No trip to the Highlands is complete without visiting Dornoch; a small historic town with spectacular architecture and steeped in history. Most famous recently for Madonna’s wedding and her son’s Christening in late 2000. It’s easy to see why this was her chosen venue; with Dornoch Cathedral a stunning center piece to the town.
I have visited Dornoch several times and never tire of browsing around the small antique shops not to mention the great walks that the town hosts in the Sutherland Hills. Part of the town’s magical history involves witchcraft as Dornoch is home to the last execution in Scotland for witchcraft.
The town is ideal for both golfers and non golfers, with Brora Golf Cluband Royal Dornoch located close by…it’s the ideal place to spend time during your golf trip.
By Denise McKee. Denise has been with PerryGolf for over 10 years and is member of our admin team.
I had an afternoon free in Glasgow this weekend and so I went along the Scottish Golf Show. I was very impressed and spent an enjoyable afternoon there. All of the major manufacturers were present, and many were offering to custom-fit golf clubs. Each company also had a number of test bays available to try out new clubs.
Alastair & son James with the Claret Jug
Some of the top courses in Scotland, such as Kingsbarns, Castle Stuart and Spey Valley had their own posts. There were various challenges which one could take part in, from chipping and putting, to a simulation of the 16th green at Augusta where players were invited to replicate Tiger’s amazing chip in back in 2005 in the hope of winning a set Nike irons. There were also facilities for junior golfers and my son was able to have a lesson from a pro and try out the new clubs…which I then inevitably had to purchase for him! A real treat was also having our picture taken with the famous Claret Jug trophy.
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
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.
Another tale of great winter golf in Scotland! I must be doing something right. In the second week of February on a glorious day with a blue sky and a shimmering ocean, I recently played 36 holes of golf at the recently opened and strongly acclaimed Machrihanish Dunes, and also the much loved Dunaverty. My fourball included Richard Simmons, Editor of UK publication Golf International, plus my good friends Ronan Rafferty, former Ryder Cup player, and Alan White, Chairman of the Scottish PGA.
Machrihanish Dunes
Having last visited Machrihanish Dunes early in its construction, I went for my first game with a sense of anticipation. Well I can tell you I was certainly not disappointed. It occupies a marvelous piece of land with spectacular views right on the edge of Machrihanish Bay; its layout twisting and turning through the gentle dunes to provide a thorough test and outstanding experience. There are a number of blind shots (which is all part of the game), and it is certainly a tough golf course to play on the first circuit, but if played from the appropriate set of tees it is an extremely playable golf course by all standards. It might not have the “smoothness” of many new courses. So what. They will continue to refine and fine tune in all areas, and it will only get better. Pure and simple, it gets my vote, and I encourage all true lovers of the game to make a visit. You want unspoiled links golf the way it used to be?…then this is the real deal.
Another bonus for me was a game at Dunaverty, located just 20 minutes south of Machrihanish. It enjoys a wonderful location right on the south eastern tip of the Kintyre Peninsula, with different but equally fabulous views as experienced from Machrihanish Dunes. At less than 5,000 yards and a par of 66, it is the perfect second round! It’s par three 7th hole claims the only bunker on the golf course, and accordingly is mischievously called “St Andrews” -:)
The extremely comfortable Ugadale Cottages now available in the village of Machrihanish provide the perfect accommodations for golfing groups with excellent casual dining available in the Old Clubhouse. You can now follow this exciting addition to the Scottish golf scene on their facebook page.
If you want to experience great links golf, get over there!
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 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.
