St Andrews and The 2013 Open with The Houstonian Golf & CC

PerryGolf’s Keith Baird recently concluded another successful trip – St Andrews and The 2013 Open with The Houstonian Golf & Country Club.  Read more about the trip via Keith’s thoughts below and enjoy the slideshow with pictures from this PerryGolf trip to St Andrews last month.

“Mr. Mack, the head professional at Houstonian Golf & Country Club, brought a group of 45 members to Scotland in July 2013. Their PerryGolf trip was based mostly at the fantastic five star Fairmont St Andrews and included golf on some of the world’s best golf courses including the Old Course at St Andrews, Carnoustie Golf Links, and Kingsbarns Golf Links, plus attendance at the final round of the The Open Championship, won by Phil Mickelson. The trip was a huge success with a return journey in 2015 already being discussed between PerryGolf and The Houstonian. Attached are just a selection of photos from their time in Scotland.”
 

Want to attend next years Open Championship?  Click here to learn more about the 2014 British Open Escorted Tour by PerryGolf and be sure to check out PerryGolf’s fully interactive Google Earth Video of the 2014 British Open Escorted Tour – you’ll be able to pause the video and browse around the area as you please via Google Earth.  Thanks for reading!

Are you a fan of PerryGolf on Facebook?  Have you added PerryGolf to your circles on Google +?  Do you follow PerryGolf on Twitter?

Have you read PerryGolf’s President Gordon Dalgleish’s 8 tips to make your dream of attending an Open Championship a reality?
 

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+

SHARE

What To Do in St Andrews Scotland

  St Andrews

St Andrews Panorama

St Andrews is a former royal burgh on the east coast of Fife in Scotland, named after Saint Andrew the Apostle.  The city is home to the University of St Andrews, the third oldest university in the English-speaking world, the oldest in Scotland and one of Britain’s most prestigious.  The University is an integral part of the burgh, and during term time students make up approximately one third of the town’s population.  St Andrews has a population of 16,680, making this the fifth largest settlement in Fife.

Swilcan Bridge on Old Course at St AndrewsThere has been an important church in St Andrews since at least the 8th century, and a bishopric since at least the 11th century.  The settlement grew to the west of St Andrews cathedral with the southern side of the Scores to the north and the Kinness burn to the south. The burgh soon became the ecclesiastical capital of Scotland, a position which was held until the Scottish Reformation. The famous cathedral, the largest in Scotland, now lies in ruins.

As you probably know, St Andrews is also known worldwide as the “home of golf“.  This is in part because the Royal and Ancient Golf Club, founded in 1754, exercises legislative authority over the game worldwide (except in the United States and Mexico), and also because the famous links (acquired by the town in 1894) is the most frequent venue for The Open Championship, the oldest of golf’s four major championships.  Visitors travel to St Andrews in great numbers for several courses ranked amongst the finest in the world, as well as for the sandy beaches and sightseeing.Royal and Ancient Golf Course of St Andrews

St Andrews The historic town is easily and best explored on foot where the shops, many interesting buildings, museums, bars and restaurants are all easily accessible.  Here’s a list of a few must-see’s the next time you visit St Andrews and have a break from the links.

Please enjoy the Google Earth Video at the bottom of the page navigated by Scottish-Native and PerryGolf’s President – Gordon Dalgleish – to get a better sense of the St Andrews area from golf and hotels to restaurants and places of interest!

Local Places of Interest and Activities

St.Andrews CathedralSt.Andrews Cathedral — Enjoy the dramatic setting of the ruins. The Cathedral was destroyed by a mob roused by the preaching of John Knox in the town during the Reformation – and the sense of history which attaches to what was once one of the most important religious sites in Europe. Owing to the presence of the relics of St Andrew, it was a place of pilgrimage for many thousands during the medieval period. The view from the top of St Rule’s Tower is breathtaking, and the visitor centre contains a number of artifacts and helps to set the history of the site into context. Golfers can pay a visit to the grave of Old Tom Morris and his son young Tom, who are buried in the Cathedral Grounds.

Local Coastal VillagesLocal Coastal Villages — Visit the quaint coastal fishing villages and Royal Burgh’s of Crail, Anstruther and Pittenweem with their distinctive buildings and picturesque harbours. The area was notorious for smuggling with wine, tobacco, cloth and sugar being smuggled in, and linen and coal smuggled out. The East Neuk was the capital of the Scottish Herring industry, until the shoals deserted the Forth during the Second World War. Today the boats which sail out from Crail and Anstruther mainly bring in shellfish, while Pittenweem remains the centre of the areas fishing industry where early in the morning the catches are sold at the new Fish Market. Fife Coastal Path — You may enjoy walking a stretch of the Fife Coastal Path from Crail to St.Monans. Visit the many picturesque towns with their narrow cobbled lanes leading to picturesque harbors.

Kellie Castle & GardenKellie Castle & Garden — Located near Anstruther a 20mins drive from St.Andrews, it contains magnificent plaster ceilings, painted panelling and furniture. The Gardens contain a fine layout of the organic walled garden is 17th-century with late Victorian additions and contains a fine collection of old-fashioned roses, fruit trees and herbaceous plants. Display in summer-house on history of walled garden.

Scottish Fisheries Museum, AnstrutherScottish Fisheries Museum, Anstruther — This award-winning National Museum tells the story of the Scottish fishing industry from the earliest times to the present. With many model and actual boats, fishing gear, photographs, paintings and tableaux on display, as well as a new ‘Zulu’ gallery just open, a visit to the Museum makes for worthwhile visit.

St.Andrews ShoppingSt.Andrews Shopping — St Andrews is a town to explore and is refreshingly free of national outlets and chain stores. Instead, the town centre offers an excellent range of independent, family-run shops and businesses, where you are guaranteed to find a unique range of goods matched by personal service. Shopping in St Andrews is always a rewarding experience. The main shopping areas concentrated in Market Street and South Street, with Bell Street and Church Street connecting the two principal streets. There are Golf Stores throughout the town with the main stores of Auchterlonies, Old Tom Morris and Golf Scotland all located close to the 18th Green of the Old Course.

Falkland PalaceFalkland Palace — Falkland has been a royal palace since the days of the Stewarts. King James IV completed the main structure and King James V also added to the buildings there, transforming it into a sophisticated Renaissance palace. He was also responsible for adding the royal tennis court in 1539, which has survived to this day. James V died at Falkland Palace on December 14, 1542. His daughter, Mary Queen of Scots was a frequent visitor, enjoying the peace and tranquility of Falkland, away from the intrigues and politics of Edinburgh.

St.Andrews CastleSt.Andrews Castle — The Castle was the former Bishops’ Palace, the residence of the Archbishops of St Andrews. The first castle on this site probably dates from around 1200. Over the centuries, the Castle has witnessed many conflicts and deeds of infamy, among them the martyrdom of George Wishart and the murder of Cardinal Beaton. It was also besieged many times. Eventually destroyed during the Reformation, the Castle is now in ruins. A modern visitor centre houses exhibits about the Castle, and visitors can also explore the mines and the infamous bottle dungeon.

*Don’t have Google Earth? Watch this video tour of St Andrews on PerryGolf’s Youtube by clicking here.

Want to know the best place to find a cold pint in St Andrews? Click here.  Looking for one of many locals’ favorite places to eat? Find out here.

Are you a fan of PerryGolf on Facebook?  Have you added PerryGolf to your circles on Google +?  Do you follow PerryGolf on Twitter?

Do you know How To Get a Tee Time on the Old Course at St Andrews?
 
WATCH! video below of a PerryGolf client holing out for eagle on hole 18 at the Old Course, St Andrews!

 

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+, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram , and Pinterest.

SHARE

189 Holes of Golf in One Day!

189 Holes of Golf in One Day!

Click to Enlarge
11 Courses..1 day..65km/40miles..no buggies permitted – only walking/running..& carrying their clubs while playing to the rules of golf..No problem for these guys, especially when it’s to raise money for three incredible charities.  What’s the name of the event?

St Andrews 189 Hole Challenge

Graeme Dawson and Angus Watson of Fairmont St Andrews plus Gary Davidson and Alastair Love yesterday set a new world record for the fastest ever fourball round at the Old Course at St Andrews, completing it in 1 hour 1 minute and 15 seconds (just barely beating the previous record of 1 hour 4 minutes and 25 seconds)!  The new record was set upon finishing play at the Old Course, which made up only 1 of the 11 courses played in and around the St Andrews area.  The group teed off at 3:15AM yesterday morning and finally reached their goal of playing 189 holes of golf in one day when they finished the last hole at 11:40PM last night.  Courses played included:

  1. Kingsbarns Golf Links
  2. The Balgove
  3. The Old Course
  4. The Eden
  5. The Strathtyrum
  6. The Dukes
  7. The Torrance
  8. The Kittocks
  9. The Castle
  10. The Jubilee
  11. The New

What an achievement!  It was truly an amazing day, as remarkable support from the whole town as well as from the courses was shown to take excellent care of the group’s needs, which wasn’t limited to helping get other golfers out of their way!

Money raised from the event will be donated to three charities:

  • The Scottish Disability Golf Partnership
  • HCPT – The Pilgrimage Trust
  • Cancer Research UK

The fundraising target was £6,000.00; thus far, a spectacular £7,245.00 has already been raised!  The Home of Golf was host yesterday to the footsteps, and a lot of them, of these four champions for their success both on and off the golf course.  To set a new world record is excellent, but to excel in philanthropy by supporting such great causes is no less than Extraordinary.  Congratulations from PerryGolf!

You can better get to know Graeme, Angus, Gary, and Alastair and learn more about the event by clicking St Andrews 189 Hole Challenge.

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+

SHARE

First sight of Old Course changes

With debates taking place on many topics within the world of golf, the planned modifications to the Old Course of St Andrews announced late November last year, and covered in our blog post of that time , caused considerable controversy and divided opinion.

In announcing the changes the St Andrews Links Trust and the R&A said they were being made “to stiffen its defences in some places to ensure it remains as challenging as ever to the professionals. The proposals from (highly respected links architect) Martin Hawtree should place more of a premium on accuracy and ball control while retaining the spirit and character of the Old Course.”  In underscoring the minor nature of the work R&A Chief Executive Peter Dawson said “It’s men with shovels and wheelbarrows rather than bulldozers.”

The first phase (winter 2012/13) is now complete.  The changes appear minor, blend in well, and are consistent with the Links Trust’s measured and caring yet progressive custodianship of the St Andrews Links.  The images below reaffirm that the affected areas will be fully ready and in play for the 2013 season.

Hole #2

[singlepic id=44 w=320 h=240 mode=watermark float=left] [singlepic id=45 w=320 h=240 mode=watermark float=right]

 

Links Trust Description; On the 2nd hole, the two bunkers right and short of the green will be moved closer to the right edge of the green. The ground to the right of the green will also be recontoured to create more undulations and the width of 3rd tee will be reduced to accommodate this. Two bunkers on the right side of the fairway, near the 3rd Championship tee, will be removed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hole #11

[singlepic id=41 w=320 h=240 mode=watermark float=left] [singlepic id=40 w=320 h=240 mode=watermark float=right]

 

Links Trust Description; the back left portion of the green will be lowered to create more hole location options.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hole #17

 

[singlepic id=42 w=320 h=240 mode=watermark float=right] [singlepic id=43 w=320 h=240 mode=watermark float=left]

 

Links Trust Description;  the Road Bunker will be widened by half a metre at the right hand side and a small portion of the front of the green will be recontoured to enable it to gather more approach shots landing in that area.

By Colin Dalgleish, Founding Director at PerryGolf

SHARE

Play Golf in St Andrews and Carnoustie, Scotland in the footsteps of Open Champions

From May 11 – May 17, 2013 the chance of a lifetime for those avid golf lovers awaits you.  For the 5th consecutive year, PerryGolf is key contributor and supporter of the St. Andrews Pilgrim Foundation fundraiser.  The St. Andrews Pilgrim Foundation is a charity that is headquartered in the home of golf – St. Andrews, Scotland.  The organization focuses its efforts on the maintenance and preservation of the conservation area of the historical old town.  By auctioning off incredible golf packages to play the some of the most prestigious courses in the world – the Old Course in St. Andrews, Kingsbarns, the Carnoustie Championship Course – and while winding down in the luxurious Fairmont St. Andrews, the goals of the charity are met and the most memorable experiences of your lifetime are made.

Bidding closes on February 15, so act promptly.

Click here to learn more about this extremely attractive opportunity and the St. Andrews Pilgrim Foundation.

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+

SHARE