The Castle Course with My Queen....

Today Kristen and I were blessed with some incredible weather as we played with The Castle Course here in St. Andrews. I have been looking forward to getting back to The Castle Course since my last visit. Even more so, I am excited to be out here sharing these views with Kristen. I was super proud of how well she hit the ball today. The course wasn't too crowded this morning so we were able to cruise along comfortably, never once being held up or rushed from a group behind.

I love the way this course gives you so many beautiful backdrops. Above you can see the 2nd green and the challenges that await in trying to find it with your approach. Having played this course before certainly helps as some of the bunkers aren't always where they appear to be in relation to the green. Kristen would like you all to see where she ended up on the 2nd....

Below you can see my view from the Par 4 6th hole. Once you crest the hill it's all down hill to the green, with the town of St. Andrews as the back drop. Kristen hit her best tee ball of the day here and was delighted to have a putt for par.

Me and my girl.......

Above is the Par 4 7th green and below the beautiful short Par 3 8th hole.

 An image of the Fife Coastal Path Kristen deemed it necessary to travel earlier in the week!!!

This last one below is from the Par 4 9th hole. I love how both the 9th and Par 5 18th holes frame up so nicely in this shot. After we finished the front nine Kristen decided to take it easy on the back nine so she just enjoyed the walk while I played on.

This shot of the 10th green below really gives you an idea of the amount of slope in these greens. Admittedly, this is one of the primary reasons this course is so polarizing for the locals. There isn't another course I have found over here with this much slope. I do love the challenge though!

The Par 4 12th below is an outstanding hole. Thankfully I had it with a bit of a helping wind. Last time I was here it was straight into the wind. With so much elevation change, I'll take par every day and run. The green represents the highest point on the course. Such pretty views from here.....

The views of the coastline are some of my favorites. This is from behind the Par 3 17th. Favorite hole on the course!

Kristen reflecting on the day and anxiously waiting to see where I will end up.....

For the record, I hit it 15 or 20 feet short left of the pin. Two putts later I walked away with a par. 

Above you will see the one bunker the yardage book instructed me to avoid. Just to be contrary, my ball found its way in here. I was able to find the green from here and was left with my final putt of the day below. As you can see from the pictures, we had a gorgeous day out there. In fact, it was one of the hottest days on record in the UK since the 1940's. After lunch in the clubhouse we headed back to the house to rest up and clean up.

Tonight we headed back to the club for a bit before heading to dinner at Little Italy. Great atmosphere and food for sure. We are supposed to be playing The Jubilee Course tomorrow morning but the weather forecast isn't great. We shall see!

The New Course and Kristen's Road Less Traveled

Today was a busy day for us. I was slated for a round on the Old or New Course, whichever was available. Kristen, on the other hand was excited about heading to Hot Yoga and then to the Fairmont Hotel for her spa appointment. We walked downtown to the R & A Clubhouse, where I would head to the starter's shed and Kristen would make her way down the Coastal Path for a jog before Yoga. Within the hour I was on my way around the New Course, very much looking forward to my walk around one of my favorite tracks. I was to be joined by a gentleman named Toggy from Iceland along with Joe from Arizona and his Scottish friend Malcolm. I would find out throughout the course of our round that Malcolm had been quite humble in his introduction. Malcolm Campbell as I was to find out is the former editor of Golf Monthly Magazine and author of several best selling books about all facets of the game of golf. Apart from an ailing back that reared its ugly head early on in our round, it was a wonderful day out there. The weather was a mixture of sun and clouds with a strong wind out of the Northwest, making The New play quite difficult this morning.

As has become my custom over the last several years, no round on The New or The Jubilee would be complete without one of my favorite post round treats. You will be hard pressed to find a better bowl of Mac and Cheese anywhere. Mmm Mmm Mmm!

One of the nice things about the Links clubhouse is the roof top garden which affords beautiful 360 degree views of the town, the courses and the beach. The Himalayas putting course was packed with families enjoying the challenge of the course and this wonderful sunny afternoon. There is also a view of the Old Course Hotel and Spa, just across the 2nd and 17th fairways of The Old Course.

So, that was my day in a nut shell. Now let me tell you what Kristen got herself into. She thought it would be a good idea to walk to the Fairmont Hotel and Spa from town. It is several miles away, however, the distance isn't the issue here, it's the path she took to get there. She walked up the side of a small mountain (road out of town) towards the hotel. She took a left off the main road into what she thought was the hotel. Once she got down to the clubhouse, she realized she'd walked to clubhouse for The Castle Course, not the Fairmont. Her conversation with the staff at The Castle Course....."Ohhhh, well where's the Fairmont? Well, it's across the golf course and those cow pastures you see there." Sure enough, off she goes. She walked through the golf course, hopped a stone fence, made friends with a herd of dairy cows, traversed another golf course and finally made it, just in time for her spa appointment. No wonder she went radio silent on me with her phone!!

Her return trip to town wasn't much better. She decided to take the aforementioned Coastal Path back into town. It should be noted that this "path" in some parts looks more like something off of "Naked and Afraid or Survivor" than a path you'd want a loved one walking on. Nonetheless, she made it back safe and sound in time to regale some of the folks at the club about her afternoon exploits. After a wonderful dinner at Adamson's here in St Andrews, we made it back to the house for the night. We logged a lot of miles and made a lot of memories today. Thankful for every bit of it! Tomorrow, Kristen will break out her golf game at The Castle Course. Stay tuned......

"The Glory of the Ordinary"

Today we had the chance to really relax and enjoy the day. We had been wanting to go to church while we were here in St. Andrews. We found the beautiful, All Saints Episcopal Church, and were welcomed with open arms. As is the case with so many of the buildings here in St. Andrews, the stone and wood work is gorgeous. As you can see from the pictures below the church is a sight to see. Not only were we treated to a delightful church and its people, but we also received a wonderful reminder this morning...."to enjoy the glory of the ordinary". 

The courtyard outside the church is equally beautiful as it's filled with the incredible flowers you can see in the pics below. We were given some insight that older more traditional roses carry a lot of scent whereas newer variations, not so much. Learn something new every day.

The University of St Andrews features prominently here in town. We took the chance to stroll through campus for a bit before heading to lunch. Below are a few shots of the buildings surrounding one of their beautiful courtyard areas. 

After lunch we settled in at the club to watch the finale of the 145th Open Championship. Sunday's round turned into a match play event for our favorite, Phil Mickelson and eventual winner, Henrik Stenson. Both played flawless golf, making Sunday one of the most exciting finishes that I can recall. In the end, these two lapped the field and put on a golfing display for the ages. What a great week and hats off to a most deserving champion. Congrats Henrik, you are the Champion Golfer of the Year!