We Got To Play Golf Today.....

Go time....

Today was a welcome change from the craziness that rolled through here yesterday. The winds were strong and steady this morning but the sun was shining and we were getting to play some golf. More specifically, we teed it up on the Jubilee Course. The Jubilee is a tough one on a calm day, With today's winds, we were going to have some fun for sure. We were paired with a gentleman, also named Paul, coming to us from Ohio. He and his wife were over for their 1st time to Scotland. After some brief introductions, we were off for our round.

Approach into Par 4 1st @ Jubilee Course

Par 5 3rd @ Jubilee Course

Par 4 4th @ Jubilee Course (Double Green w/Par 4 14th)

Beautiful setting along the Par 4 8th @ Jubilee Course

Par 4 8th @ Jubilee Course

The Par 4 8th hole here on the Jubilee is my favorite one out here. I love how the estuary runs along the left side and how the dunes frame up the hole. We played it downwind today which makes it fun. Pick the right line and you can really get it down there. This would be the last hole we were to get much of any help from the wind. The rest of the day, the back nine and the crosswinds gave us all we wanted. 

Par 4 8th @ Jubilee Course

Par 3 9th @ New Course

Par 4 10th @ Jubilee Course

Next stop, The Himalayas down below....

It's about to go down....

Paul got off to a strong 3 up lead through 9 holes...

He was looking solid early into the back 9....

And then.....holes like this happened

After a heated match that went back and forth, the match ended with me up 1 to close things out. Good fun on a really unique experience and place here in the heart of the Links, just off to the side of The Old Course. Good stuff.....

Had to get 9 more in.....

As we left the Himalayas Putting Course, we hopped in the car and headed south along the coast. We really didn't have any particular plans. We simply had time and no where else to be. We drove down through Kingsbarns and Crail, both courses we would be playing later this week. We passed a little 9 hole called Anstruther. Paul remembered Tom Coyne, author of "A Course Called Scotland" listing Anstruther as one of his hidden gems in the book. Hence, I turned around and we gave it a go. To sign in you have to go see Matt in the bar to pay your £20 and get your scorecard. His words of advise as we set out were to "hold on around 4,5 and 6. It's Fife's Amen Corner. The 1st tee and the blind, straight up the hill nature of the tee shot revealed the quirkiness we were to discover here. 

Par 3 2nd @ Anstruther

Par 3 2nd @Anstruther

The Par 3 2nd hole with the Memorial Tower (Fallen WWI & II Soldiers) and North Sea as a back drop was a really cool hole.

Memorial Tower @ Anstruther

Making our way around to Amen Corner, Paul and I played the Par 4 4th quite well, both almost driving the green. Paul birdied and I parred. Back into the wind, the Par 3 5th, may well be one of the coolest and certainly most difficult Par 3's in the UK. It was actually voted as such by the UK Golf publication, Today's Golfer, back in 2007. Played into a strong headwind today, we had to agree. 

Brutal.....

We both took driver off this tee and ended up two yards from each other. Mission accomplished, we avoided the gorse to the right and the North Sea to the left. The thing about this hole is, from the back tee you cannot even see the green!

Par 3 5th @ Anstruther

The view below is from our drives. We still had some 50 plus yards to the hole. Again, this is a Par 3!

Green of Par 3 5th @Anstruther

The Par 3 6th below, albeit much shorter, was no bargain either. There is a severe false front that will repel anything coming up even a foot short along with a bunker and a wall of gorse for anyone going long on this hole. Between the two of us, we did both.  I hit the ridge and came back down in front of the green and Paul found the gorse. Tough sledding but a really cool hole nonetheless. 

Par 3 6th @Anstruther

Our walk this afternoon along the North See and Anstruther Golf Club wasn't originally in the plans for the day. However, I am so glad we found it. What a great way to end the day. I would have to agree with Mr Coyne and his assessment as to Anstruther being a hidden gem. Couldn't agree more. We got back into town and headed to The Dunvegan for dinner and little of the Tour Championship coverage on Sky Sports before heading to the house and the rack. A long day but a good one. Tomorrow, we are off to The Crail Golfing Society and the Balcomie Links. Guess that's all for now. LYDCP!