Honorary Membership for Ivor Robson

PerryGolf Staff

[singlepic id=37 w=320 h=240 float=]Ivor Robson is comfortably the most recognizable starter in the game of golf.  Having worked as an official starter for the European Tour since 1975, Ivor has worked at 39 Open Championships, many Ryder Cups, and countless European Tour events.  Hopefully he can do the job for many years to come, and I’m sure he is relishing the opportunity of being the starter at Gleneagles for the Ryder Cup in 2014.

He is probably best known, amongst other things for his robust, authoritative but pleasant voice…and for never leaving his post on the first tee. He does this regardless how long tee times extend, e.g. during the first two rounds of the Open Championship this may be for 8 hours or more.

Ivor’s home club, Moffat Golf Club in Dumfriesshire, recently awarded him with honorary membership; a fitting award for someone described by Peter Allis as ‘a quiet and modest man, who epitomises all that is good about the game of golf.’

Click here to read on.

By Gary Sheppard.  Gary is one of PerryGolf’s Golf Travel Specialists.

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Quarryfield House – a gem for golf groups in the Highlands

Gordon Dalgleish

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PerryGolf has long prided itself on discovering and creating unique golf travel experiences which we believe enhance the underlying golf trip to make it truly special. Over the years we have introduced VIP Golf Coaches, the PerryGolf Lodges at Turnberry and many other innovative programs that thousands of clients have come to expect as part and parcel of the PerryGolf service ethos.

In the same vein, we are delighted to introduce Quarryfield House in the Highlands of Scotland. Quarryfield is ideally located for a group of golfers who desire an exclusive use facility that is centrally located for all of the world class golf courses in the region. The house has 8 bedrooms, of which 7 have en suite bathroom and all are a good size and modern.

Located just off the A9 to the north of Inverness, it’s rural setting combined with ample amenities make it a terrific venue to spend your time when not on the golf course or sightseeing. To add to the fun and uniqueness is a local pub, the Allangrange Arms in Munlochy, reopened recently as gastro pub.

The house provides three main public spaces ; a large lounge with fireplace and dining table, south facing conservatory and snooker/tv room with TV and sky channels. For the more energetic there is also a table tennis table and an all weather tennis court to the rear of the building.

Breakfast is provided daily by the staff and dinner can be scheduled in advance. For a group of golfers seeking to get away from the crowds, play some, tell some tall tales, eat & drink well…then we think this is an ideal venue to consider.
 

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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Wedgwood – A Modern Scottish Dining Experience

Mhairi

[singlepic id=35 w=320 h=240 float=]A recent weekend in Edinburgh allowed me the opportunity to sample the wares on offer at Wedgwood; one of Edinburgh’s fine dining restaurants.

Having opened five years ago, Chef and co-owner Paul Wedgwood has created an unpretentious atmosphere coupled with excellent (and inventive) dishes.  On their website they place emphasis on the fact that they do not “turn” tables, therefore diners are allowed to relax and enjoy their meal for as long as they wish without the feeling of being rushed.

Wedgwood is found in the Old Town on the Royal Mile; however it is far removed from the ‘touristy’ restaurants found in the area.  How about king scallops with cauliflower korma, pistachio and peanut dust for starters?  Followed by an equally unique creation of wild deer with haggis, herbed barley, pickled squash and truffled jus?  To add to the distinctive dining experience, be sure to order a side of wild foraged leaves when available – you won’t receive the usual side salad!

Tip – try to request a table which is on the street-level as the downstairs level doesn’t offer the any natural light.

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Ailsa Craig for sale – reduced

Gordon Dalgleish

The view from Turnberry Hotel out across the Firth of Clyde with the Ailsa Craig just off shore and the iconic lighthouse on the shoreline is one which golfers can immediately recognize.  It seems that the Ailsa Craig has been for sale for some time and now maybe even more affordable for that golfer who wants to own a true piece of the golf landscape.

The Ailsa Craig has enjoyed an interesting history. It is far more than just a piece of granite clearly visible from one of the Open Championship courses. The expression which so many golfers love to recount from their caddies at Turnberry; “if you cannot see the Ailsa Craig it is raining, if you can see the Ailsa Craig it is about to rain”.  Golfers realize this is tongue in cheek but does speak to the variety of weather one expects to experience in Scotland, on any given day.
 

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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Scotland’s Pride and Joy from Islay to Turnberry

Mark Barnes

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CBS Sunday Morning News ran a story during the holidays about Islay single malts that reminded us that the flight from Glasgow to Scotland’s famous Isle of Islay (EYE-lah) takes less than an hour.  Whisky loving links golfers who journey this way with a week or so to chase their passions will find their quest for Scotland’s pride and joy off to an outstanding start.

First there is the joy that is an Islay single malt.  There are nine distilleries on the island who find themselves set apart from Scotland’s other whisky regions because the peat they use to fire their kilns and smoke their barley produces the boldest malts made.  Islay’s tradition with peat is not exclusive to Scotch whisky production but it is profoundly distinctive.  Sunday Morning reports that more than a billion dollars’ worth of Islay malts were exported to the States last year.  The New York Times spirits panel wrote in 2011 that as they tasted 20 single malts from Islay, “ we reminded ourselves to step back a moment, to contemplate with no small amount of awe the magic of what was in the glass.”   Roll Tide but Islay is also home to golf magic, at The Machrie (1890), found five miles from the Laphroaig (lah-FROYG), Ardbeg and Lagavulin distilleries who are queued up along a two mile stretch of the A846.   The Machrie would be a good proshop to patronize because you’ll go on to meet plenty of golfers who have heard of it but not so many who have played.[singlepic id=33 w=320 h=240 float=]

The same can be said for your next round. After a night or two in single malt heaven, the focus will turn to Scotland’s pride – her classic and clever links – beginning with Machrihanish.  Machrihanish (1876) isn’t ordinarily “on the way” but if you’re bound for Turnberry from Islay, the Mull of Kintyre is immediately on the left at the end of a two hour ferry ride.   The Mull is home to Old Tom Morris’ masterpiece, along with its impressive neighbor and newcomer Machrihanish Dunes ( 2009).  Accommodations are superb at The Royal Hotel or The Ugadale Hotel or the Ugadale Cottages, the dining is exceptional, the pace is perfect.  The scene will change before you know it of course but you’ll enjoy two nights and 2-3 rounds before speed boating off to Turnberry.

The Kintyre Express will ferry you back to the real world, 40 miles away across the Firth of Clyde to the Scottish mainland, in time for your first round on the Ayrshire Coast.  Another thing to like about this trip is how the first part gives you a tune up for the second part when you’ll be playing two of the most historic courses in championship golf.  Having a little game on a British Open layout is a good thing, so you can go home with the right kind of stories about Royal Troon (1878) and The Ailsa at Turnberry (1909).

 

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