PerryGolf’s Gordon Dalgleish chats with Golf.com

July 23, 2013April 24, 2018 Harrison Gould

PerryGolf’s President and Scottish Golf Expert, Gordon Dalgleish, joins Golf.com for a LIVE CHAT today at 3PM ET. Gordon will be available to answer all of the questions you have regarding a dream golf trip to Scotland. So, if you’d like to make that dream trip a reality, to the home of golf in St Andrews or the rest of Scotland, bring your questions with you and watch this free live chat here!

Visit our newly renovated website – here – to begin customizing your dream golf trip.

To replay Gordon’s LIVE CHAT with Golf.com, please click here.

About the Author: Harrison Gould is the Social Media Marketing Manager of PerryGolf, the leading provider of international golf vacations. You can find him on Google+

Golf around the Open…a different Major experience

July 17, 2013August 22, 2023 Gordon Dalgleish

Each of the four “Majors” in golf provide the spectator with a unique experience. There is a good argument that says the Open Championship, held annually on one of nine links courses around the British coastline, is the most unique of all. This year the Open returns to Muirfield, home of the Honorable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, for the first time since Ernie Els won in 2002.

Spectators can expect to witness an event which encapsulates the country. It will be one of the lead news stories as golf is woven through so much of the fabric of Scottish life. Non golfers and golfers alike will pay attention to the happenings at Muirfield. A visitor to Scotland will be hard pressed to find any local who cannot engage in a fairly detailed discussion about the event and their favorite golfers. It is the only “Major” which sells admission tickets on the day, all very democratic and open to all. You will find a festive but respectful and knowledgeable crowd.

One of the many unique aspects of Muirfield is the proximity of Greywalls Hotel to the 10th tee. It is literally across a low stone wall. Greywalls Hotel is one of the many charming and comfortable country house hotels you find around the British Isles. I clearly recall that during earlier times when the Open returned to Muirfield, the guest book at Muirfield was a “who’s who” of the golfing greats of that time; Nicklaus, Trevino, Player, etc. Gaining access to one of the 23 rooms in the hotel was reserved for the elite of the sport. It’s fair to say that in 2013 the elite will have rented large homes for the week as they travel with their sizable entourages of trainers, nannies, stretchers, chefs & mental coaches. Times have indeed changed in that respect. Read more about Greywalls Hotel.

East Lothian, which is the area of Scotland around Edinburgh and onward to the east, is home to a host of great golf. This Google Earth Video Tour gives some sense of the plethora of fine links courses in close proximity to Muirfield, alongside some of the area hotels and other exclusive-use lodgings that PerryGolf clients enjoy. The tour also details some of our suggestions for dining of which in this region of Scotland are terrific.

If nothing else, be sure to add attendance at the Open Championship one year onto your bucket list!

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+

Best Place to Stay for the 2013 Open Championship

July 16, 2013August 22, 2023 Harrison Gould

Undoubtedly the best hotel in which to reside for spectating the 2013 Open Championship, Greywalls Hotel sits on the edge of Muirfield golf course where it is separated only by a knee-high wall. An extraordinary view from the hotel overlooks world famous greens of the 9th & 18th holes and the 10th tee of this championship links.

The stylish Edwardian hotel designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and built in 1901 offers 23 luxurious rooms. Greywalls was originally built as vacation home for its original owner, the Honorable Alfred Lyttelton whose one request was that it be “within a mashie niblick shot of the eighteenth green at Muirfield.” You’ll gain a greater appreciation of the history that lies before you at Greywalls when you see the hotel guestbook’s big names like Palmer and Nicklaus. Staying at Greywalls around the Open is much more accessible than in the past as many of the contenders simply rent houses for the week to accommodate their entourage of supporters instead of staying at the hotel.

Dining with spectacular views of the 10th tee complement gastronomic cuisine. Greywalls’ Chez Roux Restaurant won the Scottish Restaurant Awards 2012, “Scottish Hotel Restaurant of the Year.” The hotel offers several different dining venues to accommodate every occasion imaginable.

Gertrude Jekyll’s design of the beautiful walled gardens found outside amidst the hotel’s 6 acres of land create a peaceful and tranquil ambiance at Greywalls. The spa services, two tennis courts, croquet lawn, and putting green certainly add to its splendor as well. The hotel is an ideal location for more than just watching the 2013 Open Championship – it’s also within 5 miles of 10 other golf courses such as Gullane, Archerfield, North Berwick, and Dunbar; abound with beautiful beaches and historic castles; and only a half hour drive from Scotland’s capital Edinburgh.

Enjoy the Google Earth Video Tour below – navigated by PerryGolf’s President, Gordon Dalgleish – to gain a better sense of Greywalls’ surrounding area of East Lothian and Edinburgh. Please wait just a moment for the video to load – it will start automatically.

The Highlands of Scotland for Golf – Far more than a One Trick Pony

July 8, 2013October 9, 2014 Gordon Dalgleish

The 2013 Scottish Open at Castle Stuart shall enjoy one enviable footnote; it is the first regular European Tour event to be broadcasted on network television in the USA (on NBC). Doubtless this shall introduce many more golf fans to the wonderfully designed Castle Stuart which was opened in 2009. Castle Stuart is the creation of Mark Parsinen (who created Kingsbarns) and Gil Hanse (of Olympic Golf Course notoriety).

It has added yet another dimension to a region of Scotland that was historically famous for Royal Dornoch, the course where Donald Ross served his apprenticeship as a greens keeper. Ross subsequently emigrated to the USA and built an untold number of courses using the same style he had seen at Dornoch with pushed up greens. Beyond these two fine links courses you will enjoy Nairn (venue for the 1999 Walker Cup Matches) and a myriad of classic, small town links golf that includes Tain, Brora, Nairn Dunbar & Lossiemouth. This is a region of Scotland that is rich and understated, yet thoroughly enjoyable links golf in it’s purest form.

This Google Earth Video Tour below gives some sense of the logistics of the area, with a range of accommodations options including the recently completed Quarryfield House which serves as an ideal base for groups in which to remain in one location and enjoy an exclusive-use facility.

In the last year or two, Trump International, about a 2 hour 15 min drive to the east, has enjoyed much deserved attention. It is a fine, modern style links course and with another course having been announced, it will add yet another arrow in a full quiver of exceptional golf experiences. Aberdeen serves as the host city to the oil & gas industry which works in the deep and challenging waters of the North Sea. It has also been home for many years to three great links courses: Royal Aberdeen (venue for the 2014 Scottish Open), Cruden Bay & Marcar. Each of these courses is a treat to play and another reason to extend your stay in the Highlands of Scotland.

Quality accommodations and restaurants abound in both Inverness & Aberdeen, which despite their northerly location in the British Isles, have become quite chic and sophisticated for visitors to enjoy.

While all of the “name” golf courses in Scotland that are associated with hosting the Open Championship are in the Lowlands, there are plenty of reasons to find the time to enjoy the Highlands. One visit and glimpse of the scenery and you will clearly understand why each region has it’s respective moniker.

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+

Top 10 Things to Do in Dublin, Ireland

June 27, 2013October 9, 2014 Harrison Gould

Dublin, Ireland’s capital, has fast become one of Europe’s most vibrant and cosmopolitan cities. The city has always had a reputation as a great historical city, and its strong links with world literature and the arts are readily apparent. It certainly has a lot to offer visitors – not least it’s diverse attractions.

There is a wealth of architectural detail with the medieval core of the city surrounded by elegant Georgian squares. A great way to see Dublin is on foot and be sure to take a break from your sightseeing by stopping into one of Dublin’s many pubs and bars, or after a long, busy day get yourself a quiet pint, and enjoy the craic.

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