1st Post: rate my Sept Trip to Scotland

[KitaScot]

Hiya everyone...
Starting on the Fall equinox, I'll be in Scotland for 3 weeks, driving from Dumfries to Durness, hiking down a bunch of fairways between hikes through the countryside...

This is not exclusively a "golf trip"....there's so much to see and do in Scotland...as a photographer living in Florida USA, I have missed the colors of Autumn for too long, so this year I decided to go where cool breezes blow...it doesn't hurt that I like Scotch, (must go to a couple of distilleries, Benromach and Pulteney recommended), Tennent's ale, Scottish music, and long hikes through wilderness with my camera.

Here's my golf itinerary and I'd like to know what you folks think of my choices and whether you have any alternatives to suggest. You'll note there's no "high-end" course listed....I'm a bogie scoring muni golfer so that's the kind of course I'd prefer to play.

Many are short tracks that fit my game. I'm short but straight off the tee and confidently competent short of the green. Virtually all are links, the kind of course we don't have much in the US, and more the type of course we think of as Scotland's original.

Sept 19-23 based just south of Glasgow to play in Braid courses Ayr...Girvan, and either Prestwick St. Nicholas or the Troon munis before hitting clubs at night in Glasgow
Sept 25 or 26 in Aviemore...will play Boat of Garten and maybe Hopeman heading north (or on my way back south), to Golspie, Donald Ross's early inspiration. There's a Donald Ross Road right here in my county, so thought I should go there.
Sept 26-30...in Golspie: playing there and in Brora and Tain, and in the middle of a trip to the north and west coast, Durness to the far north....
Sept 30-Oct 9...based in Doune...After a weekend of walks through the Trossachs and listening to jazz and blues in Callander (love it; go to Scotland for an American music festival!) and before nights in Edinburgh, I'll play Braid Hills, Gulane #3, and Dunbar GC to play in the backyard of John Muir's childhood and Aberdour after a Sunday tour of St. Andrews. Having lived in the Montana wilderness, I've been a big fan of John Muir and his contribution to America's wilderness.

I'm also staying in Iceland for 3 days traveling its "golden circle" of thermal-geological sites, including a round of golf at a Geysir park and hot springs where I'll go for a nice after-round soak.

So there you have it....a trip to enjoy Scotland as Muir and Ross would have it I think. I have my Heritage Pass for the castles, and yes, I'll bring plenty of balls, a couple pair of shoes and warm/rain proof clothes

I much appreciate any feedback. Thanks. JayT

 

[Farneyman]

That sounds a great trip and I bet you enioy Prestwick St.Nicholas the most

What date are you thinking of playing it?

 

[KitaScot]

I get in on the 18th, will spend the day in Glasgow and go to Prestwick late PM or Monday AM to set up tee-time for that week. Any day any time Mon-Thurs., it gets 1st priority....Girvan any other day. Drives through the lowlands on other days.

 

[Farneyman]

Schools are off the 19th Might meet you for a game...

 

[backwoodsman]

Sounds like a great trip. I can't imagine anything except you'll love it all. Prestwick St Nic' , Brora, and Boat are the pick of the bunch to me - and the last two in locations with scenery to die for.

 

[Bigfoot]

Dunbar is good too and the 9th at Durness.

 

[patricks148]

I can't believe you are quoting Donald Ross and going to Sutherland and not playing Royal Dornoch.

Are you hitch hiking with a set of clubs?

Oh and Hopeman is about is about 50 miles from BOG and not on the way north.

 

[KitaScot]

Farney...If you don't mind playing with a short hitter/bogeyman links for the 1st time, I'd love a partner! I'm not very worried about my game (lately), and links is to me like miniature golf, but on bigger scale...not clown's mouths or windmills to go into and around, but all those pot bunkers and moguls....and the weather....well, you can't predict anything but the fun for trying!

Patrick...I'm renting a micro-mini car...a Picanto or similar one with a manual tranny....but I'm not against hitchhiking and might just do that between Callander and Doune where I'm based for the lasts 10 days of the trip.

As for Royal Dornoch...I may play it, if they have any $pecial deal$....I'm staying at AirBnBs rather than hotels because I'll be using them just for the bed...and don't need hotels for just that. That said, in Golspie I'm staying with a family that owns a flour mill and they bake their own bread and such and THAT should be fun...THAT'S why I'm going.

Hopeman is out of the way northward to Golspie from BoG, but better southbound in the direction I'll be heading (towards Aberdeen), and from the bird's-eye view I've seen it looks like MY kind of course. Aberdour is on the Firth across from Edinburgh and has been given nice reviews on line....

I asked for people's opinions of these courses precisely because they're reputation is not like Dornoch's, for sure. But I WILL try!

 

[Rlburnside]

Hiya everyone...
Starting on the Fall equinox, I'll be in Scotland for 3 weeks, driving from Dumfries to Durness, hiking down a bunch of fairways between hikes through the countryside...

This is not exclusively a "golf trip"....there's so much to see and do in Scotland...as a photographer living in Florida USA, I have missed the colors of Autumn for too long, so this year I decided to go where cool breezes blow...it doesn't hurt that I like Scotch, (must go to a couple of distilleries, Benromach and Pulteney recommended), Tennent's ale, Scottish music, and long hikes through wilderness with my camera.

Here's my golf itinerary and I'd like to know what you folks think of my choices and whether you have any alternatives to suggest. You'll note there's no "high-end" course listed....I'm a bogie scoring muni golfer so that's the kind of course I'd prefer to play.

Many are short tracks that fit my game. I'm short but straight off the tee and confidently competent short of the green. Virtually all are links, the kind of course we don't have much in the US, and more the type of course we think of as Scotland's original.

Sept 19-23 based just south of Glasgow to play in Braid courses Ayr...Girvan, and either Prestwick St. Nicholas or the Troon munis before hitting clubs at night in Glasgow
Sept 25 or 26 in Aviemore...will play Boat of Garten and maybe Hopeman heading north (or on my way back south), to Golspie, Donald Ross's early inspiration. There's a Donald Ross Road right here in my county, so thought I should go there.
Sept 26-30...in Golspie: playing there and in Brora and Tain, and in the middle of a trip to the north and west coast, Durness to the far north....
Sept 30-Oct 9...based in Doune...After a weekend of walks through the Trossachs and listening to jazz and blues in Callander (love it; go to Scotland for an American music festival!) and before nights in Edinburgh, I'll play Braid Hills, Gulane #3, and Dunbar GC to play in the backyard of John Muir's childhood and Aberdour after a Sunday tour of St. Andrews. Having lived in the Montana wilderness, I've been a big fan of John Muir and his contribution to America's wilderness.

I'm also staying in Iceland for 3 days traveling its "golden circle" of thermal-geological sites, including a round of golf at a Geysir park and hot springs where I'll go for a nice after-round soak.

So there you have it....a trip to enjoy Scotland as Muir and Ross would have it I think. I have my Heritage Pass for the castles, and yes, I'll bring plenty of balls, a couple pair of shoes and warm/rain proof clothes

I much appreciate any feedback. Thanks. JayT

Out of the courses you mentioned I've played Golspie, Brora, Tain and Aberdour , all four are good courses with very friendly members, Tain is a real gem of a course and I loved playing there, I would highly recommend playing Aberdour not as good a course as the other 3 IMO but it's worth playing for the spectacular views alone.

Hope the weathers good for you, enjoy your trip.

 

[KitaScot]

Thanks RLB....
Along with yours and others opinions, I'm feeling like I've made some good choices....
Your idea for Aberdour is like mine....some courses are played for the views.
I'm a photographer, so if the weather makes golf impossible (that would have to be VERY bad weather) I'll look for nice photo sites...I love bad weather photography. But with several days in each area I think I should be able to get on all the courses on good Scottish days (allowing for a good breeze and some rain).

 

[patricks148]

Farney...If you don't mind playing with a short hitter/bogeyman links for the 1st time, I'd love a partner! I'm not very worried about my game (lately), and links is to me like miniature golf, but on bigger scale...not clown's mouths or windmills to go into and around, but all those pot bunkers and moguls....and the weather....well, you can't predict anything but the fun for trying!

Patrick...I'm renting a micro-mini car...a Picanto or similar one with a manual tranny....but I'm not against hitchhiking and might just do that between Callander and Doune where I'm based for the lasts 10 days of the trip.

As for Royal Dornoch...I may play it, if they have any $pecial deal$....I'm staying at AirBnBs rather than hotels because I'll be using them just for the bed...and don't need hotels for just that. That said, in Golspie I'm staying with a family that owns a flour mill and they bake their own bread and such and THAT should be fun...THAT'S why I'm going.

Hopeman is out of the way northward to Golspie from BoG, but better southbound in the direction I'll be heading (towards Aberdeen), and from the bird's-eye view I've seen it looks like MY kind of course. Aberdour is on the Firth across from Edinburgh and has been given nice reviews on line....

I asked for people's opinions of these courses precisely because they're reputation is not like Dornoch's, for sure. But I WILL try!

That makes sense doing Hopeman coming back. I would also Suggest Nairn and Fortrose for photo opportunities even of you dont play as both are right on the moray firth with the Black isle as background, you might even catch a Dolphin in the background. Moray Old is a fantastic course and only a couple of miles from Hopeman, and a better course IMO. Plus you can get good shots of the RAF Fast response jets taking off and landing the whole time

I doubt You will get any Deals at RD, its the height of the visitor season and even the twighlight rate isn't a good deal as its not Avail till after 5pm in Sept and there isn't enough light to get round with the amount of traffic on the course this time of year.

 

[Capella]

You are mean. The whole purpose of this thread is to make us all jealous.

Sounds like a fantastic trip. Enjoy!

 

[Doon frae Troon]

You seem like a well organised guy, good choice of courses.
Be like the cheapskate tourists, take your pictures from Girvan but tell your posh friends it was Turnberry:lol:
Play Fullerton of the Troon Muni's. Lochgreen and Darley are pretty tough. Gullane No3 is one of the best wee courses in Scotland. with great photo opps.
Perthshire is beautiful when the Autumn colours come out. Stop at the Hermitige south of Pitlochry for photos. Around that time they also have the light show at Loch Faskally
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/tayside..._and_places/nature/newsid_8395000/8395193.stm
http://www.enchantedforest.org.uk/

have fun

 

[Albanach]

Sounds good except for the Tennents Ale!? Lots more decent beer to be had rather than Tennents cooking lager 😄

 

[Robster59]

Sounds like a great trip. If you are on the west coast and looking for a Braid course you could also try our course, The East Renfrewshire Golf Club. But whatever you choose, I'm sure you have a great time!

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Don't forget Gairloch golf course, great wee 9 holer on the route up to Durness.
Smoo cave and the beach at Durness are also good photo ops, especially if the sea is big.

 

[thesheriff]

I haven't played any of the courses you mention but having done pretty much your entire route by bike this year, I can say you'll have an amazing trip.

But maybe steer clear of the Tennents if you can. Plenty better Scottish beers and ales to be had.

Enjoy!!

 

[Foxholer]

...Gullane No3 is one of the best wee courses in Scotland. with great photo opps...

And Braid Hills one of the 'most unique'! Pretty good views of Edinburgh & The Castle too!

Seems like a great trip! Enjoy!

 

[KitaScot]

All your replies are great....thanks....especially about cooking beer vs. ale suitable for drinking. I will definitely look for the real deal. That and single malts of course.

Lossie is "under maintenance" the week I'm up in that area. In reply to their thoughtful information I contacted all the clubs asking the same and was told that they'll be good to go.

I'm surprised that late Sept/early Oct is vacation time there....likely foreigners' time is the summer, and YOUR time is after we leave. LoL

Perthshire sounds/looks like it's a nice day's trip...an hour from Doune makes it a go. Thanks

Sheriff: a bike trip would be super on the west coast. I do motor-bike too, (been a while though) , but did not plan to on this trip.

Being a muni player rather than a club member, I don't have much "invested" in golf. My bag of clubs cost me as much as most "golfers" pay for a driver....so yeah, call me cheap...and if I don't hold anyone up I'll be taking phone pix of the courses, like of my muni below.

Interestingly, a recent round played at "my muni" I was paired with a Scot who agreed it was the best course in the area. I don't know if I'd go that far....maybe the best public course.

Here are a couple shots, one looking up from a hole and down to it (on the far right) from another.

Should you come to Palm Beach County, check it out...Okeeheelee. Again, thanks for your advice everyone.

 

[KitaScot]

And Braid Hills one of the 'most unique'! Pretty good views of Edinburgh & The Castle too! Seems like a great trip! Enjoy!

'Everyone is, of course, entitled to their opinion (even you and your more vociferous opponents) but I am not obliged to share any one of those.' MM 18/7/16

Braid Hills being right in Edinburgh seemed like a "no-brainer"....the pix on the net do look pretty unique.

Re: your quote about opinion...
I love this one by sci-fi writer Harlan Jay Ellison (Jay being MY name)...
"You're not entitled to your opinion. You're entitled to your informed opinion. No one is entitled to be ignorant." I wish I were on US TV to tell that to all the talking heads this election season. I'll be in Scotland during the "heat" of it with little regret.