What a Hoolie at Crail...

New here? We're posting daily from Scotland through September 21 — follow the trip. 

Today we made our way down the coastline to Crail and the Balcomie Links. I thought we were playing at 12:40 pm but our time was 10:40 am. Thankfully, we were able to grab a later time at 1:30 pm. My little scheduling snafu gave us some more time to grab some lunch. All's well that ends well! The food was great as always in Crail's clubhouse. Spence has become quite the fan of vinegar on his chips. Who knew?  Now on to the golf...

The winds were forecast for 20-30mph sustained, with gusts even higher. Standing high atop the hill on the 1st tee, I'd say they were spot on. This was the windiest day on the course for me in quite some time if not ever. Spence would say the same. Today was a test of patience and humility. Spence started off strong with his 1st birdie of the day, a wedge to four feet. Well done!

The Par 4 5th hole sits hard along the water. It is nearly a 90 degree dogleg right, playing well over 400 yards on the card. With the wind today it was easily playing close to 500 yards. Brutal hole. We both escaped with "good" bogeys. 

Spence giving it a go on the 5th. 

Here's the green on the 5th. Have always loved how this hole backs up to the farm. There's usually a nice gallery of coos watching the golf. 

Par 3 6th below was a fun one. The wind that we were dead into off the 5th tee was now hard off the right. I was able to flight a five iron down and find the green, short left of the hole. One putt later, I had my first birdie of the day. Couldn't let Spence have all the fun. 

Taking a break on the Par 3 13th. It was so windy and had gotten quite a bit cooler. Nowhere to hide from the wind on this course. It was at this point we debated heading back to the house. We were going to miss our dinner reservations at Little Italy at the pace the round was going. We were able to push our reservations back so we could finish the round. Glad we did as today will serve as good practice for Saturday's very similar forecast. 

There actually was one place to hide from the wind and Spence found it on the way to the 15th tee. This cave has some historical significance as you can see below. Today, it was a place for Spence to take refuge. So many of these courses have so much history tied to them, golf or otherwise. 

Loved the view from high above on the 17th tee. You can see all four finishing holes as well as the clubhouse sitting high on the hill to the left. As the day begins to fade, the lighting was beautiful. Beautiful ending to another day of memories made. Today's match was a draw...We've halved two and he's won two. Wouldn't have it any other way!

Perfect....

We got back home in time for a much needed hot shower. Dinner wasn't until 8:15 pm so we didn't need to rush. Everything worked out perfectly and we enjoyed yet another wonderful meal at Little Italy. Spence and I both ate the same thing as the other night, Lasagne Al Forno for me and Tagliata Cosa Nostra for Spence. It's that good. Tomorrow is wide open as we don't have any golfing plans. The back is feeling better and I don't want to rock that boat prior to the Town Match on Saturday. There are still some things to show Spence here in town and we still need to get in a match over on the Himalayas putting course. 

Cruden Bay...This Gem Never Disappoints 

New here? We're posting daily from Scotland through September 21 — follow the trip. 

We were excited to get up here today for this one. Pictures don't do this place justice. It's as much a feel as it is a place. This member-owned club gets it right starting with the smallest of details. See our welcome sign below. Thoughtfully created each morning for the day's guests. A nice touch as soon as you walk into the grill room upstairs.

Still nursing the back a bit so we opted for lunch instead of hitting balls to warm up. It's a little over a two hour drive to Cruden Bay from St Andrews. Beautiful as the drive might have been, my back would argue differently. We had caddies for this round. I wanted to be able to focus on my game as well as savoring every moment with Spence. Murray was on Spence's bag and I was paired with Graham. Both were excellent caddies and it was clear from the start we were in good hands with them.

Off they go... The beginning of a wonderful afternoon. 

The Par 3 4th hole is a beauty. It sits right along a little harbor area to the left. Into the wind, it would give you all you wanted. Murray said Sir Nick Faldo once took driver off the tee to get there. Thankfully the winds were much kinder today. We both hit the green and both made par. 

High above the Par 5 5th hole. As you can see, the sun came out and made for a wonderful afternoon. 

Caddy conference here before teeing off on the Par 5 6th hole. He took their advice and hit a good one. Unfortunately my back started to give me fits about this time so it was slow and steady for me. 

Well placed bench behind the 8th tee. A little rest can do a body good. I was able to hit a good one on this short Par 4. A nice pitch and a two footer later, I carded the first birdie of the day. 

Spence and Murray dialing in a birdie putt on the 9th. Came up just shy but a nice par nonetheless. 

The one above is a view from the 10th tee, looking down onto the holes to come. Gorgeous views. 

                             

This Par 4 12th hole goes out to the farthest point from the clubhouse. Well worth the trek, as just below are the views from the back of the green as well as from the Par 4 13th tee box. We were able to spot some seals playing in the water and on the rocks. Good stuff!

Spence let this one rip...One of his best of the day! 

                                       

The holes along this backside run hard along the North Sea. Beautiful views all the way. This was from the Par 3 15th tee. The one below is the Par 3 16th. 

St Olaf's Well, seen below, sits alongside the 17th hole at Cruden Bay. There's an ancient burial ground and this well is said to commemorate the 1012 battle here where King Malcolm II of Scotland defeated the Danes. Afterward, Malcolm laid those enemy lives lost to rest here with honour and built a small chapel to  mark the spot. 

Today was a long day with all the travel. Wouldn't have had it any other way though. The course was as brilliant as ever. Murray and Graham were excellent caddies and we were blessed with wonderful weather. Lastly and most importantly, memories made with my boy! For those keeping up with the match count, Spence got the best of me today, 3 & 2. Truth be told, while I try my best, I always pull for him! Tomorrow we head to Crail. A much shorter drive thankfully. It's a fun course that I know Spence will enjoy. The winds are meant to be up tomorrow so it should be a good day. See you soon....

Back In Time....

New here? We're posting daily from Scotland through September 21 — follow the trip. 

Today we ventured along the eastern coastline along the A92. Our destination was someplace I have wanted to see for years, Dunnottar Castle. The trip took about two hours this morning. While Spence slept, I enjoyed the beautiful views of the North Sea. Such a peaceful setting. Dunnottar sits on a rock above the North Sea with one narrow path in. In 1651 the Scottish crown jewels were smuggled here and hidden from Cromwell's army through an eight month siege. Later, in 1685, one hundred and sixty seven Covenanters were locked in a vault here in the summer heat for refusing to swear an oath. That's the sordid history in these walls.

Look who I found in the kitchen….

Definitely some sordid history here in these walls. Hard to imagine so many people crammed in and suffering as they did, if for no other reason than their beliefs in refusing to acknowledge the King as the head of the Presbyterian Church at the time. Thankful to live free!

I wasn't sure whether Spence would enjoy it as much as I did. He reassured me he did and we talked about some of the things we saw there in the castle. The ingenuity it must have taken to build such a massive series of structures, on that setting and in that time. There is only one way in or out, and it wasn't an easy one. 

The drive up took us past Carnoustie, said to be the "toughest course in Scotland". While we weren't slated to play it this week, I can concur based on my experiences playing Carnasty! So much history here as well. This is where Ben Hogan won his one and only Open Championship. in 1953 We grabbed some much needed lunch and "maybe" a visit to the pro shop. I mean, it was right there!

Fool proof weather prediction system!

  

We got back in time to catch up with our caddy friend, Grant Fisher, at the Dunvegan for a pint. He is great to spend time with and always has the stories. Looking forward to having him on the bag this weekend for The Town Match. We ended the night up on the roof top of The Russacks Hotel. Such a beautiful night and view from up there. We grabbed Spence some take away pizza from Zizzi's and got back to the house in time to watch the second half of the Liverpool game. Thankful for a wonderful day and memories made. Tomorrow, we head up to Cruden Bay, in north east Scotland. One of my favorites for sure. Hopefully resting the back these past two days will serve me well tomorrow. Thanks for tuning in. See you soon!

 

Off Course...

New here? We're posting daily from Scotland through September 21 — follow the trip. 

Today was a day of rest, at least for my back. There was no playing golf today nor will we tomorrow. We have several pending rounds that are very important. We have Cruden Bay Wednesday and the Town Match at The Old Course on Saturday. That being said, no golf doesn't mean no fun. Today was a day for enjoying some of my off the course favorites. 

Cullen Skink with warm brown bread....Yes please! Found my way to this years ago and always enjoy a warm bowl of it while here. This stuff is the Scottish version of a clam chowder. It's smoked Haddock, potatoes and onions. So good, especially on a cool Scottish day. 

Our first day here I showed Spence the Jigger Inn from across the fairway on the St Andrews Links Club Observatory Deck. This famous pub sits adjacent to the famed Road Hole on the Old Course. We were able to grab a table outside and watch some of the golf while we grabbed some lunch. Such a cool little spot. It used to be a train master's lodge in years gone by. Now, it's simply a great place to rehash rounds just played or to dream about the ones to come. We did a little of both today. 

The afternoon held another first for Spence. We made our way to the Kingsbarns Distillery for his first ever distillery tour and proper whisky tasting. Miss Mandy, pictured here with Spence, was a delightful host. We actually showed up without a reservation and she was gracious enough to squeeze us in. After touring the production facilities, he was able to have a tasting of Kingsbarns whiskies. I was driving so my options were coffee and water! Nonetheless, it was fun to see her guide Spence through his first tasting experience. What to look for, what to smell and what to taste based on the region of Scotland where it's made. As we were leaving, Miss Mandy pulled me aside and told me what a delightful young man Spence was. I knew this already but of course, I'm a wee bit biased. We walked out with a little something for a special occasion, yet to be determined. 

After the tasting, we headed back to town to end the day on a high note. We had reservations at Little Italy, my absolute favorite restaurant here in St Andrews. Everything about this place was fantastic. They have changed the setup around a bit, expanding the bar and dining areas. Two things that haven't changed, the wonderful food and my friend Darrius. His family owns and runs the place. He came out to visit us at the table as we were wrapping up dinner. Spence said the food was amazing and it was a fantastic experience overall. So much so, we will be back once or twice more this week. 

Today was a great reminder to me that while St Andrews is known for its golf, there is so much more to this place that makes it so special. We are off to explore Dunnottar Castle in Stonehaven tomorrow. Looking forward to the drive up the coastline on the A92. See you soon....