Tag: Old course

British Golf Museum – St Andrews

PerryGolf Staff

With a few hours to spare on a rather damp afternoon, we decided to visit the British Golf Museum; just across the road from the first tee on the Old Course in St. Andrews.

The British Golf Museum
The British Golf Museum

Deceptively small from the outside, it took us on a fascinating journey through the history of the game, introduced us to some of its stars and celebrities and made us realise how far the equipment has progressed.  There are many light-hearted inclusions, far removed from the formality, rules and rituals I associate with the home of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club.  With my love of crosswords, I found the Dictionary Corner irresistible…and there will be a few words from there cropping up in my Scrabble games in future!

2010 marks the 20th anniversary of the British Golf Museum and the 150th anniversary of The Open Championship and so the museum has included some dedicated special displays– so there is no better year to visit!

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

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New Restaurants at Rusacks, St Andrews

PerryGolf Staff
Rocca
Rocca

Dining in St. Andrews offers several excellent places to eat; MacDonald Rusacks Hotel (located right next to the 18th hole of the Old Course) is now certainly one of them.  The hotel has opened two new restaurants on site; restaurateur Adrian Pieraccini has joined in partnership with Macdonald Hotels to create the new restaurant Rocca (which opened in February 2010) and has panoramic views over the 18th hole.  Rocca is an Italian classic style grill restaurant with an excellent a la carte menu – they pride themselves on using the best Scottish and local produce.  The young energetic kitchen team is led by head chef Liam McKenna – who 3 years ago won the distinction award of The Martin Wishart Scottish chef scholarship.  

The One Under
The One Under

The second restaurant is The One Under and is St. Andrew’s one and only gastro pub.  This was also developed by Adrian Pieraccini and was introduced in December 2009.  Accurate to the meaning of ‘gastro pub’, the main focus here is on the quality of the food.

This is the perfect place to relax after a long day on the golf course so I would say that during your stay in St Andrews a visit to either of these restaurants is highly recommended!

By Denise McKee.  Denise has been with PerryGolf for over 10 years and is a member of the admin team.

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Should I take a Caddie?

PerryGolf Staff

A question we are often asked by our clients is if they should take a caddie or not; and with the average caddie fee being around $60-$70 per round (not including tip) it is a good question.  This is especially relevant in Scotland where caddies do not double-bag, and Ireland where fees are per bag.

A caddie providing useful advice
Caddies are invaluable where experience of the course is required

At PerryGolf we always recommend that our clients take caddies as they add significantly to the enjoyment of a round.  Apart from the obvious benefit of them carrying your bag, looking for your ball, raking bunkers and cleaning clubs, etc, they make negotiating, particularly links-style courses, much easier.  They obviously assist in club selection based on distances, but links courses are often played in windy conditions where experience is absolutely essential.  They are also able to help you tackle the blind shots that can arise on a links course as well as reading the (at times) severely undulating or large greens.  I am sure many will agree that a caddie has saved them a few putts on the double greens of the Old Course at St. Andrews!  All of this comes before you have even heard some of the great stories they have to tell from past experiences.  They can give a visitor real enjoyment beyond the golf and give some local-insider knowledge to a trip… not least the best pubs to visit!!

By Alastair Niven.  Alastair has been with PerryGolf for over 9 years and is one of our Golf Travel Specialists.

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St. Andrews Links Trust – New Website

PerryGolf Staff

The St. Andrews Links Trust launched their new website at the recent PGA Show in Florida.  The PGA Show is the largest golf show in the world where many of golf’s leading brands exhibit their latest equipment for the season ahead.

The new website gives users all of the information they need to book tee-times on any of the 7 courses as well as detailed information on the services on offer from the Links Trust.  Anything from course guides to a live webcam on the Old Course can be viewed.  It’s also useful for people who have already booked to play on any of the courses, as information on each can be viewed under ‘the courses’ tab.  Click here and take a look at the website for yourself!

By Gary Sheppard.  Gary has been with PerryGolf for over 3 years and is one of our Golf Travel Specialists.

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Snow and Ice will not hamper the condition of the Old Course

PerryGolf Staff
Old Course, St. Andrews
Old Course, St. Andrews

Spent the day in St. Andrews yesterday, and while Scotland has seen lots of snow and sub-zero temperatures, I’m pleased to say the St. Andrews Links Trust are constantly reviewing the conditions on the Old Course – mindful of the British Open being played there in July this year. Since Sunday there has been enough thaw to melt most of the snow, however the ice is the biggest worry as it can be so damaging to the grass. Apparently the Links have been taking advice from experts worldwide to ensure they treat the ice to have it thaw as quickly as possible. You can watch the progress of winter on the live webcam .

Players will be using mats until the 1st of April (again to preserve the course) then it will close for all play on 19th June. It is always very exciting to have the Open at St Andrews, nothing can beat the atmosphere there. Remember Jack Nicklaus in 2005? His farewell picture on the Swilken Bridge was something special. The Royal Bank of Scotland produced a commemorative £5 note for the occasion, with limited issue; I still have a wee stack of them – every Nicklaus fan should have one!

By Anne Filshie. Anne is the Group Director of Operations for PerryGolf.

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