Being a golf tragic I would like to see Augusta before I die but equally there is so much else to see in USA it may be hard to get around too. No such problem in the UK :). If you cant get to Augusta then at at least it is nice to go to where it all started and commemorate an event that Sharkie could actually win! We were fortunate to visit 3 different golf courses during our UK visits and each one had a different connection for me
St Andrews
The home of golf. Its largely a bumpy bit of land with some swales and hollows and a few sandpits but it does have a certain magic about it. St Andrews itself is a rather interesting little burgh set on the east coast of Scotland and also famous for its University and Cathedral and in movie land a certain little beach – West Sands – where some God like Chariots had a prance around. Now you just about have to promise your first born to actually play St Andrews but it is a surprisingly accessible course for visitors to invade including the infamous Road Hole. There are plenty of souvenir shops on the adjacent streets so was lucky enough to pick up one tee – suitably inscribed – for only 20 pound. It is a beautiful setting with the town in the background and the coast on one side – one could understand how weather could affect your game here!
Gleneagles
Another Scottish Course that I use to regularly see on the great Pro Celebrity golf show with Peter Alliss many a moon ago. There were some great celebrities like Connery and some great pros like Trevino. It has also had significant championships as well and will host the 2014 Ryder Cup on the Nicklaus designed centenary course – there are 2 other courses- Kings and Queens – so it is a large complex which is also famous for its Gleneagles Hotel. For a long time I assumed this was the one Cleese used as inspiration for Fawlty Towers as odd as that obviously sounds when you actually see the hotel! Of course there is also a Gleneagles Hotel in Torquay.
Royal Dornoch
Our third Scottish treat was actually a bonus. We had decided to have a splurge at the Royal Dornoch Castle hotel after a couple of weeks driving around England and Scotland. No expense was spared as we booked the luxury package with the Old Courtroom suite! Madonna even married Guy Ritchie in the area in 2000 but could not afford this room for the honeymoon so you get my drift. The golf course itself is a typical links course very exposed to the elements. Looks simple enough standing on the first tee but I am assured it is not – and I believe them. It is a lovely town to walk around and our lasting memory of our afternoon stroll around the course were the jets flying overhead at regular intervals. Obviously there were some training exercise on at the time.
So a golfing tragic got to see 3 great Scottish courses each with their similarities and each with their subtle differences. One day I should bring my golf clubs over and play them. Now that would be tragic
flashman181 