The Jubilee and The Old Course......A Nice Day's Walk

As I mentioned yesterday, the plan for today was to play the Jubilee Course first thing in the morning and then if able to secure a time, play the Old Course in the afternoon. I went over to see George in the Starter's Hut at the Old Course and he was able to get me squared away for 3:10 pm this afternoon. Perfect! Afternoon time in hand, I made my way over to the Jubilee for my maiden voyage with her. I have heard good things so I was very much looking forward to the round. The weather is once again magnificent so things are coming together for another incredible day here in St Andrews. I got checked in and was first off the tee for the morning. Something special about having the course all to yourself. After a couple of practice swings I piped one down the middle and was on my way. 

The Jubilee, while new to me, is hardly new overall. It originally opened in 1897 to much fanfare in honor of Queen Victoria's accession to the throne. The course has seen its changes over the years and is now on its fourth iteration. The Jubilee routinely hosts qualifying rounds for some of the major tournaments in the area and after my round today, it was easy to see why. The prevailing wind was into for most of the front nine. The key was to keep it in play and hang on until I could take advantage of the down wind conditions on the back nine. Thankfully I was able to do so and played really well coming down the stretch. The greens are much flatter than those I've been playing over the past couple of days at the Castle Course. Pleasant change to say the least! Check out a couple of my favorite holes from today at the Jubilee. The first couple below are of the Par 5 3rd hole. It played into a stiff wind so it was definitely a 3 shot hole. 

The next couple are of the Par 3 5th and the Par 5 6th. The green on this par 3 was massive with a huge swing from left to right on it. Very important to be on the right side of this thing. The Par 5 6th also played into the wind and was a 3 shot hole. The main thing here is to avoid the fairway bunkers sprinkled about the hole. Find one and you're not likely to find a birdie. 

The next picture is of the Par 4 8th. Such a beautiful setting along the water's edge. The dunes tell you where to go off the tee. It is a matter of whether you can deliver. The wind was in off the left so a nice little cut shot off the tee worked out beautifully. The 9th is a downhill par 3 that requires an exacting approach to avoid the bunkers right and left, while keeping the approach on the green. Great hole!

One of our favorite things about our trips to Scotland are the fields full of these guys. Kristen loves them so when I saw these guys, I had to take a picture for her since she isn't here to see them herself.  

The next two are from the Par 5 11th. This tree provided a nice aiming point from the tee. A short wedge shot into the green left me with a ten footer for birdie. No such luck! 

After my morning round at The Jubilee, I grabbed some lunch in The New Course clubhouse. A belly full of fish and chips and I was recharged for an afternoon on The Old Course. I love the view from the garden atop the clubhouse. The Himalayas Putting Course was busy as usual. 

I made my way over to The St Andrews Golf Club to kill some time before my tee time on The Old. I caught up on a little Sky Sports, a pleasant change from the abundance of fishing and home shopping shows on my TV back at the bungalow. I also staked out my spot for the weekend should I stay here to watch the Ryder Cup. Gordon was kind enough to keep me hydrated before the round. After channeling Bobby Jones for a bit, I was off to the course. What a great way to spend an afternoon if I do say so myself.

I was paired for the afternoon's round with three freshmen from the university. One was from England, one from the United States and one from Canada. We had a great time and despite our 3:10 pm start time, we were able to finish right before dark. After a drink with the boys at the Golf Place Hotel, it was time for some grub. Walking 36 holes, carrying my bag, I was exhausted and starving. I made my way to Hams Hame, right below Hamilton Place. When I walked in, Herb Kohler, owner of said building etc was hosting a dinner for several tables of golfing dignitaries. Cool setting, great food! Time for bed!!!! Tomorrow's it's back to the Jubilee!

The Castle Course....

Yesterday was my first time 'round The Castle Course. The Castle is the newest of The Links Trust courses. I had heard a lot about it and was anxious to get out there and see it. The course is a little over a mile down the coast line from St Andrews, with beautiful views of the town from several of the holes. I got a good night's sleep last night and was ready to go. After some lunch I found myself on the tee with three guys from northern England. Jeff, Bob and Nevil were all from Carlyle and were in town for several days of holiday with their wives. We made fast friends and enjoyed our way around the links. They were all excellent players and it was a great day. When all was said and done, the course reminded me of several past favorites. From Scotland, The Castle Course reminded me a lot of Castle Stuart up in the Highlands. It also reminded me of Whistling Straits back in the States. The greens feature very prominently here. There are extreme ridges running through each of the greens, turning each full green into three or four distinct mini greens. Find yourself on the wrong side of some of these swales and you may be lucky to three putt. The right pace and playing enough break was critically important. The craggy coastline was visible from quite a few of the holes, most prominently along the final two holes of the back nine. I headed back to the house after some dinner in the clubhouse. On the way home, I decided to head back to the Castle Course again today to have another crack at those greens. A second run at these greens proved beneficial today as I shot 78 from the tips. Proud of that for sure, especially with the wind getting up a bit today. It was a perfect morning and I was the first off the tee so I had the whole course to myself. So peaceful! Take a look at some of my favorites from the past couple of days below....

Now some from the back nine.......

After some lunch, I made my way back to town. I did a little walking about Market Street and things were buzzing since the kids are back at University. I found a couple spots to check out for dinner later in the week before heading to The St Andrews Golf Club for a late afternoon dram. I love being back here in the Club as there is so much history in this place. So very special.......

Happy to be here to say the least. Loving this beautiful weather, with the same expected for the rest of the week. I intend to take full advantage! Tomorrow I am planning on The Jubilee Course in the morning and The Old Course in the afternoon. A full day to say the least. I'm off now for dinner and a good night's rest. 

The Ryder Cup Returns to Scotland......And So Do I

It's so good to be back in Scotland. This trip has been a culmination of a lot of good fortune and some  last minute adjustments as well. The good fortune rests in a succession of lottery wins. I was selected for 2014 Ryder Cup tickets from the global lottery back in the fall of 2013. I also won the St Andrews Links Trust lottery for Annual Tickets, giving me playing privileges for life over the Links Trust courses, including The Old Course. Brilliant! While I am thrilled to be here again, the aforementioned adjustments came in the form of my bride, Kristen, staying back at home. Thus, I am flying solo this trip. As a result, I won't be able to help you with our usual spa updates or what Hot Yogabo classes are on the schedule. etc.  I will, however, continue to bring you a lot of golf and as much of the local sights and sounds as possible. I had some time to kill before heading over to the house where I will be staying. Thought I would mill about a bit before grabbing some Fish & Chips at The Jigger Inn. Take a look.....

After some good grub and a dram I made my way to my new bungalow for a hot shower and a bit of rest. It was up for debate whether I would try to play today as the jet lag was fast approaching. We shall see...

A warm shower did me a lot of good. With a new found level of energy, I made my way over to the New Course to see if I could head out for 18 holes before dark. I talked with the starter and he yells out the window to the twosome on the tee, "Do you mind taking on a member?" I was on my way. I must admit, I liked his intro! I was paired with a father and son from outside of London. They drove up yesterday and were playing their first rounds on The New. Fun to be with them as they were delightful. Peter was an accountant and his son Philip, who he affectionately called Phils, was an engineer. They were in a heated match and Peter, ever the accountant, was quick to tally up the damage after every hole. In the end, Dad's strong finish won the day. Well played gents. It was a pleasure to meet you both. As I watched them get on throughout the day, I found myself thinking about my time on the links with my son, looking forward to a lifetime of rounds with him. The links are meant for making memories and this sun filled afternoon was certainly no different. A few of my favorites from The New Course.....