and large groups.

By Denise McKee.  Denise has been with PerryGolf for over 13 years and is a member of our admin team.

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Champany Inn

PerryGolf Staff

One of the restaurants we have booked for clients for many years is the Champany Inn in Linlithgow.  It is just 40 minutes from the centre of Edinburgh and has long had a great reputation as being one of the best restaurants in the country…especially for steaks!  As a treat for a recent Anniversary I finally made reservations to dine there and I was not disappointed.

The restaurant has a very homely atmosphere and is set in converted farm buildings – they actually now have two restaurants; we ate in the Chop & Ale House.  The menu is fairly basic as their focus is on the quality of the produce…and you can tell.  Also available is the main dining room which is more formal and has a larger menu.  Not to be forgotten, within the building is an outstanding wine cellar which is also worth a visit.

We started with chicken liver pate and chorizo which is made from scratch on-site and was excellent but that was just the teaser.  For the main course we had rib eye and T-bone steak; both chargrilled and easily the best I have ever tasted.  The steaks were nicely seared on the outside and incredibly succulent inside.  I had also heard that their cheesecake was very good so we managed to find the space to share a slice to finish off what is one of the most enjoyable meals I have ever had.

A recent addition is that they now have some rooms available so, while they are not a conventional hotel and more of a restaurant with rooms, you can fully indulge in the experience and have a great farmhouse-style breakfast the following morning…although  I do suggest good long walk beforehand to build up your appetite.

By Alastair Niven.  Alastair has been with PerryGolf for over 12 years and is of our Golf Travel Specialists.

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The Adamson, St Andrews

PerryGolf Staff

[singlepic id=18 w=320 h=240 float=]Just spent a weekend in St. Andrews enjoying plenty of golf and eating out.  St. Andrews has a great selection of restaurants and added to their list this year is The Adamson.  I enjoyed a fantastic dinner there; they have a great menu choice with a big emphasis on fresh locally sourced food and staff offering a great service.  The building on South Street was originally a Post Office, and it has taken a year for them to convert it into this fantastic restaurant which is a great blend of chic and relaxing resulting in a very special atmosphere.  Definitely worth a visit on your next trip to St. Andrews.

By Gary Sheppard.  Gary has been with PerryGolf for over 6 years and is one of our Golf Travel Specialists.

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The History of the Ryder Cup

Gordon Dalgleish

As we quickly approach the 2012 Ryder Cup Matches and excitement mounts on both sides of the Atlantic, I saw a great series of video’s which chronicle the history of the Ryder Cup. It seems hard to fathom that during the 1970’s there was every chance that the Ryder Cup would disappear or at the very least become a footnote in golf history as the Americans continued their domination of the Great Britain & Ireland team.

 

Part 1 can be viewed here.

If you take the time to look through the videos which are posted, you may notice the comments that Arnold (as Team Captain) made at the expense of Jack Nicklaus in Part 3 .

The late Seve Ballesteros appears in Part 4 in his usual positive perspective. Hard to believe that the PGA of American had to pay a network to broadcast the 1989 Matches!

If you have the time and appreciate the Ryder Cup Matches for what they are, this is a great history lesson to better understand how we got to where we are.
 

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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Castle Stuart Accommodation

PerryGolf Staff

The highlands of Scotland offer some stunning scenery as well as golf course options; a great base from which to explore this area is Inverness.  The city has seen a host of exciting new restaurant openings in recent years.  For accommodation, Kingsmills Hotel is a great 4 star option and there is now an additional choice available from July 2012 in the shape of farmhouse and cottage accommodations at Castle Stuart Golf Links.

These accommodations have been renovated from original farm buildings and now offer very comfortable lodgings complete with all of the facilities you could wish for right on the doorstep of one of the best new courses in Scotland.  You can choose from the Farmhouse or Castle Cottage, with both offering 4 bedrooms that can accommodate up to 8 people in each.  If you have a group whose main focus is golf and you want to stay somewhere a bit out of the ordinary with some great character, this is a fantastic option!

By Alastair Niven.  Alastair has been with PerryGolf for over 11 years and is one of our Golf Travel Specialists.

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