James Braid

A bonus round at Brora?
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A bonus round at Brora?

Are the flights on time? Do we get lost in a roundabout? Is there enough daylight left? Our flight from Washington D.C. through Detroit and Amsterdam is scheduled to arrive in Inverness, Scotland, at 12:40 p.m. on April 23. Hey, what can go wrong? Can son Jason and I get luggage, clear customs, get our…

Scotland, day four: Prestwick GC, as old as golf and still feisty
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Scotland, day four: Prestwick GC, as old as golf and still feisty

Dating to 1851, site of the first Open Championship, Prestwick is more than a relic PRESTWICK, AYRSHIRE, Scotland — Old Tom Morris laid out the first 12 holes of Prestwick Golf Club in 1851, though golf had been played there even earlier. In 1860, the very first Open Championship, known in the United States as…

Previewing Scotland: A journey to the birthplace of golf
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Previewing Scotland: A journey to the birthplace of golf

Seeking the enduring spirit of golf in Scotland, from Old Tom Morris to David McLay Kidd (and Donald Trump) Golfers don’t simply take a trip to Scotland to play courses there.  They make a pilgrimage. That word conveys the historic nature of the game there, the bucket-list allure. Wrote the late James W. Finegan in…

Wales, revisited: Looking back on six memorable golf courses
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Wales, revisited: Looking back on six memorable golf courses

The No. 17 green and fairway, Royal St. David’s Golf Club, Wales. Great values, history and more than just golf HARLECH, Wales — At Royal St. David’s Golf Club, you look to the cliff above and see Harlech Castle, built by King Edward I beginning in 1283 and now considered a World Heritage Site, with…

Wales, day six: Aberdovey Golf Club, an enduring classic
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Wales, day six: Aberdovey Golf Club, an enduring classic

The beloved course of Bernard Darwin is still relevant ABERDOVEY, Wales – Born in 1876, a grandson of Charles Darwin, Bernard Darwin was a gifted golfer who became the first reporter to cover golf on a regular basis, writing for The Times of London for decades starting in 1907, and serving as captain of the…

Wales, day four: Porthmadog Golf Club, a tale of two nines
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Wales, day four: Porthmadog Golf Club, a tale of two nines

Two different worlds, heathland and links, at this North Wales course PORTHMADOG, Wales — It’s fitting that the inspiration for the classic story “Alice in Wonderland” came in North Wales, in Llandudno, about 90 minutes drive north of Porthmadog. Because there is definitely a “through the rabbit hole” feeling playing Porthmadog Golf Club, a course…

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