Scotland First Timer's Report

[Lexicographer]

Just got back from my first trip to Scotland. We stayed near St. Andrews the first five nights and moved to Gullane for the next two. Played Elie, Jubilee, Kingsbarns, Crail Craighead Links, New Course, Panmure, Carnoustie, North Berwick, and Dunbar. Kingsbarns and Craighead were on the same day, as were Panmure and Carnoustie. We were on the ballot for the Old Course, but didn't get it. Played the New Course instead. Weather was really good. Of the 162 holes of golf, we only got lightly rained on for 3 holes at Panmure. Had some high winds at Carnoustie and very high winds at North Berwick and Dunbar. The other days were amazing. Almost hot. I did not bring shorts and had so many undershirts and sweaters that never got used.

 

**General Observations**

- It was a wet early August and a fairly sunny late August in Scotland this year. At many of the courses, the deeper fescue was absolute hay. It wasn't about chopping it out. You just simply couldn't find your ball in many circumstances. The organizer of the trip has been to Scotland 12+ times in the summer and he said he had never seen the fescue so thick. I really struggled off the tee on many rounds and losing so many balls is really disheartening. I think this part of my experience is atypical.

- Despite the thick fescue, the fairways runout like crazy. I've been to Bandon. Scotland was similar to, but not completely like Bandon. The ball runs out more in Scotland. Especially the older links.

- Scotland caddies are great. Take one. Especially Carnoustie and North Berwick. And Elie if you can.

- Take some water with you. Many courses had few or no places to get a drink on the course.

- Have a beer in each clubhouse. Soak up the excessive amounts of charm. No matter how bad you played, a beer in the clubhouse will brighten your mood very quickly.

- If you can, don't keep score. I finally gave up at my last round at Dunbar with the 40 mph gusts, and I had more fun bunting drivers, and hitting long putts and chip and runs. You can't beat Mother Nature there. So have a laugh with her. Wish I had the good sense to recognize this earlier in my trip. Learning.

- In general, everyone involved in the service industry in Scotland is stupendously friendly and helpful. Such a pleasant place.

 

**Course Ratings**

Based on nothing more than personal opinion and memorability. How I played definitely plays a factor here.

1) Carnoustie. This was my 7th round. Saving for Kinbsbarns, I had pretty much played like crap up until this point. I told my caddie (ask for Barry Ness, he's a peach) that my only goal was to not lose a ball. Mission accomplished. It was quite windy, but I found my swing and shot 79 even after making bogey on 4 of the last 5. Best greens we played. Best conditioning. Really flawless. No external views (sea, rocks, etc.), but the views and feel of the course itself are tremendous. Fescue here was actually not as penal as some other courses. I think this is a must play.

2) Kingsbarns. This was my 3rd round. Played decently. Gorgeous views. More width. Fescue was not as penal. Most Bandon-like. Very very enjoyable. Steak pies at the turn were tremendous. Food at the clubhouse not so much. Should have went down to the halfway house and got another steak pie! It's an absolute indictment on American culture that we don't have easier access to steak pies. This place is expensive. Play it anyway.

3) Elie. This was my 1st round. The deep fescue was insane. Lost ball city. I struggled. And yet, I loved this course. Quirky. Many blind shots with marker poles. Multiple drivable par 4s. Some really long par 4s. Lots of movement in the land with so many front to back sloping greens. Couldn't stop the ball on the green because I didn't know where to land it. Get a caddie if you can. Members were out playing golf with their dogs. Heaven.

4) North Berwick. This was my 8th round. I was in a bad mood after chunking my first two iron shots. And then I got some bad yardages and reads from my caddie (who was a prince of man for dealing with a quiet but sullen golfer. Sorry Will). Drove it great, but had the case of the chunks, it was very windy, and I may as well have been putting with a cricket bat. I was so hyped for this round, but I found the front 9 a little underwhelming. But in retrospect, when going back over the back 9 in my head, this course has one amazing, quirky, and fun hole after the other. Probably from 9-18. I have to play this again.

5) Courses 5-7 could be ranked in any order. I'll go Dunbar, Jubilee, and Panmure. Dunbar was my last round. The wind was insane. And I just gave into the wind and had a blast. Driver from 190 on a par 3? Sure. Driver 320 yards up the hill on the very next hole? Yup. Really good views. Not so much fescue. Stone walls, stone ruins. Guys in the pro shop were the best. It's a little bit out there in East Lothian, but please do make the drive.

6) Jubilee was the second round. Seemed understated at the time, but after playing all of them, this is a less quirky, but very solid links experience. I think you need to play Jubilee if you are in St Andrews. Fescue here was pretty bad. Some great views of the River Eden estuary and the throngs of people on the beach.

7) Panmure. This was the 6th round. Only course we had rain, and it was very brief. It's links ground, but it's inland a bit, so no sea views. The most nasty fescue of anywhere we played. I lost so many balls. Holes 4-15 are a treat, but this course was too hard for how I was playing. We played a Panmure/Carnoustie 36 and I though I was going to get ejected by Carnoustie after how badly I played Panmure. I did make par on number 6, which is a damned hard hole. Seemed like there was nowhere to hit it off the tee, so I hit 5 iron. Which left me a 6 iron to a small, sloping, uphill green. It's a brute. If you're in Angus for a few days, play this. Otherwise, I might skip this one on a return visit.

8) New Course. Similar to Jubilee, but just a gentler, less interesting design. Good and worth the play, but I would play 4 times at Jubilee for every one time I played at New.

9) Crail Craighead Links. This is the newer Gil Hanse design at Crail. Plays over some old stone walls. Back 9 has some interesting holes and great views. But this is not linksland, and most of the front nine could have been anywhere in Iowa (where I'm from). My caddie at Kingsbarns was a member at Crail and he seemed disappointed we were playing Craighead. He much prefers Balcomie. I would definitely skip Craighead next time.

[Pete O'Tube]

Glad you had fun in the wind (eventually)! I play just south of Dunbar at Goswick, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 6650 yards of absolute delight. 6800 yards as a regional Open qualifier.

Recently, absolute hell in the wind! The fescue and dune grass is swallowing golf balls at the moment. The older members cannot remember a tougher set up for many a long year.

If it was in Scotland (the border is 10 miles North), it would be a must-play on a Scottish Tour.


 

[tiderider]

nice write up ... people want views, and carnoustie doesn't really care about its 'dress' ... you either play well, or you don't ... the more i think about my round at berwick this summer, the more it dawns on me that that course is the one i want to get back to ...

 

that said, don't spend too much time thinking about the trip ...

 

think about how to get back ... if just for 2 rounds ...

[SCalGolfer]

> @"Pete O'Tube" said:

> Glad you had fun in the wind (eventually)! I play just south of Dunbar at Goswick, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 6650 yards of absolute delight. 6800 yards as a regional Open qualifier.

> Recently, absolute **** in the wind! The fescue and dune grass is swallowing golf balls at the moment. The older members cannot remember a tougher set up for many a long year.

> If it was in Scotland (the border is 10 miles North), it would be a must-play on a Scottish Tour.

> 

>

 

I've heard good things about Goswick. I hope to play there someday.

[scott_Donald]

great write up. glad you had fun.

 

I last played in Scotland in May then got back August 11 to find pitch mark on links greens, such a weird thing to repair them in August. The rough my first week back was waist deep but It seems lots of courses are trying to cut it back now, been wet the last 4 days so hopefully it won't explode up again!

 

Its interesting I played the Jubilee last week and thought if you mixed it and the New it would be a great course, both similar but Jubilee finishes far better. In a medal Jubilee standard scratches 3 shots harder normally than the new. I was shocked, my dad and I were best ball 5 under.

 

 

[MattyO1984]

Good write up!! Agree with a lot of what you have written. Jubilee is a super course. I've always enjoyed it. The Old is in it's own bracket but looking at the other St Andrews Links course, the Jub is the one I would go with.