Arriving by helicopter, Jack Nicklaus stopped by at St. Andrews this week to host two golf clinics and to chat to the local school kids about the famous Claret Jug.
RBS, the organizers of the trip, wanted the famous golfer to attend the Open this year, however Jack politely declined stating that he had “said goodbye to the game of golf” already at St. Andrews in 2005 (the venue where he won two out of his three Opens).
Nicklaus added that “I didn’t say goodbye at the Masters I said goodbye at St. Andrews”. Obviously the home of golf is a place very close to his heart and he did not want to return just for the fun of it…
But that doesn’t mean you can’t play just for fun on the world’s most famous course!
A favorite amongst PerryGolf clients for a meal while staying in St. Andrews is The Peat Inn; a family run, first class restaurant with three separate dining areas and only a 15 minute drive from the town centre. During a recent visit to the area, we stopped off for dinner in the evening.
The Peat Inn
Upon arrival we were led into the lounge area and served canapés while we examined the menus – a nice touch, although be careful not to enjoy the canapés and aperitifs too much if you want to leave room for your meal! There are three different menus to select from; the Tasting Menu, the Menu of the Day and the Main Menu (this offers a selection of six dishes per course).
If you enjoy French Cuisine, then these menus offer the kind of classic servings that ensure you will return again.
John and Kristian Beall on the New Course, St Andrews
The Beall Group were PerryGolf’s first travellers of the 2010 Season. Mr. Beall travelled with his son and brother and they played some of the finest links courses that the East Coast of Scotland has to offer. Three out of the five courses which they played feature in the top 100 in the world…and the pinnacle of these was Muirfield. North Berwick and Cruden Bay were the others to make it into the top 100, but the New Course at St. Andrews and Royal Aberdeen are not far behind.
Caddies were requested at each course the group played and Mr. Beall found that these were pivotal in their enjoyment. Links courses are hard enough so why not take advantage of any assistance you can? The group had special praise for the caddies at Royal Aberdeen and Cruden Bay. Mr. Beall and his party also hired a concierge driver throughout their trip and he was always on hand to suggest local places of interest, make dining reservations, and was more like their tour manager than their driver. Mr. Beall had high praise for the driver and he became their friend as the tour progressed.
Edinburgh Castle
With regards dining, The Witchery in Edinburgh came highly recommended from the guys. It’s within walking distance of Edinburgh Castle and is an excellent place to finish off a day of sightseeing in Scotland’s capital.
PerryGolf would like to thank Mr. Beall and his group for their valued business and hope to welcome them on another trip in the future.
By Gary Sheppard. Gary has been with PerryGolf for 4 years and is one of our Golf Travel Specialists.
I just had the most splendid weekend at The Pier House in Port Appin, based on the West Coast of Scotland. We often take a weekend out at this time of year to enjoy the spring weather.
The Pierhouse is a 12 bedroom property with owners who are passionate about service and quality. We sat and enjoyed a glass of wine while watching the wee ferry coming and going to the Island of Lismore on Loch Linnhe (one of a few sea Lochs in Scotland). The scenery is utterly amazing; the West Coast truly has the most spectacular and breathtaking views. More so, the Hotel has a renowned Scottish Seafood Restaurant; locally sourced seafood – its only when you dine at such a place as the Pier House do you realise what a difference in taste there is when fish are caught and cooked in the same day!
A little bit out the way for those playing golf in Ayrshire – but so very much worth the 2 hour drive from Glasgow to spend a couple of days relaxing, enjoying wonderful food, and seeing the most dramatic of Scottish scenery. Port Appin is a 20 minute drive from the town of Oban – the gateway to the Isles – with a number of ferries going to Mull and the Outer Hebrides.
Add a few more days to your trip and try the Inner or Outer Hebrides, you will dine out on that experience for many years to come!
By Anne Filshie. Anne is the Group Director of Operations at PerryGolf.
I recently had the pleasure of playing the 2010 course at Celtic Manor, which is due to host the Ryder Cup later this year. What a great day it turned out to be – helped by the fact the sun was splitting the sky!
The course has been specifically designed for the tournament with many classic match play holes which begin straight from the start with a tough 465 yard par 4. The greens were slick and the fairways lush – which for April was a real treat. Many of the holes include strategically placed water hazards; no more so than the tough 14th where there is water on left and right. At only 413 yards off the back tees it doesn’t sound tough, but the landing area is so narrow that anything off line is heading for trouble.
2010 Course at Celtic Manor
Then follows the 15th which is very much like the famous 10th at the Belfry. It’s officially a 377 yard par 4, but, as the crow flies from tee to green, it’s a good deal shorter than that, so many of the pro’s will be pulling out the driver and going for the green. The safe play is up the left with an iron, but in the fourball…expect fireworks! I didn’t play off the back tees, so it was a bit shorter and I felt brave so had a go at the green and very nearly made it. A chip and a putt later and I’d made a birdie three. I’ll be watching with great interest come the end of September to see how many of the USA and European team members can better that!
The finishing hole will make for a grandstand finish for any matches lasting the distance. It’s a long par 5, not too dissimilar to the fantastic 17th at Valderrama with a massive water hazard directly in front of the green. The brave pros will go for it in two. The more conservative one’s will lay up and play a wedge to the green. I chose the latter and my wedge shot found the green – only for it to spin back into the water. A personally disappointing finish to a thoroughly enjoyable round; but it gave me a taste of what was in store for what will be a fantastic tournament. I know I can’t wait for it…I’m sure you can’t either.
For more information on how you can attend the Ryder Cup with PerryGolf, please click here.
By Keith Baird. Keith has been with PerryGolf for over 10 years and is one of our Golf Travel Specialists.
