Carnasty.....You Didn't Disappoint!

Welcome to Carnoustie....

After sleeping in this morning, Paul was rested and ready to roll after his long travel day. I must admit, I was excited to be heading back to Carnoustie myself. The weather when we left St. Andrews was rainy and a good bit cooler. The rain followed us all the way up the coast to Carnoustie and we knew we were in for a challenge today. My hopes of playing a more docile Carnoustie than the one I met in 2010 were not meant to be. Carnasty in all its glory would once again prove a most difficult challenge. 

Claret Jug

Since my last visit, the club built an impressive new clubhouse and pro shop just to the left of the 1st tee. This was a welcome change from the dated old starter shack that was there during my 1st visit years ago. With the 147th Open Championship being held here back in July, I know all these changes were well received. I always enjoy seeing the memorabilia and any other cool stuff that speaks to the history of the club. After a quick bite to eat and a warm up session in their new state of the art simulators we were good to go. We met our caddies out on the 1st tee along with our playing partners, the Sharp couple, from North Berwick. Our caddies, Dave and Terry were delightful gents who'd both been members for decades. As such, they were full of useful course knowledge and a few good stories along the way.

Carnoustie's Beginnings

The man behind the legend..

Par 4 1st @ Carnoustie 

The golf was a tale of two nines. We had light rain and no wind through the front nine. As soon as we made the turn, the rain went away and the winds let loose. With all the run in the fairways and the swirling winds, gauging how far we could or should try to hit / and the ball was a constant challenge. As challenging as it was, I will admit that I loved it as we were forced to hit shots we never would face at home. The winds were sustained over 30 with gusts over 40 mph. Those kinds winds are no joke. Not only were they blowing us around, but there were several times where heavy wooden benches along several of the tees were being toppled over. All in all, today was a fun day out there. Carnoustie once again reminded us why it's known as the hardest course on The Open Championship rota. 

Paul's Approach into the Par 4 1st @ Carnoustie

Hogan's Alley

The Homestretch....The Par 4 18th @ Carnoustie

Following the short drive back to St. Andrews we cleaned up and headed back into town for some dinner at one of the best spots in town, Little Italy. The food has always been so good here and tonight was no different. After clocking another 9+ miles out on the course and about town, it's time for some rest. As for tomorrow, it's up in the air, literally. There is a tropical depression or storm coming across Scotland tomorrow and winds are projected to be 50+ for most of the day. We shall see what Mother Nature brings. Guess that's all for now. LYDCP!

Little Italy