Help Me Plan My Scotland II Trip For 2023

[EmperorPenguin]

As some of you may already know, I hosted three of my friends to play seven lovely courses in Scotland during US Open week in 2019.  We played Castle Stuart, Royal Dornoch, Nairn, Cruden Bay, Jubilee Course, The Old Course and Kingsbarns twice.  We had a blast and the time was so great I decided I will host them again for 2023, preferably in early June.  Somebody in my prequel thread recommended using The Experience St. Andrews and they were magnificent; they handled all the logistics and the itinerary was so well planned that all we had to do was fly there and fly back.

 

For the Scotland II trip, the budget will be higher.  Special thanks to the bull run of the stock market in the past few years I will play a couple more courses, maybe nine or ten.  For my first Scotland trip I decided to have The Experience to craft a custom program for us, as we visited the Highlands and St. Andrews.  For this trip, I want to visit the west coast, St. Andrews and the Lothians.  This is so far a list the courses I have in mind.

 

West: Turnberry Ailsa, Prestwick, Troon, Western Gailes and possibly Macrihanish (how to get there?).

St. Andrews: Old Course, New Course or Jubilee, Carnoustie.

Lothian: North Berwick, Muirfield ("The Honourable Company Of Edinburgh Golfers"), and possibly either Gullane or Renaissance Club.

 

So far, the western portion seems to have too many options.  I certainly want to play Turnberry Ailsa, Prestwick and Western Gailes.  I am on the fence when it comes to Troon, because I heard that Macrihanish is certainly worth playing.  However, looking at the map the drive is four hours long and going in nearly a circle from Ayreshire; is there a ferry that can take us from Ayreshire to a town nearby Macrihanish so we won't have to drive so long?  The question here is to choose between Royal Troon or Macrihanish--which is better?

 

For the St. Andrews region, I understand that the Links Trust will book us an advance tee time at The Old Course if we book one more round at either New or Jubilee, and we must stay at The Old Course Hotel, which is not a problem.  For the last trip I decided to skip Carnoustie because I did not want us to suffer, and I wanted to play courses we enjoy, not loathe; for this upcoming trip I decided I will bite the bullet and see what the hype is all about.

 

The Lothians I did not even visit on the last trip, and I know I have missed many wonderful courses.  Through my research I definitely want to play North Berwick.  I did not want to play Muirfield last trip because I heard they are the snootiest club on the planet, and one of my guests has dreadlocks (but he plays to a 4) so I wonder if the membership may give him some harsh treatment.  We will certainly be willing to dress up in our sport coats while dining there, so I will make sure he ties his dreds up in a bun to look respectable.  Did I hear that when you book to play Muirfield you typically play 36 holes, with the morning match a four ball and after lunch is a foursomes?  I also understand that guests at the club will receive a Rules of Conduct sheet prior to arrival.  It is their club, so it is their rules.  We definitely have two courses at the Lothians, but I wonder what else is there to play?  So far, I am curious about two courses: Gullane and Renaissance Club.  Which is better, and which are must plays?

 

If there are any suggestions please let me know.  When recommending a course, I want a course that has caddies because I want us to enjoy the courses without any burden.  For logistical matters, I will leave that to The Experience to book.  They did a great job last time and I will use them again.

Edited April 14, 2021 by EmperorPenguin

[hammergolf]

My first piece of advice would be to def not miss Troon. I would recommend it over Prestwick. There are two other ways to get to Mac. One is a ferry from Androssan to Campbelltown that is about 2h 40m. Depending on where you plan on staying in Ayrshire it may not save you any time at all. Your other option is to fly from Glasgow to Campbeltown. It’s about a 45 min flight. There are a couple courses Machrihanish and Machrihanish Dunes both right there near the airport. If I was planning an itinerary for the west, I would start flying to Campbeltown from Glasgow and play either Mac or Dunes, then the other the following day and fly back to Glasgow. Then drive down to Turnberry and spend the night at the resort. Play the Ailsa and maybe The Bruce spend another night there. Drive in the morning to Troon, play the Old and have lunch. Stay in The Marine Hotel for the night. Make the short drive in the morning to Western Gailes then make your way over to Gullane. I would def play Muirfield. Not sure where they got the rep for being snootie, but I have never felt that way when I’m there. In fact, last time we played the clubhouse was under construction, so they gave each of us a sleeve of Pro V1s for the inconvenience. They just have certain rules, nothing outlandish, and mostly accept visitors on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I doubt you have any issues there at all. From there you have your choice of courses. My other two choices there would be North Berwick, and Gullane 1 and 2. Lots of options to stay depending on what type of place you prefer. I would highly recommend Duck’s Inn if you want a more local feel. From there it’s a drive up to St. Andrews. I’m a big fan of The Castle Course, but it’s a love or hate type of course. Similar to Kingsbarns but the green are more sloped. Obviously TOC, New, and Jubillee. Carnoustie is about a 45 min drive. Honestly I find Carnoustie to be MUCH more snootie than Muirfield. It’s a good course, but I don’t find it as difficult as it’s rep. Yes the last 4 are tough holes, but to me Troon is the toughest of the Scottish rota Open courses. I book all of my trips myself, so if you have questions just let me know.

Edited April 15, 2021 by hammergolf

[El Gringo]

Don't skip Prestwick. IMO it's the premier choice of the area. Great course and ambience. 

 

If going to Mach, give Dunaverty a go. Also, if going to Mach, you can take the ferry to Arran and play Shiskine then get the ferry to the Mull.

 

It's good to see the wee courses (even if caddies aren't available) and those with history if they are on the doorstep. 

 

Renaissance is I think the better course, but the experience isn't as good. Gullane is a cool club and playing over the Hill is golfing must, at least once. Consider playing #3 as well. A short course with a load of good holes. 

Edited April 15, 2021 by El Gringo

[EmperorPenguin]

22 hours ago, hammergolf said:

My first piece of advice would be to def not miss Troon. I would recommend it over Prestwick. There are two other ways to get to Mac. One is a ferry from Androssan to Campbelltown that is about 2h 40m. Depending on where you plan on staying in Ayrshire it may not save you any time at all. Your other option is to fly from Glasgow to Campbeltown. It’s about a 45 min flight. There are a couple courses Machrihanish and Machrihanish Dunes both right there near the airport. If I was planning an itinerary for the west, I would start flying to Campbeltown from Glasgow and play either Mac or Dunes, then the other the following day and fly back to Glasgow. Then drive down to Turnberry and spend the night at the resort. Play the Ailsa and maybe The Bruce spend another night there. Drive in the morning to Troon, play the Old and have lunch. Stay in The Marine Hotel for the night. Make the short drive in the morning to Western Gailes then make your way over to Gullane. I would def play Muirfield. Not sure where they got the rep for being snootie, but I have never felt that way when I’m there. In fact, last time we played the clubhouse was under construction, so they gave each of us a sleeve of Pro V1s for the inconvenience. They just have certain rules, nothing outlandish, and mostly accept visitors on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I doubt you have any issues there at all. From there you have your choice of courses. My other two choices there would be North Berwick, and Gullane 1 and 2. Lots of options to stay depending on what type of place you prefer. I would highly recommend Duck’s Inn if you want a more local feel. From there it’s a drive up to St. Andrews. I’m a big fan of The Castle Course, but it’s a love or hate type of course. Similar to Kingsbarns but the green are more sloped. Obviously TOC, New, and Jubillee. Carnoustie is about a 45 min drive. Honestly I find Carnoustie to be MUCH more snootie than Muirfield. It’s a good course, but I don’t find it as difficult as it’s rep. Yes the last 4 are tough holes, but to me Troon is the toughest of the Scottish rota Open courses. I book all of my trips myself, so if you have questions just let me know.

I did not know that the ferry ride is two hours and forty minutes.  I assumed the ferry ride would only take an hour, so I think that if Macrihanish will be worth it, this will be a day trip to get there and back and there will be no time for sightseeing.  However, we will be in Ayrshire for several days, so we will always have time to see it.

 

The plan for now is to stay at Trump Turnberry Resort when on the west coast, The Old Course Hotel for St. Andrews, and I have no idea where to stay in Edinburgh--maybe Balmoral Hotel?  Robin at The Experience can give me a good recommendation, unless someone here can suggest otherwise; I will look into Duck's Inn.

 

For our maximum enjoyment, in the last trip I did not want any of us to get burned out on golf, so I made sure that for each day we played only one course, and we walk with caddies every day.  That gave us enough time to recover from our rounds and by the next round the next day we were fully refreshed.  Furthermore, I enjoyed spending time seeing the old towns ("auld toons"), and in the last trip I fell in love with Inverness.  I hope Ayrshire and Edinburgh will be at least equally beautiful.

 

[hammergolf]

Sounds like a great trip. Edinburgh has the big city feel to it. If that’s what you’re looking for. Keep in mind it would be a 30-45 min drive each way to the courses. If you want more of a small town feel and much less driving, then Gullane or North Berwick are great. Although Ducks Inn isn’t 5*, Malcolm is a great guy, and it would be a more personal and local touch. But if you are looking for 5* around Gullane you could stay at The Renaissance. Every course you mentioned has caddies. Just make sure to have them reserved in advance. As far as Turnberry, the resort is a little remote. Not much there accept the resort. You’re about 30mins from Ayr which would be the largest town in the area. There are a few nice places in Ayr if you would rather stay in a town. Fairfield House Hotel is very nice. Once again just depends what you’re looking for. Turnberry is an amazing resort. Standing on the balcony at sunset overlooking the Ailsa Craig with a nice cocktail is still a memory I’ll never forget. 

Edited April 16, 2021 by hammergolf

[Raz1374]

Hammergolf is correct about Troon. Great course and if the wind is up, very challenging. Personally, I would skip staying at Turnberry and stay at the Royal Marine, it overlooks 1/18 at Troon and is 15 mins from Western Gailes. 
 

in Lothian, do not miss North Berwick and do Muirfield if you can. 
 

Big fan of Carnoustie. Comparatively, it’s an ugly b**** but at the end of the round, you will feel like your game has been tested. I’ve done Carnoustie/Old Course in the same day twice. THAT is a golf day!  
 

You can’t go wrong with any of your choices though. 

[hammergolf]

3 hours ago, Raz1374 said:

Hammergolf is correct about Troon. Great course and if the wind is up, very challenging. Personally, I would skip staying at Turnberry and stay at the Royal Marine, it overlooks 1/18 at Troon and is 15 mins from Western Gailes. 
 

in Lothian, do not miss North Berwick and do Muirfield if you can. 
 

Big fan of Carnoustie. Comparatively, it’s an ugly b**** but at the end of the round, you will feel like your game has been tested. I’ve done Carnoustie/Old Course in the same day twice. THAT is a golf day!  
 

You can’t go wrong with any of your choices though. 

That’s the beauty of this game. I wouldn’t put Prestwick in the Top 50 in Scotland. Great history, but doesn’t hold a candle to Troon. To me Prestwick kind of reminds me of TOC, you can hit it miles left on almost every tee and be fine. Troon on the other hand.... First time I played at Troon, on #6 I told the caddie that every fwy looked the same width. He told me “ Aye they are, the tractor makes one cut towards the hole, and one cut back.” To me, it’s the toughest driving challenge of all of Scottish rota Open courses. Man TOC/Carnoustie on the same day is a rough day. I bet it didn’t take long to go to sleep that night.

Edited April 17, 2021 by hammergolf

[El Gringo]

Sounds like difficulty is very important in this thread. Any of the courses mentioned will be difficult in 12 to 15mph wind. 

 

Prestwick has more than history. What makes Prestwick great is great holes such as 3, 13, 15, 16 & 17. There is a fantastic mix of old fashion and modern (more straight forward) holes. There are also some excellent greens. For mine, Prestwick exhibits far more variety and interesting holes than does Troon. But, at the end of the day both should be played. If stuck for time I would drop Western Gailes. 

 

I am told Troon will or even has started a schedule to improve the Portland course. That's a major plus for Troon. 

[Chanceman]

I played Troon a few years ago and always remember my bogey on the Postage Stamp.

Tee shot - into bunker right

2nd Shot - into bunker left

3rd Shot - onto green

4th shot - into hole

Also if memory serves me I scored a par on 5 - the longest par 5 on the Open rota.

And that back nine is brutal.

That's enough - Prestwick is next for me. 

[hammergolf]

9 hours ago, El Gringo said:

Sounds like difficulty is very important in this thread. Any of the courses mentioned will be difficult in 12 to 15mph wind. 

 

Prestwick has more than history. What makes Prestwick great is great holes such as 3, 13, 15, 16 & 17. There is a fantastic mix of old fashion and modern (more straight forward) holes. There are also some excellent greens. For mine, Prestwick exhibits far more variety and interesting holes than does Troon. But, at the end of the day both should be played. If stuck for time I would drop Western Gailes. 

 

I am told Troon will or even has started a schedule to improve the Portland course. That's a major plus for Troon. 

That’s why I love this game and this forum. There are no wrong answers about courses. Everybody has different things they look for or prefer about courses. 

[hammergolf]

4 hours ago, Chanceman said:

I played Troon a few years ago and always remember my bogey on the Postage Stamp.

Tee shot - into bunker right

2nd Shot - into bunker left

3rd Shot - onto green

4th shot - into hole

Also if memory serves me I scored a par on 5 - the longest par 5 on the Open rota.

And that back nine is brutal.

That's enough - Prestwick is next for me. 

You definitely have to drive it well to get a good score at Troon. Last time I played, we were playing #8 at 118 yard into the wind and I hit a nice 7 iron to about 15ft. One of the truly great short holes in the world. 

[EmperorPenguin]

For the first trip, I wanted all of us to enjoy the golf and the scenery.  We played (in order) Castle Stuart, Royal Dornoch, Nairn, Cruden Bay, Kingsbarns, Jubilee Course, The Old Course, and back to Kingsbarns.  So many people were raving about Kingsbarns that I decided to take their word for it and play it twice.  Quite honestly, I think Castle Stuart is much prettier.  Why?  Because at Kingsbarns you can see the North Sea from every hole.  True, but at Castle Stuart you can see the Moray Firth and you can see the majestic landscape on the other side of the Firth.  Someone in the prequel thread suggested that I not play Kingsbarns twice, and I regret not heeding that advice because we could have played Carnasty, a course I decided to skip because I did not want any of us to have a difficult time.  Of the courses we played in Scotland I, I rate Castle Stuart as the prettiest, Royal Dornoch the most difficult (we had bad weather), Nairn the most fun, Cruden Bay as the most wicked, and The Old Course as, of course, the most majestic (loved that finish into the "toon," with the locals and tourists all watching us play).

 

For my first trip, course difficulty was the lowest priority, while course enjoyment was top.  For this trip I still prefer enjoyment, but will allow some difficulty, so I am on the fence of giving Carnasty a try.  My concern about Troon is that it may be too difficult for us, hence I am asking people: which do you like better, Macrihanish or Troon?  That is a tough question.  I want to pay Macrihanish for the first tee shot, and I want to play Troon just for The Postage Stamp.  For now, I am leaning towards Troon because it would be logistically difficult to play Macrihanish due to travel: no way do I want us to take a car there!  It is either a fast boat ride, a plane, or no Macrihanish at all.   I found an express boat option online called the Kintyre Express, and I think I can get there in one hour, but their website shows that there may be issues due to covid.  One gentleman I know told me that from Turnberry he and his friends chartered a private boat to take them there and back to play Macrihanish.  Prestwick is a must play for me because I want to play a course that was laid out before Abraham Lincoln was elected president, and I want to see the infamous Cardinal Bunker.  For North Berwick, I want to see The Rudan Hole.  For Carnasty, I want to try the tee shot into Hogan's Alley, and play the hole where Frenchy blew up to lose The Open; however, is it worth it if the overall experience of playing there will be a good walk spoiled?

 

So far, here is a list of what I have so far.

Must Plays: Turnberry Ailsa, Prestwick, Troon, Western Gailes, Macrihanish, The Old Course, The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, North Berwick.

Optional Plays: The New Course, Jubilee Course, Castle Course, Renaissance, Gullane, and Carnasty.

The Must Plays alone count for eight, and given the mandatory second round at either New or Jubilee, that makes nine days alone.  I will tolerate just one more.  The candidates are Gullane, Renaissance and Carnasty.  Now it is trending to Carnasty, but I will be more than happy to skip it.

Edited April 17, 2021 by EmperorPenguin

[Chanceman]

IMHO Carnoustie is not to be missed. Sure its a brute but you will know you are alive after playing it whether in sunshine or storm. I came off that course thinking that this was truly golf in Scotland. We played it on a bleak wet and cold day but loved it from start to finish. There's Hogan's Alley, the Spectacles, Jockie's Burn, South America, the Barry Burn. Legendary stuff. And a hot drink at the tea house (at the 10th) was magical. Just go there.

[hammergolf]

7 hours ago, EmperorPenguin said:

For the first trip, I wanted all of us to enjoy the golf and the scenery.  We played (in order) Castle Stuart, Royal Dornoch, Nairn, Cruden Bay, Kingsbarns, Jubilee Course, The Old Course, and back to Kingsbarns.  So many people were raving about Kingsbarns that I decided to take their word for it and play it twice.  Quite honestly, I think Castle Stuart is much prettier.  Why?  Because at Kingsbarns you can see the North Sea from every hole.  True, but at Castle Stuart you can see the Moray Firth and you can see the majestic landscape on the other side of the Firth.  Someone in the prequel thread suggested that I not play Kingsbarns twice, and I regret not heeding that advice because we could have played Carnasty, a course I decided to skip because I did not want any of us to have a difficult time.  Of the courses we played in Scotland I, I rate Castle Stuart as the prettiest, Royal Dornoch the most difficult (we had bad weather), Nairn the most fun, Cruden Bay as the most wicked, and The Old Course as, of course, the most majestic (loved that finish into the "toon," with the locals and tourists all watching us play).

 

For my first trip, course difficulty was the lowest priority, while course enjoyment was top.  For this trip I still prefer enjoyment, but will allow some difficulty, so I am on the fence of giving Carnasty a try.  My concern about Troon is that it may be too difficult for us, hence I am asking people: which do you like better, Macrihanish or Troon?  That is a tough question.  I want to pay Macrihanish for the first tee shot, and I want to play Troon just for The Postage Stamp.  For now, I am leaning towards Troon because it would be logistically difficult to play Macrihanish due to travel: no way do I want us to take a car there!  It is either a fast boat ride, a plane, or no Macrihanish at all.   I found an express boat option online called the Kintyre Express, and I think I can get there in one hour, but their website shows that there may be issues due to covid.  One gentleman I know told me that from Turnberry he and his friends chartered a private boat to take them there and back to play Macrihanish.  Prestwick is a must play for me because I want to play a course that was laid out before Abraham Lincoln was elected president, and I want to see the infamous Cardinal Bunker.  For North Berwick, I want to see The Rudan Hole.  For Carnasty, I want to try the tee shot into Hogan's Alley, and play the hole where Frenchy blew up to lose The Open; however, is it worth it if the overall experience of playing there will be a good walk spoiled?

 

So far, here is a list of what I have so far.

Must Plays: Turnberry Ailsa, Prestwick, Troon, Western Gailes, Macrihanish, The Old Course, The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, North Berwick.

Optional Plays: The New Course, Jubilee Course, Castle Course, Renaissance, Gullane, and Carnasty.

The Must Plays alone count for eight, and given the mandatory second round at either New or Jubilee, that makes nine days alone.  I will tolerate just one more.  The candidates are Gullane, Renaissance and Carnasty.  Now it is trending to Carnasty, but I will be more than happy to skip it.

Sure, Carnoustie is a great test. But it’s not like it’s unplayable. The last 4 are a tough stretch, but the course is very playable. Much more room off the tee than many courses there. If your guys were able to handle RD and Cruden Bay you’ll be fine at Carnoustie. With the help of a caddie you’ll enjoy it, and find it much more reasonable then it’s reputation. Here is a YouTube link for flyovers of each hole so you see for yourself.

 

https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCZemSZCypMs5zB8Kmz_-EAg/videos

 

Edited April 18, 2021 by hammergolf

[Raz1374]

Play Carnoustie, you will be glad you did. I prefer it to Gullane any day. the rough has been thinned out over the years so it is very playable. If the wind is up, #2, 16, 17 and 18 are the most challenging. 

 

Also, I found the Jubilee course to be kinda meh so I’d try the New if you can. 
 

[EmperorPenguin]

Jubilee was more like a fill-in course.  There is only one double green and the prettiest hole was near the end of the back nine, maybe #16?  We played it because when we booked The Old Course through The Experience, we were told that for advance reservations you must have a foursome, you must stay at the Old Course Hotel, and you must book another time at either The Jubilee Course or The New Course, and we did have a choice between the two.  I wanted to play the New, but we did not have the choice.

[hammergolf]

On 4/19/2021 at 9:31 PM, EmperorPenguin said:

Jubilee was more like a fill-in course.  There is only one double green and the prettiest hole was near the end of the back nine, maybe #16?  We played it because when we booked The Old Course through The Experience, we were told that for advance reservations you must have a foursome, you must stay at the Old Course Hotel, and you must book another time at either The Jubilee Course or The New Course, and we did have a choice between the two.  I wanted to play the New, but we did not have the choice.

I'm a fan of The Castle Course. Very similar to Kingsbarns in my opinion, but with more sloped greens and half the price. Nice views of St. Andrews on some of the holes as well. I would say New, Castle, then Jubilee if I was ranking them.

[philsRHman]

Am I the only one who reads OP’s posts in the voice of Thurston Howell?
 

Good on, ya, man, enjoy the trip. Sounds like one heck of a generous friend to treat your friends to such an amazing tour. That’s why I’m getting my butt into the stock market!

 

[Chanceman]

Wow, it's 2023 now. If ever.

[EmperorPenguin]

On 4/16/2021 at 6:08 PM, Raz1374 said:

Hammergolf is correct about Troon. Great course and if the wind is up, very challenging. Personally, I would skip staying at Turnberry and stay at the Royal Marine, it overlooks 1/18 at Troon and is 15 mins from Western Gailes.

I did a quick search for Royal Marine Hotel and I found several.  I found one in Dublin, one in Dunoon.  Which one should I specifically research?  In Inverness we stayed at the Kingsmills Hotel, and in St. Andrews we stayed at The Old Course Hotel.  Both were excellent.  In Cruden Bay we stayed at the Cruden Bay B&B Inn, which was quaint, but nice.

 

For accommodations, for now the tentative plan is to book Turnberry Resort in the west, The Old Course Hotel in St. Andrews, and The Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh.  I will ask Robin at The Experience about Royal Marine.

[hammergolf]

2 hours ago, EmperorPenguin said:

I did a quick search for Royal Marine Hotel and I found several.  I found one in Dublin, one in Dunoon.  Which one should I specifically research?  In Inverness we stayed at the Kingsmills Hotel, and in St. Andrews we stayed at The Old Course Hotel.  Both were excellent.  In Cruden Bay we stayed at the Cruden Bay B&B Inn, which was quaint, but nice.

 

For accommodations, for now the tentative plan is to book Turnberry Resort in the west, The Old Course Hotel in St. Andrews, and The Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh.  I will ask Robin at The Experience about Royal Marine.

It’s The Marine Hotel. But if you’re already planning on staying at Turnberry there wouldn’t be a need to stay at The Marine. They are only 30 mins apart. Just understand that Turnberry is pretty remote so you would be about a 20 minute drive from Ayr if you wanted to spend some time in a town. I included a link to The Marine.

 

https://www.themarinetroon.co.uk/

[Pete O'Tube]

 

Before you decide which courses in Fife to play. Have a look at https://www.dumbarnielinks.com/. 

First impressions have been VERY favourable. https://www.golfmonthly.com/courses/dumbarnie-links-review-a-new-jewel-in-the-kingdom-of-fife-206392

Edited May 4, 2021 by Pete O'Tube
Review added

[Raz1374]

The Marine Hotel at Troon is a quick jaunt to Prestwick GC, Western Gailes and other courses (and a 60 second walk to Royal Troon GC). It’s also closer to Pubs/restaurants than Turnberry.  I just think it’s more convenient than Turnberry, IMHO. 

[hammergolf]

16 hours ago, Raz1374 said:

The Marine Hotel at Troon is a quick jaunt to Prestwick GC, Western Gailes and other courses (and a 60 second walk to Royal Troon GC). It’s also closer to Pubs/restaurants than Turnberry.  I just think it’s more convenient than Turnberry, IMHO. 

Definitely agree. Turnberry is a great resort, but very isolated.

[EmperorPenguin]

I am looking now at The Marine Hotel at Troon and it looks nice.  So far I am convinced that I should not stay at Turnberry Resort due to its remote location, so I will instruct Robin at The Experience to book us The Marine, because after the rounds I want us to go visit places in a downtown area within walking distance from our hotel.  Will there be issues for us to book our round at Turnberry Ailsa if we are not staying at the Trump Turnberry Resort?

[Raz1374]

I don’t believe you will have trouble booking the Ailsa. You will pay a little more but you will save on the hotel cost. The Marine is not really walking distance to the towns of Troon, Prestwick or Ayr but it’s really close....very short drive or Uber.   I usually stay there the night before flying back home out of Glasgow. 

[hammergolf]

9 hours ago, EmperorPenguin said:

I am looking now at The Marine Hotel at Troon and it looks nice.  So far I am convinced that I should not stay at Turnberry Resort due to its remote location, so I will instruct Robin at The Experience to book us The Marine, because after the rounds I want us to go visit places in a downtown area within walking distance from our hotel.  Will there be issues for us to book our round at Turnberry Ailsa if we are not staying at the Trump Turnberry Resort?

You’re about a mile walk from The Marine to the center of Troon. Not a bad walk, along the beach on the paved path. Troon is just a small village like most of Ayrshire, so not much going on. The biggest town would be Ayr which is about 10mins south of Troon..

[EmperorPenguin]

Here is the latest update.  I have decided on nine golf courses, going from west to east: Prestwick, Turnberry Ailsa, Royal Troon and Western Gailes and staying at The Marine Inn for four nights; then to St. Andrews to play Carnasty, The Old Course, and hopefully the New Course and staying at The Old Course Hotel for three nights; then east to the Lothians to play The Honourable Company (Muirfield) and North Berwick, staying at the Balmoral Hotel for three nights, then fly back.  We will play one course every day, we will all walk and take caddies each round basically to minimize fatigue since we will be playing for nine consecutive days.  I will cover the flights, hotels, golf and caddies, and they just alternate paying for dinners and incidentals.

 

The last time I invited my buddies for Scotland I, it ended up being a guys' trip; all of us were single and unmarried.  Now, two of us got married, and the third one is living with a girlfriend and has a baby girl.  One wife told my buddy, "In the future, if you go, I will go!"   Overall, the sentiment was that the wives wanted to go, and one insisted.  This means increasing my budget because instead of two rooms per resort I will have to get three or four.  I invited the same guys plus their wives.  One said yes, and his wife is coming.  One said yes, but his wife is coming later.  The last one said yes, but his girlfriend is not coming because she must take care of their daughter.  So I finalized the plans to Robin at The Experience to craft a program for us, and he had already started the booking.  We were successful in booking The Honourable Company, and we just got a starting time at The Old Course earlier than I expected (I thought the Old-Course times were sold in November).

 

The latest development is that the player's girlfriend who initially declined to go changed her mind and wants to come along with her daughter, her mother and her aunt.  I made it very clear that the buck stops with me, and that she had already decided not to come, and the booking process had already started.  They have never traveled internationally before, and they just applied for their passports.  They decided that even though I will not support them, they (i.e., player's girlfriend, their daughter, and the girlfriend's mother and aunt) will fund their own separate itinerary that will go in tandem with ours.  We'll see if that will actually happen because I doubt they will have the funds to cover those expenses, since I know them as living paycheck to paycheck.  They have a year to save up for this trip, so I think they can pull it off if they live on a budget.  For them to book their own tandem itinerary, which is basically flight and hotel, it is not really that much, maybe $12,000 for the four of them?  I will recommend a guy we knew in the past, who now lives in Edinburgh and works as a guide to help Americans play golf in Scotland; he can just shuttle them around from destination to destination.  I asked my buddy if this will be a guys' trip or a family trip, and he insists that it will be a guys' trip.  We will see.

 

The plan for now is that every morning, we will have breakfast together at the hotel and just the four of us guys.  In the evening after the round the wives can join us for dinner and they can help us find activities an attractions to visit after dinner.  When we arrive in St. Andrews, the morning after we will be free because we play golf in the afternoon at Carnasy, so I think a good idea will be for all of us to play morning putt-putt at the Himalayas.  We saw it last time but did not play it, but we will this trip.

[hammergolf]

1 hour ago, EmperorPenguin said:

Here is the latest update.  I have decided on nine golf courses, going from west to east: Prestwick, Turnberry Ailsa, Royal Troon and Western Gailes and staying at The Marine Inn for four nights; then to St. Andrews to play Carnasty, The Old Course, and hopefully the New Course and staying at The Old Course Hotel for three nights; then east to the Lothians to play The Honourable Company (Muirfield) and North Berwick, staying at the Balmoral Hotel for three nights, then fly back.  We will play one course every day, we will all walk and take caddies each round basically to minimize fatigue since we will be playing for nine consecutive days.  I will cover the flights, hotels, golf and caddies, and they just alternate paying for dinners and incidentals.

 

The last time I invited my buddies for Scotland I, it ended up being a guys' trip; all of us were single and unmarried.  Now, two of us got married, and the third one is living with a girlfriend and has a baby girl.  One wife told my buddy, "In the future, if you go, I will go!"   Overall, the sentiment was that the wives wanted to go, and one insisted.  This means increasing my budget because instead of two rooms per resort I will have to get three or four.  I invited the same guys plus their wives.  One said yes, and his wife is coming.  One said yes, but his wife is coming later.  The last one said yes, but his girlfriend is not coming because she must take care of their daughter.  So I finalized the plans to Robin at The Experience to craft a program for us, and he had already started the booking.  We were successful in booking The Honourable Company, and we just got a starting time at The Old Course earlier than I expected (I thought the Old-Course times were sold in November).

 

The latest development is that the player's girlfriend who initially declined to go changed her mind and wants to come along with her daughter, her mother and her aunt.  I made it very clear that the buck stops with me, and that she had already decided not to come, and the booking process had already started.  They have never traveled internationally before, and they just applied for their passports.  They decided that even though I will not support them, they (i.e., player's girlfriend, their daughter, and the girlfriend's mother and aunt) will fund their own separate itinerary that will go in tandem with ours.  We'll see if that will actually happen because I doubt they will have the funds to cover those expenses, since I know them as living paycheck to paycheck.  They have a year to save up for this trip, so I think they can pull it off if they live on a budget.  For them to book their own tandem itinerary, which is basically flight and hotel, it is not really that much, maybe $12,000 for the four of them?  I will recommend a guy we knew in the past, who now lives in Edinburgh and works as a guide to help Americans play golf in Scotland; he can just shuttle them around from destination to destination.  I asked my buddy if this will be a guys' trip or a family trip, and he insists that it will be a guys' trip.  We will see.

 

The plan for now is that every morning, we will have breakfast together at the hotel and just the four of us guys.  In the evening after the round the wives can join us for dinner and they can help us find activities an attractions to visit after dinner.  When we arrive in St. Andrews, the morning after we will be free because we play golf in the afternoon at Carnasy, so I think a good idea will be for all of us to play morning putt-putt at the Himalayas.  We saw it last time but did not play it, but we will this trip.

Best of luck. On the golf side you’ve picked the great ones no doubt. 

[sabram]

Prestwick is a must play. It is a lot more than history. Like North Berwick it has loads of quirk and is a blast to play. I'm also a fan of Gullane. All three courses there are fun.

 

I tend to stay away from the big resort hotels in Scotland, preferring the old small hotels and B&B's. There is a fantastic B&B that sits between Prestwick and Royal Troon called Sandhill House. The grounds border Royal Troon and in the evenings you can walk on the course (and some have been known to take a club or two and hit some shots on the Postage stamp)  Here's a link to their website.  Sandhill House