I recently came across this video (click here to view) while doing some research on the three Royal courses in North West England.
My Granddad, Willie Aitchison, can be seen caddying for Roberto Di Vicenzo in the 1967 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool. I recall him telling me the story about this being the last time the Open was won without the use of yardages and all distances were measured by eye. These were the days when good caddies were worth their weight in gold! This was Di Vicenzo’s first and only Major Championship victory, but the first of 3 which my Granddad won as a caddie. The other 2 victories were with Lee Trevino at Royal Birkdale in 1971 and at Muirfield in 1972.
By Gary Sheppard. Gary has been with PerryGolf for over 4 years and is one of our Golf Travel Specialists.
We’re often asked in the lead up to trips if men need to bring a jacket and tie for access to clubhouses and for evening meals. Many hotels used to require men to dress formally for evening meals, but that has almost entirely become extinct throughout the UK and Ireland due to golfers being keen to go straight to dinner after golf, with one exception……The Early of Thomond Restaurant at Dromoland Castle in Ireland. As a result, if you’re staying there and you wish to have a fine dining experience at the hotel, please take your jacket and tie. They do, however, have other dining options where you can dine less formally so you aren’t restricted.
With regards access to clubhouses, many still require jackets and ties, but that’s only to access their main dining rooms (Royal Lytham, Royal Birkdale, Royal Liverpool, Prestwick, Portmarnock and Formby spring to mind). Be mindful that these clubhouses also have other areas where you can enjoy bar snacks after golf or between rounds in your golf clothing – so formal attire would only really be required at these courses if you’re looking for an evening meal. The one exception is at Muirfield where you will need a jacket and tie to gain access to the clubhouse (unless you only wish to go to the locker room); so even if you’re only going for a quick drink or to have a look around the public rooms, please be sure to pack appropriately.
By Keith Baird. Keith has been with PerryGolf for over 10 years and is one of our Golf Travel Specialists.
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.
In the next few months, the famous French Chef, Albert Roux, will be opening 2 new restaurants in Scotland.This is in addition to his already successful restaurant at the Rocpool Reserve in Inverness.
The first restaurant is due to open in April and will be set in a remote town in the North West of Scotland, (click here for more details). This isolated location means that many of our clients may not get the opportunity to dine there as the closest area which clients regularly utilize is Dornoch which is 1 hour and 30 minutes away. The second restaurant, which will open at the famous Greywalls Hotel (on the edge of Muirfield Golf Course), is set to open in May. Greywalls is set on the outskirts of Gullane and is in a great location for many championship courses which are within 5 miles of the hotel. Having the latest Albert Roux restaurant in the hotel is sure to make Greywalls an even more appealing place to stay.
The 3 restaurants which Albert Roux will have in Scotland come under the Chez Roux banner which prides itself on fresh Scottish ingredients with a French twist.
An opening became available to play Muirfield for the first time when a group of past clients invited me to play with them. Chuck Battey, his son David, and son-in-law John Fraser had a great two-week Scotland itinerary in mind. Muirfield was one of their ‘must plays’. As there were only three of them, they asked if I would join them so that the group matched the clubs requirements; all visiting parties are in multiples of 2 players. Naturally, I accepted the invitation without hesitation.
Muirfield Golf Club
The course isn’t laid out like a traditional, straight out and straight back, links course. It’s structured in two loops, so the wind comes at you from a different angle on almost every hole, making it more challenging – yet without doubt, more interesting. More details on what many people consider to be the best golf course in Scotland, can be enjoyed at LinksMagazine.com.
After golf, the Battey’s told some wonderful stories about their many previous trips with PerryGolf while we enjoyed a fantastic roast lunch in the clubhouse (where lamb, beef, chicken and all the trimmings were available at the buffet). Our schedules didn’t allow time to go back out on the course for the traditional alternate shot afternoon round; however the day was already special enough.
Visitor tee-times at Muirfield are not the easiest to come by as they only permit visitors on Tuesday and Thursday mornings…so if you’d like it included in your schedule, be sure to start planning it well in advance of your travel date. By well in advance, I’d recommend 15 months prior to the time of travel as that’s when their diaries open up and the tee-times don’t remain available for long. It’s well worth the planning, as it is one course you won’t want to miss.
By Keith Baird. Keith has been with PerryGolf for over 10 years and is one of our Golf Travel Specialists.
