The Town Match......

Gorgeous sunrise

What beautiful morning it was here in St. Andrews, albeit an early one. My 7:15 am tee time had me up with the sea gulls by 5:00 am. After cooking breakfast and a little coffee, I made my way to the course. Along the way, I couldn't resist capturing this sunrise. It was a sign of the delightful weather we were to have all day.

Early Morning Glow

I met my buddy, John Igoe, over by the 1st tee of the New Course and we were quickly on our way with our R&A playing partners, Don and Charlie. As it turned out, they were both from Altanta and long time members of the Atlanta Athletic Club. The Foursomes or Alternate Shot format is always a fun and challenging one. I was able to confirm that my claims from yesterday that the Town Match is indeed supposed to be the largest single day match play event in the world. 

So much strategy to get 'round here without finding a bunker...

Approach into Par 5 8th @ New Course 

Par 3 13th @ New Course

Par 4 14th green @ New Course

Putter from off the green on Par 4 15th @ New Course 

Perfect weather for the Town Match.... 

This doesn't scratch the service of the treasures inside

In the end it came down to putting as many match play events do. We missed a few too many when we needed them most. Following our match, I came back to the house to clean up and don my coat and tie for lunch in the R&A Clubhouse. After a delightful meal and some wonderful conversation in the Great Room overlooking the Old Course's 1st tee, we parted ways. John and I headed back to the Club and the front table with the Elders for a bit before I headed home for the day. It's been a long day but a good one. I was ready to relax, catch up with Kristen and watch some football before bed. Guess that's all for now. LYDCP!

Settling In....

6 Livingstone Place

After an uneventful flight I made it safely to Edinburgh early this morning. I noticed right away that the ongoing construction projects at the airport from years past seemed to be complete, making the Customs and Luggage process that much easier. My mode of transport for the week is a cool little Kia Sportage. Never have driven one before but as I learned on the drive to St Andrews this morning, it rides quite nicely and actually steers itself it need be. Who knew?

Home for the week is the little cottage pictured above. Kristen and I have stayed here through the years and while nothing fancy, it's all we have needed. Not to mention the fact that it's walking distance to any and everything in St. Andrews. Once I got everything unloaded I made the customary trip to Morrisons for the week's provisions. We've got enough coffee, tea and water now to float a boat. I also stocked up on a bunch of stuff to cook here until Paul gets here Monday. 

A hot shower helped me reengage the day and I was off to the club to see what was going on down there. With the Town Match tomorrow and several other Medals being contested today, the club was pretty busy. As usual, the elders were at the head table in the front window holding court and solving the world's problems. I saw some familiar faces as well as some new ones. One of the things I have enjoyed the most about the club has been that our membership spans the globe and you never know who you're gonna meet in here. 

Mmmmmmm.....

After the weather moved through and the rain subsided, I opted for some fish and chips, hold the chips, from Ham's Hame. When I went into Ham's it was cloudy and overcast. When I came out, it was a beautiful sunny evening. There is so much truth to the saying about the weather over here. "If you don't like the weather, just wait five minutes".  In my case this evening it was more like 30 minutes. Either way, I'd say we ended the day on a high note. Time to chill out at the house and get some rest. That 7:15 am tee time will be here before I know it. Guess that's all for now. LYDCP!

Back To The Kingdom....

Today is my travel day to St. Andrews. I am flying through Chicago and then on to Edinburgh this evening. While this trip has been on the books for quite some time and I've been looking forward to it, it was with mixed emotions that I boarded the plane this morning. I'm excited to to be able to share St Andrews and the Home of Golf with my brother in law, Paul. That being said, I'm already missing my partner in crime, Kristen, who's unable to make the trip. Nonetheless, this week promises a plethora of new experiences and memories to be made as well as several walks down memory lane to some of our favorite spots from years past. While this trip has been shortened quite a bit from the original plan, all the good stuff is still a go.

On Saturday, I will be teeing it up in my 2nd Town Match vs The R&A. The event has been hailed as the largest single day match play event in the world. Whether those claims are true I'll leave to others to decide. I can, however, verify that the day and all that it entails is quite special. I will be teaming with my partner, John Igoe from Edinburgh. The aforementioned brother in law Paul will be flying in first thing Monday to begin his "Golf in The Kingdom!" As it is his first time in Scotland and St Andrews, he is beyond excited. We have a jam packed week of golf planned. We will be playing several of the courses here in St. Andrews throughout the week. We will tee it up first at The Castle Course. We then head north up the coast to Carnoustie. Let this blog put Carnasty on notice that records will be broken. We will also be playing the New and Jubilee courses here in St Andrews as well as Crail and Kingsbarns.

Par 3 17th @ The Castle Course

Hogan's Alley @ Carnoustie

Par 4 18th @ New Course

Par 4 16th @ Jubilee Course

Par 3 14th @ Crail Balcomie Links 

Par 4 18th at Kingsbarns

Our adventures in St. Andrews will culminate Sunday, September 23rd with the playing of The St. Andrews Golf Club's 175th Anniversary Member Guest tournament. With an 8:21 am starting time, we will walk the hallowed fairways of The Old Course, the Home of Golf where it all began. Give us a follow and we will keep you posted on our adventures this week. That is all....LYDCP

2017 Sanderson Farms Jr Pro Am......The Power of Goals

Team Davis.....

At the beginning of the year, my son Spence and I sat down to talk about what his goals were for the season. Chief among them were the following:

• 2017 Player of the Year for 14-15 Division 
• 2017 Jr River Cup team representing the state of MS versus the team from LA
• 2017 PGA Sanderson Farms Championship JR Pro Am

While he didn't make Player of the Year, a solid season left him 5th for the POY race. He finished in the top 4 in 4 of 5 events this year on the MJGA circuit. He also won the Reunion Golf & Country Club Jr Championship as well as the MS Qualifier for the Drive, Chip and Putt competition held at Reunion. All of his hard work paid off in the form of invitations to represent MS in the Jr River Cup at Squire Creek as well as his 2nd invite into the 2017 BankPlus Friends of Children's Golf Jr Pro Am here there at the Country Club of Jackson. While I am certainly proud of how well he's played, I am equally proud of how he played the game.  #Character #Integrity #Passion

Dialing in the speed....

Last Minute Words of Wisdom from Coach Cowger

As excited as he was to play, I was equally excited to caddy for him again this year. While he was warming up, he was able to catch up with some of the guys he's gotten to know over the years. He got the chance to catch up with Jason Bohn as well as his partner from last year, Aaron Wise. It's always nice to see folks take a little time to give back. It only takes a few minutes to make a big impact. Thanks guys.

Old friends....Spence and Jason Bohn 

Nice visit with last year's partner Aaron Wise and coach Jeff Smith....

We were excited to be paired this year with Dru Love. He and his caddy Barry couldn't have been better with the kids. We had a great time and made a lot of memories. The team played well overall and finished strong with Spence driving the green on the Par 4 9th hole. A team score of 60 for 9 holes ended up one shot off the lead. Not too shabby!

Dru Love and his crew....

Small talk makes some of the best memories....

Great day with Dru Love and caddy Barry.....

As I look back on the day, I am reminded of how powerful goals can be. Those driven to achieve their goals and succeed at the highest levels make a lot of sacrifices along the way. As the sun set on this day, I can tell you, it's been worth it!

Crail Harbour......

We were so happy to be in St. Andrews for another Sunday as it allowed us to go back to church at All Saints Episcopal Chapel before heading to Edinburgh. On our way to breakfast at Mitchell's along Market Street, we had the most unexpected encounter. While walking along, we heard someone yelling. It wasn't a Fresher as there were none of them to be found following last night's Rave. We thought nothing of it and kept walking. Funny thing was, Kristen said "They are yelling your name!" Much to our surprise we turn to see John Harlin, a member of our Vanderbilt Legends Golf Club, running towards us with a big grin on his face. We had no idea John and a small group from our club were coming over. They were on their bus on the way to Carnoustie when they saw us walking and he told the driver to stop the bus. What are the odds? St Andrews never disappoints!

Another beautiful service at All Saints. The flowers were incredible and ironically, given to the church by one of our R & A Foursomes partners, David Leslie. His mom had recently passed and they had held a celebration service for her earlier the week. Following the service we made our way back to the car and headed out for Crail Harbour.

Really quaint spot here in Crail. We loved walking down by the Harbour. Took some time to ponder the trip and all the memories made. We love this place and while we are coming towards the end of our trip we are already working on plans for our return. After lunch over at Crail Golf Club, we made our way to the Dalmahoy Hotel just outside of Edinburgh. The hotel has been really good to us over the years. Had it not been for the Dalmahoy and the relationships forged there, there would be no St Andrews Golf Club etc. for me. Again, blessed!

We made it safely back to Edinburgh and The Dalmahoy Hotel. We got settled in and Kristen made her way to the gym for a bit before our traditional final night meal at Gordon's Trattoria on High Street. We fell in love with the place on our first trip so many years ago. Fantastic as always! Many thanks to those who have kept up with our escapades along the way. Speaking of, I must give a special shout out to Willie White from London. While walking through the Edinburgh airport, he stopped me to tell me he knew who I was and that he follows my blog. As an R & A member, he was on his way to St Andrews to play a medal on The Old. Surreal! Such experiences and the chance meetings as I have had these past couple of days continue to remind me what a special game golf is. My Dad told me years ago when I started playing golf, "This game will give you back far more than you can ever imagine, if you let it!" Reflecting on our trip this year, Dad's words continue to ring true. That is all!

The Town Match.......

Today was a busy day for us. Not only was I playing in The Town Match, but we were also moving from the house over to the Old Course Hotel for the night. Room 100 afforded us a beautiful view of the 17th and 18th holes on The Old Course as well as The Jigger! First things first, I had a match to play. Kristen dropped me off at The Jubilee where I met my playing partner, John. We were paired against R & A members, Nigel Cristie and David Leslie, for our foursomes match. I played pretty well after a nervy start to the round. My most memorable shot of the day was a hybrid from 200 yards into the 8th green. The "special" part of the shot was the it was played from the center of the 11th fairway. John was a bit wayward off the tee. All's well the ends well as we won the hole with a birdie. We pulled ahead to a 4 up lead through the front. Unfortunately, Nigel and David caught fire on the back and were too much to handle. We lost the match 2 & 1. John and I were invited to join Nigel and David at the R & A for some drinks and lunch. After a quick change at our club we were on our way. 

Spending the afternoon at the R & A was such a treat. Every room was filled with so much history and incredible artifacts from the greats of the game. I could have spent all afternoon soaking up the treasures in each trophy case. After several drinks of the #2 we headed upstairs for a delightful lunch overlooking the 1st and 18th of the Old. Lunch was followed by coffee and more conversation downstairs in the Great Room. Before leaving I secured a bottle of the R & A private label #1 and #2. While we may have lost the match, my experiences and the memories I am carrying with me tell me that I won the day! 

View from Room 100!

R & A #1 AND #2

Kristen and I met up at the hotel and readied ourselves for dinner upstairs at "The Road Hole" restaurant. The views, food and service were delightful. The only thing better was the company. Blessed! 

After dinner, we made our way into town for one final walkabout before heading back to Edinburgh tomorrow. We couldn't leave St Andrews without seeing our friends at Jannetta's  just one more time. It was a beautiful night and the town was hopping. Apparently the "Freshers" were having a rave and we were invited. That is all!

The Wait Is Over....I'm In!

Today was an anxious day for me. I was very much hoping to get some good news regarding my entry into The Town Match tomorrow. In an effort to conserve my energy and back should I get good news, I took it easy today. While Kristen spent her morning at Yoga and her afternoon at the Old Course Hotel Spa, I headed for the mountains.

I have walked back and forth and all around "The Himalayas" for years without taking on the challenge. Today was the day. I was ushered in by the old boy at the top of the page. He's the boss! Before taking part, I spent some time watching some elder St. Andrews Ladies Putting Club members  make their way around the course. Admittedly, I caught myself on several occasions thinking their lines were way off only to see their ball slowly but surely make its way to the hole. I quickly learned that there was a lot of wisdom in those putters. I would soon do well to follow suit. I played the course twice and had the best time. My first crack at it yielded a 43. I took a second loop around in 41 strokes. Not too bad for my first visit. Good fun!

Back to the club after lunch to sit and wait on the call. While sitting with "the elders" I got an email from the club secretary that I was indeed in for The Town Match and set to play The Jubilee at 9:08 am tomorrow. I couldn't have been more thrilled! In all my excitement it dawned on me that I hadn't brought a coat and tie for lunch and drinks at the R & A following play. After calling Kristen to give her the good news, I had some shopping to do. I secured a dress shirt from a little shop on Market St, a tie from the Club and a beautiful tweed jacket from Johnstons of Elgin. I was all set! Now on to another wonderful dinner date with Kristen at our favorite, Little Italy. Tomorrow and The Town Match can't come soon enough. That is all!