Friday, September 2, 2011
We're on!
Momentarily we will be on The Old Course. We've been in line since 2:30 am to fill in twosomes and threesomes. We were the first ones in line. Can't wait!
One for the fellas...
Ahhhhhhh yeah!
Can you tell who was running the TV jukebox over there? I'm ashamed and need Photoshop.
Can you tell who was running the TV jukebox over there? I'm ashamed and need Photoshop.
Day 6 (Kingsbarns)
Today we played Kingsbarns which is one of the best courses
we’ve played so far. It was almost as picturesque as the Castle Course (it’s just five minutes south on the same coast) but was a much more fair course. The greens were some of the best that we’d played on so far – they rolled well, had subtle but true breaks, and held reasonably well. The signature hole is the par 3 is all carry over the water with a bail out area on the left. Of course I hit it fat and went into the seaweed at low tide… We've had great weather on this coast - mid to high 50's with low wind and no rain. These conditions are exponentially easier to play golf in, not only physically but mentally and emotionally. I cried a few times during the 45 mph winds at Western Gailes and was very appreciative of these calm conditions.
Dave came out of the gates firing with a 36 on the front nine. He hit some amazing shots and we all just tried to keep up. When this guy is hitting the ball well, it's pretty. Shots are shaped perfectly, chips are landed in the perfect spot, and putts are drained in
the back of the cup. Dave's caddy had a serious man-crush on Dave early on and was loving the possibility of a low round out of his guy - and a larger tip. Dave held it together until the last hole where a couple chip shots came up a few feet short and forced him into the burn that runs down the right side. Couldn't have had anything to do with the fact that Harrington hit his drive so far right that it went over the event tent into the sitting area next to the pro shop. His caddy said he'd never seen anyone hit it over there in his entire career as a caddy.
After the round, we had a great dinner after spending the majority of the afternoon trying to find a way to weasel our way on the Old Course. We had
missed our third ballot of the trip and we were all incredibly nervous about the possibility of coming all of this way and not playing the Old Course. It’s like going down to Vegas and not going to the Royale for some craps, just can’t happen. After a few cocktails and a session at the spa, it was decided that if we wanted to ensure our round at St. Andrews, we needed to make sure we were the first in line for the Friday tee times. The plan was hatched to get up at 2am to make it to the waiting line at the Old Course Starter’s shack at 2:30am… Somewhat drunk and in our robes, we talked the concierge into 1) making our complimentary breakfast early, 2) delivering that breakfast to us at 2am, and 3) driving us to the start shack so that we could be first in line. Can I say that I’ve never seen someone better at immediately establishing a relationship with customer service reps than Jeff? He’s unbelievable. People love this guy.
Off to bed at 10pm to get up at 2. We’re very sick people.
we’ve played so far. It was almost as picturesque as the Castle Course (it’s just five minutes south on the same coast) but was a much more fair course. The greens were some of the best that we’d played on so far – they rolled well, had subtle but true breaks, and held reasonably well. The signature hole is the par 3 is all carry over the water with a bail out area on the left. Of course I hit it fat and went into the seaweed at low tide… We've had great weather on this coast - mid to high 50's with low wind and no rain. These conditions are exponentially easier to play golf in, not only physically but mentally and emotionally. I cried a few times during the 45 mph winds at Western Gailes and was very appreciative of these calm conditions.
Dave came out of the gates firing with a 36 on the front nine. He hit some amazing shots and we all just tried to keep up. When this guy is hitting the ball well, it's pretty. Shots are shaped perfectly, chips are landed in the perfect spot, and putts are drained in
the back of the cup. Dave's caddy had a serious man-crush on Dave early on and was loving the possibility of a low round out of his guy - and a larger tip. Dave held it together until the last hole where a couple chip shots came up a few feet short and forced him into the burn that runs down the right side. Couldn't have had anything to do with the fact that Harrington hit his drive so far right that it went over the event tent into the sitting area next to the pro shop. His caddy said he'd never seen anyone hit it over there in his entire career as a caddy.
After the round, we had a great dinner after spending the majority of the afternoon trying to find a way to weasel our way on the Old Course. We had
missed our third ballot of the trip and we were all incredibly nervous about the possibility of coming all of this way and not playing the Old Course. It’s like going down to Vegas and not going to the Royale for some craps, just can’t happen. After a few cocktails and a session at the spa, it was decided that if we wanted to ensure our round at St. Andrews, we needed to make sure we were the first in line for the Friday tee times. The plan was hatched to get up at 2am to make it to the waiting line at the Old Course Starter’s shack at 2:30am… Somewhat drunk and in our robes, we talked the concierge into 1) making our complimentary breakfast early, 2) delivering that breakfast to us at 2am, and 3) driving us to the start shack so that we could be first in line. Can I say that I’ve never seen someone better at immediately establishing a relationship with customer service reps than Jeff? He’s unbelievable. People love this guy.
Off to bed at 10pm to get up at 2. We’re very sick people.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
The food...
About the food… This hotel has the most ridiculous complimentary breakfast I’ve seen since our buffet breakfast 
at the Krabi Sheraton in Thailand at my wedding. You could order anything off the menu and multiple plates of it. Dave and I ordered our first breakfast at the hotel which consisted of cranberry juice, orange juice, decaf coffee, regular coffee, fried eggs and bacon, scrambled eggs and smoked salmon, hard boiled eggs, waffles, oatmeal, smoked haddock, toast, and fresh fruit (pictured right). We
couldn’t believe the sent it all to us. We also had a ridiculous breakfast at Ebi's in Lanark on the way down to Turnberry. Best coffee we'd had on the trip and Harrington's french toast with bacon in the middle was amazing (pictured left). The dinners were spectacular as well. We ate a mix of Scottish food (fish and chips, steak pie, shepherd’s pie, and haggis) as well as traditional American food (steak, chicken, pasta, and burgers). Everyone says that the food in the UK is plain and bland, but we found the exact opposite. The only mediocre meals we had in the trip were the burgers we ordered in a pinch in Edinburgh when we stopped in a hotel bar after an hour of trying to find a seat (festival season again – see prior blog) and the final dinner of the trip at the “gourmet” restaurant at the top of the Old Course hotel. Otherwise, the food was spectacular all the way around.
at the Krabi Sheraton in Thailand at my wedding. You could order anything off the menu and multiple plates of it. Dave and I ordered our first breakfast at the hotel which consisted of cranberry juice, orange juice, decaf coffee, regular coffee, fried eggs and bacon, scrambled eggs and smoked salmon, hard boiled eggs, waffles, oatmeal, smoked haddock, toast, and fresh fruit (pictured right). We
couldn’t believe the sent it all to us. We also had a ridiculous breakfast at Ebi's in Lanark on the way down to Turnberry. Best coffee we'd had on the trip and Harrington's french toast with bacon in the middle was amazing (pictured left). The dinners were spectacular as well. We ate a mix of Scottish food (fish and chips, steak pie, shepherd’s pie, and haggis) as well as traditional American food (steak, chicken, pasta, and burgers). Everyone says that the food in the UK is plain and bland, but we found the exact opposite. The only mediocre meals we had in the trip were the burgers we ordered in a pinch in Edinburgh when we stopped in a hotel bar after an hour of trying to find a seat (festival season again – see prior blog) and the final dinner of the trip at the “gourmet” restaurant at the top of the Old Course hotel. Otherwise, the food was spectacular all the way around.
Day 5 (St. Andrews Castle Course)
This morning, we finished our time on the West Coast of Scotland and traveled to St. Andrews. 
The weather just ate us up and gave us a true test of what Scotland golf is really like. We were hoping for better from the East Coast of Scotland but didn’t have our hopes up. Driving into St. Andrews is a dream for most golfers. Dave had braved the roads of Scotland and was becoming pretty adept and negotiating the roundabouts, the on-coming passing vehicles, and the backseat driving from the fellas, which came mostly from yours truly. You could feel the energy as you drove down through town and into the St. Andrews golf courses. We jumped out of the car and immediately started snapping pictures. We had reached our destination.
Our hotel, the Old Course Hotel, is spectacular. Upon arrival, we
immediately upgraded one
of our rooms to the rain man suite that overlooks the 17th tee box of the Old Course. From our balcony, we would watch the golfers hit their drives on the famous Road Hole over our room, which would land either back on the course or on the roof of the hotel. Actually, we would stand there and wonder just how much of a chance we had of getting hit by a shank. As one bystander on the course told us, "I just heard one of them say the he was going to take it up over those assholes on the balcony with a draw." It was the best place we could have stayed in.
The first course that we played on the East Coast was the St. Andrews Castle Course. It’s a pretty amazing course that runs along the North Sea with some of the most spectacular and
picturesque views of any course we played. This course was tough. The rough wasn’t as bad as at the courses on the West Coast but the greens were incredibly difficult. The undulation was severe, which rewarded good shot placement. Dave hit one of the best shots of the trip – a chip shot that landed just over the rough in the first cut of rough at the top of a hill and trickled directly sideways down a 15 foot high hill to the hole for a gimme. It was a shot you see on Sportscenter. The course reminded me of Snoqualmie Ridge a bit but with more severe greens.
This day ended with us having dinner back in town at a Thai restaurant and discussing the finer point of why I went completely off the grid for about 15 holes of the morning round. So glad to be on this trip with some amazing guys who get me. The higher level exchange of ideas is always the best part of a trip like this for me. I love the analysis that each of the guys provides and the perspective that I can take away to learn from. Great trip so far.
rtn
The weather just ate us up and gave us a true test of what Scotland golf is really like. We were hoping for better from the East Coast of Scotland but didn’t have our hopes up. Driving into St. Andrews is a dream for most golfers. Dave had braved the roads of Scotland and was becoming pretty adept and negotiating the roundabouts, the on-coming passing vehicles, and the backseat driving from the fellas, which came mostly from yours truly. You could feel the energy as you drove down through town and into the St. Andrews golf courses. We jumped out of the car and immediately started snapping pictures. We had reached our destination.
Our hotel, the Old Course Hotel, is spectacular. Upon arrival, we
immediately upgraded one
of our rooms to the rain man suite that overlooks the 17th tee box of the Old Course. From our balcony, we would watch the golfers hit their drives on the famous Road Hole over our room, which would land either back on the course or on the roof of the hotel. Actually, we would stand there and wonder just how much of a chance we had of getting hit by a shank. As one bystander on the course told us, "I just heard one of them say the he was going to take it up over those assholes on the balcony with a draw." It was the best place we could have stayed in.
The first course that we played on the East Coast was the St. Andrews Castle Course. It’s a pretty amazing course that runs along the North Sea with some of the most spectacular and
picturesque views of any course we played. This course was tough. The rough wasn’t as bad as at the courses on the West Coast but the greens were incredibly difficult. The undulation was severe, which rewarded good shot placement. Dave hit one of the best shots of the trip – a chip shot that landed just over the rough in the first cut of rough at the top of a hill and trickled directly sideways down a 15 foot high hill to the hole for a gimme. It was a shot you see on Sportscenter. The course reminded me of Snoqualmie Ridge a bit but with more severe greens.
This day ended with us having dinner back in town at a Thai restaurant and discussing the finer point of why I went completely off the grid for about 15 holes of the morning round. So glad to be on this trip with some amazing guys who get me. The higher level exchange of ideas is always the best part of a trip like this for me. I love the analysis that each of the guys provides and the perspective that I can take away to learn from. Great trip so far.
rtn
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
JVJ-He's a Mudder
This one's for Heil...You know it's coming down when the Scottish caddy says, "it just doesn't rain this hard in Scotland.". Royal Troon started out cold and wet which was the exact opposite of the 64 and sunny that was forecast an hour before our tee time, but like we've been told many times, if you don't like the weather just wait 15 minutes. The first 8 holes were played in those nasty conditions before it got incredibly nice the rest of the day.
As if we didn't know this already, even in crazy wind and rain golf is considerably easier down wind. We were able to hit long irons off the first few tees (Neal almost all 18 tees). I was getting all the good bounces and was starting to put together a solid round heading on to the famous 8th tee (Postage Stamp). The hole was playing 117 yards but to give you an idea of the wind we hit our 145 clubs. DP hit the green, the winter green. It was pulled a wee bit left. He then hit a brilliant shot onto the proper green before watching it roll agonizingly off the green and almost as if it were in slow motion the ball rolled around one of the monster pot bunkers as if to tease Dave that it might not roll in before dribbling in leaving him with a nasty lie against the lip. We don't need to mention his score, but he didn't hole out for par. I hit a pure 9 iron and it didn't move off my line as it fought the wind. It landed right in the center of the green. I was thrilled and as I walked to the putting surface I've never wanted to make a 12 footer as badly as I wanted to bury this putt. I gave it a chance, but it missed on the right. A solid par and some confidence was fine by me as I was keeping a solid round going.
I didn't want to tell my playing partners or the caddies, but I really didn't want it to stop raining. I was now officially a mudder. My game had been junk when I was dry, but now the rain had cleansed me and washed away the bad swings. The last 11 holes were played in semi-sunny conditions which was actually quite nice. In the end I kept it together, never got into a single bunker all round long and posted a 78. Life is good again.
To top it off I got to talk to my wife and babies before bed. Life is really good again.
As if we didn't know this already, even in crazy wind and rain golf is considerably easier down wind. We were able to hit long irons off the first few tees (Neal almost all 18 tees). I was getting all the good bounces and was starting to put together a solid round heading on to the famous 8th tee (Postage Stamp). The hole was playing 117 yards but to give you an idea of the wind we hit our 145 clubs. DP hit the green, the winter green. It was pulled a wee bit left. He then hit a brilliant shot onto the proper green before watching it roll agonizingly off the green and almost as if it were in slow motion the ball rolled around one of the monster pot bunkers as if to tease Dave that it might not roll in before dribbling in leaving him with a nasty lie against the lip. We don't need to mention his score, but he didn't hole out for par. I hit a pure 9 iron and it didn't move off my line as it fought the wind. It landed right in the center of the green. I was thrilled and as I walked to the putting surface I've never wanted to make a 12 footer as badly as I wanted to bury this putt. I gave it a chance, but it missed on the right. A solid par and some confidence was fine by me as I was keeping a solid round going.
I didn't want to tell my playing partners or the caddies, but I really didn't want it to stop raining. I was now officially a mudder. My game had been junk when I was dry, but now the rain had cleansed me and washed away the bad swings. The last 11 holes were played in semi-sunny conditions which was actually quite nice. In the end I kept it together, never got into a single bunker all round long and posted a 78. Life is good again.
To top it off I got to talk to my wife and babies before bed. Life is really good again.
Day 4 (Troon Old Course, Troon Portland Course)
And then the rain came… Day four started steps outside our hotel at Troon. We had a morning tee time at the Old Course and an afternoon time at the Portland Course. After a good night’s sleep (and no fire alarm wake-up call), we had breakfast at the hotel and made our way over to the Old Course at Troon. It’s a short walk down a path from the hotel as the Barcelo Troon Marine Hotel sits between both courses with spectacular views of the water. We customarily walked through the clubhouse and the pro shop, did our shopping, and went out to the first tee – no warm up. By the time we met our caddies, made a few putts, and walked up to the first tee, it was pissing on us. Everyone broke out the rain gear and battened down the hatches getting ready for what was looking to be a taste of Scotland’s finest weather.
Sensing my left to right misses with my woods were still lurking, I decided to go 4 iron off the tee and proceeded to go the whole day with
irons off the tee. I didn’t break out the driver once on the first 18 and only used my 3 wood twice on my caddy’s strong insistence not to be such a pussy. It worked out and I shot my best round yet, an 83 on a course that played pretty tough under those conditions. It was wet. We were soaked. Harrington had the only umbrella and I forgot my bag cover at home (to which my caddy remarked, “Didn’t you know you were going to Scotland?”). My goal the entire round was to keep my hands and my grips dry. The culmination of my arduous club-drying routine came on the postage stamp hole. I went through a long, painstaking process of putting my tee in the ground, wiping my hands with my towel (while trying to keep the grip on my 8 iron dry), and wiping my grip off with my towel (while trying to keep my hands dry). As I started towards address, I dropped my club on the ground and heard about four or five chuckles from the group (notice that number would include caddies, not just my playing partners). I was THAT guy. And yes, I started all over again…
We finished the Old Course strong and hit the clubhouse for some lunch – untoasted club sandwiches with butter, very solid. Then off to the Portland Course, which was our first round without caddies. The bags were heavy; heavier than I think my bag has ever felt. No one could read a putt and everyone had trouble with the distances. It’s funny how quick we had come to
relying on the caddies and how much they help on shot selection and green reading. Good news was I was finally able to break out the flask I stashed in my bag and trade Captain shots with Juvy to loosen up the round. I played night and day throwing up a 50 on the front nine (two triples and a double) and a 40 on the back nine for a cool 90. The crazy thing about these courses is that they aren’t more difficult than courses in the states if you keep it in the fairway and on the green. But if you get in trouble, they just punish you. I had two bunkers on the day that I couldn’t get out of in the first shot. Juvy developed a stress fracture in his left hand from hacking out of the deep rough. And I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard from my caddy, “oh you’re fucked.”
It makes me appreciate how good a low round is out here. The course conditions are some of the toughest I’ve ever played on, and the weather conditions are some of the craziest I’ve ever played in. Everyone is constantly on an emotional rollercoaster going from elation to near depression. That’s what makes the trip so amazing – it’s a true test for a golfer.
rtn
Sensing my left to right misses with my woods were still lurking, I decided to go 4 iron off the tee and proceeded to go the whole day with
irons off the tee. I didn’t break out the driver once on the first 18 and only used my 3 wood twice on my caddy’s strong insistence not to be such a pussy. It worked out and I shot my best round yet, an 83 on a course that played pretty tough under those conditions. It was wet. We were soaked. Harrington had the only umbrella and I forgot my bag cover at home (to which my caddy remarked, “Didn’t you know you were going to Scotland?”). My goal the entire round was to keep my hands and my grips dry. The culmination of my arduous club-drying routine came on the postage stamp hole. I went through a long, painstaking process of putting my tee in the ground, wiping my hands with my towel (while trying to keep the grip on my 8 iron dry), and wiping my grip off with my towel (while trying to keep my hands dry). As I started towards address, I dropped my club on the ground and heard about four or five chuckles from the group (notice that number would include caddies, not just my playing partners). I was THAT guy. And yes, I started all over again…
We finished the Old Course strong and hit the clubhouse for some lunch – untoasted club sandwiches with butter, very solid. Then off to the Portland Course, which was our first round without caddies. The bags were heavy; heavier than I think my bag has ever felt. No one could read a putt and everyone had trouble with the distances. It’s funny how quick we had come to
relying on the caddies and how much they help on shot selection and green reading. Good news was I was finally able to break out the flask I stashed in my bag and trade Captain shots with Juvy to loosen up the round. I played night and day throwing up a 50 on the front nine (two triples and a double) and a 40 on the back nine for a cool 90. The crazy thing about these courses is that they aren’t more difficult than courses in the states if you keep it in the fairway and on the green. But if you get in trouble, they just punish you. I had two bunkers on the day that I couldn’t get out of in the first shot. Juvy developed a stress fracture in his left hand from hacking out of the deep rough. And I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard from my caddy, “oh you’re fucked.”
It makes me appreciate how good a low round is out here. The course conditions are some of the toughest I’ve ever played on, and the weather conditions are some of the craziest I’ve ever played in. Everyone is constantly on an emotional rollercoaster going from elation to near depression. That’s what makes the trip so amazing – it’s a true test for a golfer.
rtn
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