A New Course With New Friends.....

Today was a first for me. My first round on a parkland course in Scotland and my first round with my new friends, Hampton and Dylan Pitts. We had spoken of teeing it up together earlier in the week and today was the day. The weather was beautiful, albeit a bit chilly and windy. I had long heard of Scotscraig but had never made it over here. It is only 15 - 20 minutes from St Andrews, out past the Leuchars Air Base. The course is highly touted and has previously served as the final qualifying site for the Open Championship when held in St Andrews.

The course and the company were most enjoyable As I said before, this is the first parkland course I have played over here so it was a pleasant change from the constant grind of the links courses I had been playing. That being said, while there may not have been any seaside or dunes, there was plenty of wind. As such, Scotscraig gave us all we wanted. Below are a few of the pics from the day. On a side note, I will say that there must be some prolific bird hunting in the local area as there were shot gun blasts every couple minutes throughout the front nine. I can't imagine there are many birds left after all that lead flew.

Par 4 1st tee

Killing Fields 

Par 3 6th....Almost jarred this one!

After the round, I dropped the Pitts off at their hotel and headed over to the club for a bit while Kristen finished up her daily ritual. Unfortunately, still no word on my entry into The Town Match,. Time is escaping me here so I am not too optimistic of my chances to get in. We shall see.

View from the Elders' Table

We didn't really have much for dinner plans since we we knew we were headed back to Little Italy tomorrow. As such, we thought we would try Mammacita Mexican Cantina. While the atmosphere was good, this was our least favorite of our week's dining. We left there and went to the only place that could make things right......Jannetta's. That is all!

And Then The Rain Came.......

Today the weather man was right on the money. It was raining when we got up and didn't quit for the majority of the day. While it wasn't torrential, I will admit I wasn't overly aggressive in getting myself to the course. I opted instead for a day of rest and milling about the town. Kristen was well into her daily routine of morning yoga, a run and then the spa for an afternoon of relaxation. I spent the morning working on the blog while she went off to yoga. When she got back, we made our way to town for some lunch at The Jigger Inn. It's a must for anyone who has never been to St Andrews as well as those of us fortunate to be repeat customers. We had the place to ourselves, a pleasant surprise as it is normally quite busy. The food is good enough but it's the atmosphere and the setting the does it for me.

These flower baskets are exactly like ours, but different! 

Kristen went right to the spa after lunch and I headed on my road trip to the workshop of the St Andrews Golf Company. It is the oldest club making company in the world and a truly special place for golf addicts like me. I was in need of some work on my clubs as well as a hickory shafted putter for Spence. He had two requests when we left. He wanted a Leprechaun from Ireland and a wooden putter. The Leprechaun eluded me but the putter I could do. It was really cool to have the guys at the shop (Sandy, Angus and John) walk me through the process of making a putter as well as some of the other clubs by hand. The craftsmanship is incredible and I was surprised by the level of customization available. I putted with putter they made for Stuart Angus. If he doesn't get by there to pick it up before we leave, it may have to go home with me. It is amazing how such dated technology and materials can be so well balanced. Watch out Scotty Cameron! Maybe Santa will make it happen for him. We shall see.....

After leaving the shop, I headed up to the club for my afternoon vigil with the "Elders". I got there just in time for a heated debate over the proposed rules changes from the R&A and USGA. They met with mixed emotions from this crew. One thing is for sure though, this bunch loves the game. There is no denying that! The picture at the beginning of the blog was shared by my friend Sam B. I loved the commentary on the importance of attitude in everything we face. Once the debate died down I left to catch up with Kristen for dinner. We headed back to The Adamson. I got another filet and was again, very pleased. It just so happens that a little place called Jannetta"s was on our way home. I had a key learning tonight. Frozen Skittles, while a lovely garnish, are not always that friendly on the teeth when it's time to chow down. Blue Sky (forefront) was also a one and done. All in all, a rainy day in St. Andrews is better than no day in St Andrews.....That is all!

Here's To The Jubilee, New Friends and The Rocket......

Today I played The Jubilee Course here in St. Andrews. The weather and the pace of play didn't warrant much time for photos other than the two below. As you can see from the picture we had a mixture of sun and clouds out there today. I played with two chaps from Manchester, John and Tony. They were in a heated Best of 5 match series and I got a front row seat. We had the best time, despite some of the dodgy golf. It is always funny to see and hear people work through some rough patches out on the golf course. While the commentary may sound a lot different,  it's all the same!

I went back up to The St Andrews Golf Club for a while to wait on Kristen. She was at the spa this afternoon so I had some time to kill. More time for me to soak up wisdom from "The Elders" in the window. While there, I met another member Hampton and his son Dylan, over from North Carolina. We hit it off quickly and appreciated the fact that we spoke the same brogue. We made plans to play a new course for all of us, Scotscraig Golf Club on Thursday. Looking forward to it. Hampton is over to play The Town Match this coming Saturday. The Town Match is the biggest event of the year for the club as a team from our club as well as the others in the area take on a team from the R&A. With our troublesome Hurricane season back home, quite a few team members from all sides are not going to be here. As such, I am hoping to get the chance to compete for the club. We shall see. 

Kristen came back all smiles from the spa and was ready for some dinner. We decided to try an Italian place called Zizzi. The food and service were excellent. We also made a new friend this night and his name was Chocolate Waffle. 

Do yourself a favor......

Yes, it was that good!!!!

Another beautiful evening and walk home here in this Auld Grey Toon. I should note that our walk home was most eventful. We found ourselves on the presence of greatness, as the world's fastest pizza delivery guy, flew past us in a blaze of glory down the hill just off the town centre. Many speak of him but few have seen what we've seen. We shall call him, "The Rocket." Legend has it he is the fastest thing in Scotland on two wheels. He's so fast, you get your pizza before you ever thought to order it! How could we be so lucky? We just tried to stay in the moment.......Tomorrow we are slated for rain all day so who know's what we'll get into. That is all!

Time for Some Golf........The New Course

Beautiful morning.......

Ready for some action......

It is always such a thrill for us to be back here in St. Andrews. While The Old Course is the centerpiece of it all, there are still six other wonderful courses here in St. Andrews and countless others all around the Kingdom of Fife. After getting some time in yesterday evening on The Castle, I was ready to give it a go on The New Course this afternoon. The weather was beautiful, albeit it very windy. Would make for a good test today. Kristen was happily situated in The Old Course Hotel Spa so I was clear to get after it. The New Course doesn't take tee times so I made my way to the starter after grabbing some lunch in the clubhouse. I always enjoy listening to the war stories from rounds just played along with the faces filled with anticipation for rounds yet to be played. We all have one thing in common here, the love of Golf. 

I ended up playing by myself out there today, sandwiched in between two big groups. No bother though as it allowed me to take my time and really enjoy the day. I really like the 5th hole below. You have to flight the ball down, taking enough club to carry those two well placed bunkers in the front of  a green that slopes away from you. I missed my mark by 1 yard and trickled into the left bunker. After a bunker shot to about 4 feet, I walked away with par. 

One of my favorite Par 3's out here...

Par 3 5th....

On many of the holes, like the long Par 4 6th, sight lines are often based on towers or buildings in the distance. Part one, choose wisely. Part two, execute!

View from the tee of the Par 4 6th.....

The Par 5 8th hole is one of my favorites on The New. I love the way the bunkers frame up the entry into the green. It's definitely a risk / reward type shot for those lucky enough to ever play this hole downwind. Always been quite the opposite when I have played here.

View for my 2nd shot here at the Par 5 8th. Decisions, Decisions!

The Par 3 9th sits right along the Eden Estuary. The winds here are typically howling and today was no different. The Medal Tee plays 225 or so actual yardage. Today it was much more with the wind hard off the left. When I took the club back, a gust of wind threw me off balance during my downswing. I hit the big ball well before the little ball! I dribbled it off to the right twenty or thirty yards. Lucky to find it, I played my 2nd to just off the green and then salvaged things from there.

Eden Estuary.....Low Tide

Par 4 10th green....

Par 4 11th approach.....

Here are a couple more favorites from the last few holes today. Love the way the sunlight plays on this course as well as the views of the town as you come down the stretch. 

After the round, I made my way to the club house to catch up with the "Elders" of The St Andrews Golf Club. The table by the window in front is where I am certain after several days here, all the world's problems could potentially be solved! Not a bad view from where I am sitting. Along with the stories and the wisdom being passed down, I also love the bits of golfing history we have housed here. Such a blessing to be a part of this place. 

Home Away From Home.....

My view......

Doesn't get much better than this for those who love the history of the game.....

Or does it?......

The R & A Clubhouse.....Sunset

Kristen joined me up at the club for a bit before we headed around the corner to Ham's Hame for dinner. With sunsets like the one above, the only thing better would be if they'd last a bit longer. I guess the fact that they don't is what makes them so special. That is all!

A Lazy Sunday in St Andrews

Sunday started with church at All Saints Episcopal Church. We came here last year for the first time and really enjoyed our time here. The chapel is beautiful and the parishioners are always wonderfully welcoming. After church we walked to the town centre and found our way to Forgan's for lunch. 

The weather was cool but sunny to kick off the afternoon. Kristen made her way out and about for a run and I made a run for The Castle Course for a late nine holes before dinner at one of our favorites, Little Italy. The Castle Course is where Kristen made her Scottish golfing debut last year. She's kind of a big deal. People know her!

Ready to roll off the 1st tee.....

Approach into the Par 4 1st

Par 4 1st green

Par 4 2nd green.....The rain's a coming!

My prize for enduring the rains....... Along the Par 5 4th hole

Par 4 6th green with the town of St Andrews in the background

Approach into the Par 4 7th....

Par 3 8th Green

A wee bit closer view of the 8th 

Par 4 9th green....

Played well out there today with a lot of chances for birdie. Sadly none fell but, pars don't hurt! Saw all sorts of weather out there. The sun was in and out of the clouds and the rains rolled in on the 2nd hole. The thing about good waterproofs is that they keep you dry through all that weather. The bad thing about waterproofs is they only work when you grab them off the dresser before heading to the course. Elements 1,  Me 0! Headed back to the house to grab Kristen and walk into town for dinner. We went to Little Italy for a wonderful authentic Italian meal. The lobster and prawn stuffed ravioli is hard to beat. The Italian Red wasn't too shabby either. We made another pass at Jeanetta's before heading home for the night. Tomorrow is slated for some good weather so I am looking forward to a round on either the New Course or the Jubilee. That is all!