In advance of my 70th birthday, the gift of an April trip to the birthplace of golf I love golf, and have written about golf, and had opportunities to play some wonderful courses, but I am not a good golfer. My handicap has crawled up to 19, trending the wrong way, and my best has…
Noted golf architect spent childhood summers in these dunes, and carefully worked through considerable environmental restraints to build the golf course MACHRIHANISH, ARGYLL, Scotland — When he designed Machrihanish Dunes Golf Club, near the bottom of the Kintyre Peninsula in western Scotland, David McLay Kidd was fulfilling a dream he had nurtured throughout his career….
The historic venues of Prestwick, Trump Turnberry and Royal Troon PRESTWICK, AYRSHIRE, Scotland — On the Firth of Clyde on the western Scotland mainland, in the region called Ayrshire, separated by a mere 25 miles, are three golf courses that are linked, intrinsically and historically, to the United Kingdom’s most important golf tournament, the Open…
In a place with courses that are spectacular, historic and fun, North Berwick GC is special EDINBURGH, Scotland — The flights have been long, but now you are here. You collect your golf clubs, find the rental van, remember that in the United Kingdom they drive on the left side of the road and plug…
A grand (if bittersweet) finale as our trip ends at an historic, highly regarded course that delivers memorable holes, memorable beauty and memorable hospitality NORTH BERWICK, EAST LOTHIAN, Scotland — Martyn Huish, the head PGA professional at North Berwick Golf Club (West Links), is 47 and was born here, in this town in East Lothian, …
The Crail Golfing Society’s older course is its most popular (but don’t overlook Craighead Links) CRAIL, FIFE, Scotland — To this old little village on the Firth of Forth, in this region of Scotland north of Edinburgh known as the East Neuk, the golfers come from the United States, and Scandinavia, and Germany and France…
They grow up playing golf here, and have for generations ELIE, FIFE, Scotland — Daylight was waning and the rain was pelting when we left The 19th Hole, the pub across the narrow street from the final fairway of The Golf House Club, Elie Links. The story goes that sometimes golfers pop into the pub…
Where we see links golf very old, and links golf very new KINGSBARNS, FIFE, Scotland — It rained some Thursday morning on the east coast of Scotland, and we drove from the Old Manor Hotel on Leven Road, overlooking Lundin Golf Links, about 15 minutes north into St. Andrews, and by then it was raining…
A stolid Old World feel at the club that just hosted one of the most vibrant Opens ever TROON, AYRSHIRE, Scotland — Trump Turnberry is more spectacular and beautiful. Prestwick Golf Club is older, more rugged, aggressively links golf. If you come to Ayrshire, on the west coast of Scotland, you must play those courses….
Setting aside Donald Trump’s politics (if you can), his redesign of the famous Ailsa course at Turnberry is simply fantastic TURNBERRY, AYRSHIRE, Scotland — You can hate his politics, and ego. You can snicker at the self-aggrandizing ostentatiousness and opulence that characterizes much of what Donald Trump touches. But if you are a golfer, if…
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