Ballesteros will not make The Open Champions’ Challenge at St. Andrews

PerryGolf Staff

Although Seve is making steady progress and showing positive signs in his recovery from multiple operations to remove a tumour from his brain, he has been advised by his doctor not to travel to St. Andrews in July.

It is the 150th anniversary of the Open Championship, and a special 4 hole exhibition tournament over the 1st, 2nd, 17th, and 18th on the Old Course at St Andrews has been arranged for past champions on Wednesday 14th July; the day before the Open begins.  Seve’s doctor advised that he should not be put under any undue stress or find himself in any situations which are potentially emotional – the thought of Seve playing the 4 holes with 3 other past champions and thousands of fans following him would definitely have been an emotional situation!

It would have been great to see him attend, but I think the decision is for the best.  Fingers crossed we have not seen the last of Seve on a golf course!  He is an inspirational golfer and someone I have admired since taking up the game.

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By Gary Sheppard.  Gary has been with PerryGolf for over 4 years and is one of our Golf Travel Specialists.

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Recent Weather in Scotland

PerryGolf Staff

The last 2 months have seen Scotland benefit from a surprisingly long spell of nice weather, and golf courses all over the country are reaping the rewards.  Scotland has a diverse climate and the weather is unpredictable even in the summer months, so the recent high temperatures and sunshine have been welcomed by everyone.

I haven’t played many rounds away from my home course this year, but when I have, the condition of the courses has been superb.  I’d actually say that some courses would benefit from a touch of rain as approach shots to greens can be unpredictable with the hard ground conditions.  I’m not complaining about the hard fairways though, as drives are gaining 30-40 yards in some cases.  I never thought I’d see the day when I’d be hoping for rain in Scotland…but it has arrived.

On the run up to trips I am often asked by clients what kind of weather they should expect and I generally respond with the same answer – prepare for all conditions and hope for the best.  It is a difficult question to answer as you can literally experience all 4 seasons during the same day.  Clients who have travelled in the last 7-8 weeks have definitely enjoyed some of the best weather Scotland has to offer.  I struggle to enjoy golf when it’s raining, the wind is blowing so hard I can’t put my umbrella up, and I play badly, but this has not been an issue so far this year.  Here’s hoping it keeps up!

By Gary Sheppard.  Gary has been with PerryGolf for over 4 years and is one of our Golf Travel Specialists.

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Ballyliffin to Introduce New Fairway Bunker

Mhairi

Ballyliffin’s Glashedy Links course is to receive an upgrade on the bunkering to the right of the 13th.  The work is scheduled to be undertaken over two winters by the course’s own green staff (under the guidance of one the original architects, Pat Ruddy) and staff are keen to see the work reach completion by March of 2011.  The aim is to fortify the course and improve the experience for golfers of all levels.

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Open 2010 at St. Andrews

PerryGolf Staff

In just over 2 weeks time the Open Championship will once again return to the home of golf, and I personally cannot wait to attend.  St. Andrews is a fantastic place to spend time during any summer, but when the Open is taking place there, the entire area explodes with excitement.  Due to work commitments, I won’t be able to attend every day, but I do plan on being there for the past champions challenge and the 3rd round at the very least.  I’d say that this year’s championship promises to be more exciting than most as Tiger is no longer the dominant force that he once was and there are countless players at the top of their game. I still think he will feature on the leader board come Sunday…but he certainly won’t be winning by record margins like he has done in the past.

Graeme McDowell, Lee Westwood, and Paul Casey are the 3 Europeans that I am tipping to do well.  As for the American hopefuls, I’d say that Phil Mickelson is the favorite.  He always seems to be there or thereabouts in the majors these days and he’s also aiming to topple Tiger from the top of the world rankings.  The Open is such a great championship and usually produces some sort of fairytale story; so maybe we’ll see an outsider take the title this year.  Ben Curtis (2003) and Todd Hamilton (2004) would certainly fall into this category – so it can be done.

Regardless of who wins the Open in 2010, it is sure to be an exciting tournament and hopefully we will witness some more magic at St Andrews.

By Gary Sheppard.  Gary has been with PerryGolf for over 4 years and is one of our Golf Travel Specialists.

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The Willow Tea Rooms – Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow

PerryGolf Staff

If you have heard of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and recognise his style, then, like me, you will want to visit the Willow Tea Rooms in Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow.  Sauchiehall is Gaelic for ‘Alley of Willows’ and is the inspiration behind the building.  The very distinctive patterns he incorporated into his designs are beautiful in their own right, but when you consider that he was born in the 1800’s, the clean, almost stark lines were way ahead of their time. 

The Willow Tea Rooms
The Willow Tea Rooms

The tea room was designed entirely by Mackintosh, including the building which houses it.  Every detail was included from the tables and chairs down to the teaspoons – and even the dresses worn by the waitresses were designed by him.  I found it hard to concentrate on the food surrounded by so much of this living art.  As it happens, the traditional Scottish cakes and tea were delicious too and the whole experience was a delight.

By Yvonne Shaw.  Yvonne has been with PerryGolf for over 10 years and is a member of our admin team.

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