Scotland Golf & Scotch Marathon. Feedback Welcome!

[gerbowski169]

Hello All,

Longtime lurker here, my wife and I scheduled a Scotland trip for August and I want to post it for group. I am posting this for 2 reasons- 1 is for feedback, thoughts, and tips. The other is a summarized guide from all of my lurking in the travel forums for anyone interested in a similar trip.

The biggest regret is we did not pull the Old Course lottery, and I selected the Castle Course before checking here to see that there were better options. We plan to enter the ballot and queue up for 2 mornings should the ballot fail. I know it is a lot of miles to drive in a week (renting a car) - we want to get in as much golf and distillery tours as possible, with some sights thrown in.

· Sunday: Staying in North Berwick Saturday night. Playing Berwick, commuting to Fife post round

· Monday: Playing the Castle Course AM. If we cannot get on to the Old we will check availability at Duke’s, the New Course, and Lundin

· Tues: AM: Attempt the Old Course again. Carnoustie PM, Driving to Stonehaven for the night and touring Dunnottar Castle

· Wed: Playing Crude Bay AM, driving to Dufftown to tour either Aberlour, Glenfiddich, or Glenlivet. Tour Balvenie Castle.

· Thurs: Tour Balvenie Distillery, Drive to and play Nairn, then head to Dornoch for the night.

· Fri: Play Royal Dornoch in the AM, then tour Glen Morangie. From there head to Dornie for the night.

· Sat: NO GOLF! Hike the Quiraing, tour Talisker, drive to and tour Eilean Castle, then head to Edinburgh for the evening.

As it is now, we are hoping for 8 rounds of golf, 3 distilleries, 3 castles, and a hike. B&Bs along the way and hoping for as much pub food as possible to keep cash costs down. Caddies are booked for N Berwick, Carnoustie, and Royal Dornoch, considering caddies for Cruden Bay, and will certainly take one if the golf gods provide us with an Old Course round.

I have read the other tips provided: Rain gear is a must but mixed opinions on an umbrella.- will probably pass for bag weight. We will be shipping our clubs to the first course ($450 total via shipsticks) and bringing them back with us. Packing a golf outfit with rainsuit and shoes with golf bags should luggage fail to arrive. Copies of passports and USGA handicap cards, GPS with UK maps, Bungie Cords for push/pull carts, power adapters, extra socks and shoes, plastic bags, extra towels, and sunscreen.

Thoughts, feedback, and anything we should, change, add/drop, or squeeze in would be great!!!!

[Alexblakk]

Hi

I would switch Nairn for Castle Stuart everyday !

[gerbowski169]

Hi

I would switch Nairn for Castle Stuart everyday !

I was considering that when booking. Thanks for the info and I will check Nairn's cancellation policy!

Edit: After checking I now remember why I selected Nairn, the $200 savings for the 2 of us. Let me know if this is a mistake and I am missing out. I also left our Kingsbarns for the same reason.

[4Par]

Hi

I would switch Nairn for Castle Stuart everyday !

I was considering that when booking. Thanks for the info and I will check Nairn's cancellation policy!

Edit: After checking I now remember why I selected Nairn, the $200 savings for the 2 of us. Let me know if this is a mistake and I am missing out. I also left our Kingsbarns for the same reason.

 

The $200 savings will seem insignificant 3 years from now when you're still recalling the trip..... and possibly wishing you played a better course.... food for thought....

[H8 3putts]

Looks and sounds good to me.

 

The commute across to Fife shouldn't take too long at all unless they are doing roadworks on the Forth bridge. If you fancied a 2nd round on the Sunday then it would be worth taking the south coast route round Fife and it would give you the choice of Lundin and Leven Links, Elie or Crail Balcomie. A stop in Anstruther for a fish supper for lunch would also be a possibility.

 

I wasn't a fan of the castle course, it has great views and all but the course was a bit tricked up for my taste. I believe it has been softened since I played it 5 years ago. Worth stopping at the clubhouse just for the views though.

 

The New course would be well worth playing also. I'd probably play that over the Castle or the Duke's. Again haven't played the Dukes for 15 years and it has had a makeover since then. I also enjoyed the Eden course in St Andrews but that's just me.

While you are in St Andrews a quick round at The Himalayas is a must. It's a public putting green next to the Links Trust clubhouse. It'll give you a feel for Links greens.

 

Most of the travel looks fine though the Friday and Saturday are pretty good shifts in the car. At that time of year the tourist routes will be busy and you will be introduced to the bane of British roads, The Touring Caravan. Think of a 5th wheel being dragged around by a Geo Metro and you'll have a good idea what these are all about.

 

With regard to the driving, be aware that the DUI limit was dropped significantly in Scotland about 18 months ago. Even 1 drink can get you close to the limit. The other gem of the roads is the use of speed cameras. The A9 Perth to Inverness is rife with them as is the A90 heading from Dundee up to Aberdeen. The first you'll know you've been had is when the rental agency starts charging your credit card and passing your details to the relevant authorities after the vacation. Been there, done that :busted_cop:

 

Have a blast though and hopefully the weather is kind, with just a brief Hoolie or 2 to keep you honest on the links :D

[gerbowski169]

Great information, and much appreciated info regarding local police, travel and a couple of things to try. Thanks!

[Gem]

Hi

I would switch Nairn for Castle Stuart everyday !

 

Hi

I would switch Nairn for Castle Stuart everyday !

I was considering that when booking. Thanks for the info and I will check Nairn's cancellation policy!

Edit: After checking I now remember why I selected Nairn, the $200 savings for the 2 of us. Let me know if this is a mistake and I am missing out. I also left our Kingsbarns for the same reason.

 

The $200 savings will seem insignificant 3 years from now when you're still recalling the trip..... and possibly wishing you played a better course.... food for thought....

 

I really like Nairn and it has the best greens I had ever played on at the time.

Castle Stuart is very nice but if I am in that area then my first pick is always Moray Old. It has a great variety of holes from driveable par fours, tricky par threes and a few tough well bunkered par fours.

 

I really disliked the Castle because of the tricked up greens but the course is nice and if they have fixed the greens then it should be fine.

 

Kingsbarns is fantastic but not worth the fees overseas visitors are charged.

[thecraw]

Hi

I would switch Nairn for Castle Stuart everyday !

 

Hi

I would switch Nairn for Castle Stuart everyday !

I was considering that when booking. Thanks for the info and I will check Nairn's cancellation policy!

Edit: After checking I now remember why I selected Nairn, the $200 savings for the 2 of us. Let me know if this is a mistake and I am missing out. I also left our Kingsbarns for the same reason.

 

The $200 savings will seem insignificant 3 years from now when you're still recalling the trip..... and possibly wishing you played a better course.... food for thought....

 

I really like Nairn and it has the best greens I had ever played on at the time.

Castle Stuart is very nice but if I am in that area then my first pick is always Moray Old. It has a great variety of holes from driveable par fours, tricky par threes and a few tough well bunkered par fours.

 

I really disliked the Castle because of the tricked up greens but the course is nice and if they have fixed the greens then it should be fine.

 

Kingsbarns is fantastic but not worth the fees overseas visitors are charged.

 

I think Nairn really punches above its weight to be honest. It's "nice" and the location is amazing however is it a great course? I enjoyed it but expected better and had more fun at Tain. Royal Dornoch is the undisputed King of the Highlands with a host of others fighting for second place.

[HoffTTM]

Nairn lives off the reputation (well deserved) of the condition of its greens. I personally enjoy many other courses in the area more (Boat of Garten, Grantown on Spey, Moray, Fortrose & Rosemarkie, Fraserburgh would be on the way as well)

 

Think I just have something against their pricing more than against the course itself to be honest. Some of those I listed would objectively might not be quite as good but definitely much better value.

[jay65]

Totally agree with the last 3 posts. I also think Nairn is probably not worth the money to be honest. Nothing wrong with Nairn, but just a bit overpriced for what it is. I think Brora, Tain, Golspie, Moray Old, and Fraserburgh all offer a better combination of value for money and Course quality. I also agree with the comments re Castle Stuart and Kingsbarns. However, I suppose it's all very much subjective.

[fawley]

To the OP, you mentioned that you're looking to save money on course and food, but also spending $450 to ship your clubs.

 

if I was looking to save some money, that's where I'd start. You mentioned you're flying your clubs back with you so I assume there's no physical issue with you transporting the clubs. I get the convenience factor with shipping the clubs, but if you're trying to economize, take a look at that.

 

I know you occasionally hear horror stories of lost or damaged clubs, but in reality, it happens to such a tiny percentage of luggage, that there's very limited risk. I don't know the stats, but I'd be surprised if shipping your clubs resulted in significantly different odds of them arriving on time and undamaged.

[HoffTTM]

To the OP, you mentioned that you're looking to save money on course and food, but also spending $450 to ship your clubs.

 

if I was looking to save some money, that's where I'd start. You mentioned you're flying your clubs back with you so I assume there's no physical issue with you transporting the clubs. I get the convenience factor with shipping the clubs, but if you're trying to economize, take a look at that.

 

I know you occasionally hear horror stories of lost or damaged clubs, but in reality, it happens to such a tiny percentage of luggage, that there's very limited risk. I don't know the stats, but I'd be surprised if shipping your clubs resulted in significantly different odds of them arriving on time and undamaged.

 

Hang on is the 450 for just two bags one way? If so that is crazy expensive, think of all the whiskey you could buy.

[gerbowski169]

To the OP, you mentioned that you're looking to save money on course and food, but also spending $450 to ship your clubs.

 

if I was looking to save some money, that's where I'd start. You mentioned you're flying your clubs back with you so I assume there's no physical issue with you transporting the clubs. I get the convenience factor with shipping the clubs, but if you're trying to economize, take a look at that.

 

I know you occasionally hear horror stories of lost or damaged clubs, but in reality, it happens to such a tiny percentage of luggage, that there's very limited risk. I don't know the stats, but I'd be surprised if shipping your clubs resulted in significantly different odds of them arriving on time and undamaged.

 

Yeah, its $450 for both sets one way. The reason we are shipping them is because we are spending 3 days in London, then taking the train to Edinburgh. After considering lugging 2 sets of clubs from Heathrow to the flat we rented, then to the train station and on to Berwick I thought the cost was worth it. Havent set it up yet though and may reconsider. I would love to know the policy on the train for oversized luggage like our bags.

[TheDailyDuffer]

It seems as though anytime i hear a compliment of Nairn its about the greens, and not the course. In reality the greens are very nice, but most of which are flat and not all that exciting. If you're traveling to Scotland to golf playing Nairn because of its "smooth" greens just doesn't make much sense to me. It's a beautiful place to play a round (especially at the end of the day), but where are the good holes? Seriously, name one good or even memorable hole with the exception of that fun/wacky downhill par 3.

 

Lots of other more worth your time places.

 

Also, If you go to Dornoch, but don't make it Brora, you lose.

[Gem]

It seems as though anytime i hear a compliment of Nairn its about the greens, and not the course. In reality the greens are very nice, but most of which are flat and not all that exciting. If you're traveling to Scotland to golf playing Nairn because of its "smooth" greens just doesn't make much sense to me. It's a beautiful place to play a round (especially at the end of the day), but where are the good holes? Seriously, name one good or even memorable hole with the exception of that fun/wacky downhill par 3.

 

Lots of other more worth your time places.

 

Also, If you go to Dornoch, but don't make it Brora, you lose.

 

I mainly agree with you and after my first visit I was slightly disappointed. I do still think it is a good course and one I really enjoy playing. It can play pretty difficult in a strong wind and is well worth a visit if you are in the area but it wouldn't be my first pick, that would always be Moray Old. Nairn Dunbar has a better mix of holes but isn't usually in as good condition.

[macdubh]

If you are going to drive get a good GPS with european maps. If you will have a smart phone that may work but the data would kill you. When I did a Scotland trip a few years ago My Garmin with Euro maps was worth its weight in gold and the warnings on speed cameras was helpful as well which came up automatically on the GPS.

Sounds like you have plenty of good advice on the golf and my trip was frankly more history and castles anyway. I did lug my golf clubs around for the entire week but never used them (it was March after all) The day I was planning to golf at the old course was even nastier than usual so I figured I would come back for a golf dedicated trip.

Have a great time OP. Wish I was going with you.

[gp7xs]

Hello All,

Longtime lurker here, my wife and I scheduled a Scotland trip for August and I want to post it for group. I am posting this for 2 reasons- 1 is for feedback, thoughts, and tips. The other is a summarized guide from all of my lurking in the travel forums for anyone interested in a similar trip.

The biggest regret is we did not pull the Old Course lottery, and I selected the Castle Course before checking here to see that there were better options. We plan to enter the ballot and queue up for 2 mornings should the ballot fail. I know it is a lot of miles to drive in a week (renting a car) - we want to get in as much golf and distillery tours as possible, with some sights thrown in.

· Sunday: Staying in North Berwick Saturday night. Playing Berwick, commuting to Fife post round

· Monday: Playing the Castle Course AM. If we cannot get on to the Old we will check availability at Duke’s, the New Course, and Lundin

· Tues: AM: Attempt the Old Course again. Carnoustie PM, Driving to Stonehaven for the night and touring Dunnottar Castle

· Wed: Playing Crude Bay AM, driving to Dufftown to tour either Aberlour, Glenfiddich, or Glenlivet. Tour Balvenie Castle.

· Thurs: Tour Balvenie Distillery, Drive to and play Nairn, then head to Dornoch for the night.

· Fri: Play Royal Dornoch in the AM, then tour Glen Morangie. From there head to Dornie for the night.

· Sat: NO GOLF! Hike the Quiraing, tour Talisker, drive to and tour Eilean Castle, then head to Edinburgh for the evening.

As it is now, we are hoping for 8 rounds of golf, 3 distilleries, 3 castles, and a hike. B&Bs along the way and hoping for as much pub food as possible to keep cash costs down. Caddies are booked for N Berwick, Carnoustie, and Royal Dornoch, considering caddies for Cruden Bay, and will certainly take one if the golf gods provide us with an Old Course round.

I have read the other tips provided: Rain gear is a must but mixed opinions on an umbrella.- will probably pass for bag weight. We will be shipping our clubs to the first course ($450 total via shipsticks) and bringing them back with us. Packing a golf outfit with rainsuit and shoes with golf bags should luggage fail to arrive. Copies of passports and USGA handicap cards, GPS with UK maps, Bungie Cords for push/pull carts, power adapters, extra socks and shoes, plastic bags, extra towels, and sunscreen.

Thoughts, feedback, and anything we should, change, add/drop, or squeeze in would be great!!!!

 

I don't know how much of a whisky connoiseur you are, but if you know a little bit about it, the standard tours for those distilleries are rather bland. Try booking one of their special tours, I guarantee it's worth it. Good choice on visiting the Balvenie Distillery, best tour I ever took in Scotland (I've visited about 50 distilleries in that part of the world). Just make sure you book in advance as they don't have a visitor center (they only take bookings).

 

You'll have some great food options in Dufftown/Aberlour. The restaurant at Glenfiddich is very, very good. I would recommend you have lunch there. The Taste of Speyside in Dufftown is a michelin star restaurant. Pricy, but tasty! And a personnal favorite is The Mash Tun in Aberlour. Great whisky selection! Try their ribs, you won't be disappointed!

 

Oh and one last thing. In my opinion, the Castle Course is not worth it. It is fun, but what I would do is wake up as early as possible (around 3 AM), and got wait in line at the Old Course starter's box. I've done that about 6 or 7 times at that time of year and always managed to go out the same day. You can always play a combination of The New and Jubilee if you can't get on. Much more worth it that the Castle, at least in my opinion.

 

Have a great trip!

[gerbowski169]

Thanks for the info!!! We are doing the bottling tour @ Balvenie. If you have an opinion on the other 3: Aberlour, Glenfiddich, or Glenlivet let me know and I will book it! Talisker is the wife's favorite but they do not have a special tour available that day. I prefer Laphroaig but that is well out of the way and saved for another trip.

 

As for golf @ the castle course- I wish I could change it but it looks like the new course is booked that day. We plan to enter both the ballot and should that fail head to the starter box around 3:30 (will move to 3) Monday and Tuesday. I am interested to see if they can accommodate us at the old course when we are to play the castle course if I have to forfeit the tee time and the cost.

 

I am also looking for a recommend for another course in the area. As of now my list/rank is: 1. New Course 2. Duke’s, 3. Crail Balcomie 4. Lundin. I would love to know if that is the best progression. I cannot pre-book as it is completely based on if/when we get on at the old course Monday afternoon or Tuesday morning.

[Gem]

Thanks for the info!!! We are doing the bottling tour @ Balvenie. If you have an opinion on the other 3: Aberlour, Glenfiddich, or Glenlivet let me know and I will book it! Talisker is the wife's favorite but they do not have a special tour available that day. I prefer Laphroaig but that is well out of the way and saved for another trip.

 

As for golf @ the castle course- I wish I could change it but it looks like the new course is booked that day. We plan to enter both the ballot and should that fail head to the starter box around 3:30 (will move to 3) Monday and Tuesday. I am interested to see if they can accommodate us at the old course when we are to play the castle course if I have to forfeit the tee time and the cost.

 

I am also looking for a recommend for another course in the area. As of now my list/rank is: 1. New Course 2. Duke’s, 3. Crail Balcomie 4. Lundin. I would love to know if that is the best progression. I cannot pre-book as it is completely based on if/when we get on at the old course Monday afternoon or Tuesday morning.

 

The new is pretty good and can play tough in the wind. The Dukes is good but maybe too similar to some US courses?. Lundin and Leven are good courses but I don't really like Crail all that much. Many do but for me it just doesn't have enough good holes (if any?) to justify a visit when you have travelled from the US.

You could include Elie for a unique experience although it isn't cheap.

 

Ladybank is a terrific heathland course and not far away at all.

 

You should find it easy to book at most Scottish courses on a weekday.

 

 

Out of the ones you mention I would rank them in this order; NC, Dukes, Lundin and CB.

[thecraw]

Glenlivet for me. My tipple of choice.

[gerbowski169]

Hello All-

Thought I would write up a quick review as I failed to do so. Below are thoughts on what I would change and what I would do again. I believe my wife and I are going to make the trip again next year!

 

The Good: The people were the best part of the trip! Locals were so interested in what we were doing and what we thought. We met a couple @ Carnoustie that gave us their souvenirs from the Open they attended, and had a Member @ Narin drive us to his favorite restaurant 30 min down the road. My wife and I agree that our favorite courses were North Berwick, Carnoustie, and Brora. The old course was a favorite but different- it was as much about the experience as about the course. I LOVED Dornoch- she favored Cruden Bay. A quick thanks to TheDailyDuffer how STRONGLY encourage a visit to Brora.The caddies @ Carnoustie were also a highlight and a must if you play there. Almost all the B&Bs were perfect. Shout out to Alan @ North Berwick- he caddies there and was the nicest host possible. Told us stories of pros that have stayed there, drove to the course prior to our tee time to ensure we would have a good round, and was a heck of a cook. We shipped our clubs from London to him to store (the shipping was cheap!) and he was more than eager to help. Not golf related- but the tour of Balvenie Distilery is the only tour to do. It was just as great as an experience as the best golf courses. Glenfiddich and Talisker pale in comparison.

 

Changes I would make: Like many of you noted- Nairn was overpriced- greens were great and views were fantastic but overpriced is the best term I can use. I couldn’t move the tee time but appreciate the guidance you all provided. The castle course was tough- a long hilly walk, and the greens are borderline impossible. We played the old course that morning and when we told the caddy we had the castle course that afternoon he laughed and told id that is a tough second round and the greens had dead elephants buried in them. The par 3 17^th(?) was the best view/scenery of the trip but I don’t know that I would play it again. The driving was a haul, Google Maps underestimates commuting time and we were always a bit rushed.

 

Doing it over: Now that we have checked off Dornoch and the Old Course we will approach the next trip differently. I cannot stress enough the desire to replay some of these courses after the first time. We will spend 2 days in North Berwick, 3-4 days in/around St. Andrews as a base, and 2-3 days north toward Carnoustie and Cruden Bay. As for gold we plan to play 2 rounds @ Berwick and Carnoustie, Ballot for the old course but it wouldn’t be the end of the world if we failed, add in Crail Balcomie, Ellie, Lundin, The New Course, and play Cruden Bay again. I believe that setting a base for several times will provide a smother experience than a new town every night.

 

Send any and all questions and thoughts my way!

[katbird]

Glenlivet for me. My tipple of choice.

 

My host in Doune gave me a bottle of Glenlivet to take home with me. Very nice. Nice drink, very nice host.

 

I recommend to anyone going to Scotland to enjoy the country and the people and not just the golf. I found a bar in Edinburgh where 2 dozen musicians came that night to play Scottish traditional music.

For golf also consider Boat of Garten south of Inverness, a nice alternative to links golf: