bayjon14
Assistant Pro
After 8 months of waiting we Finally boarded the Larne to Troon P&O on Monday Morning. The 3 original Musketeer's dropped to 1 original and 2 stand ins, that are my best mates father (crafty 12) regular Saturday partner Cookie (bad health has seen him drop from 9 to 11) and myself improving 19.
A 4am start, 07:00 boat and we were on our way.
Monday arrived at Dundonald at 10:30 spent a couple of hours watching the rain and looking for clearings in the sky before our lunchtime tee off. We braved the conditions at 13:00 and the rain stopped after the 2nd hole.
Dundonald is a fantastic golf course off the whites, no weak hole, and after 18 holes I take the £2 with 38 points, and a big smile, and off to St Andrews.
Arrived to our home for the week, a family members mobile home in Clayton, a short drive into St Andrews to make sure we know were to go for the 12:00 tee off the following day on the New.
Tuesday 12:00 tee off on the New, had a chat with the starter and he let us out at 11:30 ahead of a group of 16 americans. Again off the whites, a cracking course, no real memorable holes, a bit flatter than the links we are use to, but a great challenge. A nice introduction to St Andrews golf and 29 points later I am tied with Cookie, in our 3 course challenge.
Wednesday (The Old Lady)
Wednesday is the big one, a 11:00 tee off on the Old, we are at the tee at 10:30, sort out the paperwork, and the starters assistant asks us "do you guys mind an American gentleman playing off 10 joining you guys", Of Course Not, this is St Andrews Old and having a good golfer make up the 4 ball is great.
Off we set with our caddies and hit one down the left near the Burn, a simple par and we are off. Some solid golf, and a birdie on 3 and after 18 and many missed putts I sign for 33 points (3 blobs), but Cookie takes the lead with 39 points. He missed nothing.
The american gent was a top bloke on tour with his wife and another couple. He was at the starters hut at 05:30 and a number of groups refused to let him make up a 4 ball. This is a disgrace and paints a poor picture of Golfers. I hope St Andrews Links address this by imposing a fixed 4 ball fee if they go out in 2 or 3's
Advice: yes take a caddy but read your own putts, the greens were running at a nice pace but I found having the caddy upset my rhythm on the greens.
Thursday (Day off)
Day off, a friend organised a tour of the New Golf Club, what a reception we got from Mark and Mike, a lovely 2 hours soaked in tradition. We walked around the town for hours and then headed out to Kingsbarns for a look. A fine course but not worth £195, I would play £50 to play it. So with time to kill it is off to Carnoustie, we re-create the Padraig Sergio chat on the Open Sunday down 17/18 and enjoy the scenery. Another time we will play it.
A fantastic Indian in the Broughty Ferry Hotel (highly recommended) and we head back to base and pack for departing the home of golf.
Friday: (Turnberry Ailsa)
Clean up the mobile, and hit the road at 09:30 for a 16:30 twilight rate on the Ailsa. After a light lunch we arrive in Turnberry, have a lovely chat with the pro in the Performance Academy, then enjoy the clubhouse.
I then enquire about an earlier tee time and to our delight we get out just after 15:00. Fantastic.
Cookie requests a caddy and a super bloke called Bernie greets us on the putting green. The starter greets us, takes some photos and we are off.
The Ailsa has to be the best course I have played in my short golf Career, Johnny is 27 years playing golf and has played all of Irelands best courses and other notable courses worldwide and the Ailsa is his stand out favourite.
Bernie the caddy is a gent, he tells us all the lines off the tee and that is so helpful. The views from 2 to 12 are unsurpassed, the quality of the holes are unsurpassed and although the greens were a little slow for links they were very true.
As Cookie has a 6 shot lead on me, I have my work cut out, I scratch 2 on the front 9, and trail by 2. The back 9 was a different tale. I have 1 scratch but finish bogey, birdie, birdie, Par to record 20 point back 9, 34 overall to Cookies 29, He wins by 1.
We all vow to return to the Ailsa next year, but play 2 rounds, we will go back to Dundonald and maybe play Irvine Bogside or Kilmarnock Brasserie.
So time for the pay out, as Johnny Lost, he paid for the dinner in the fantastic Wildings Hotel in Turnberry, I buy the starter, Cookie buys the beers.
So back to the Premier in Ayr for the 10:15 ferry back too Troon.
Highlights:
Pars on the First Hole on each hole
Birdie on the 3rd in st Andrews Old.
Hitting my drive on the green on the 10th on the Old
Having an eagle putt just off the back off the green on the par 5,17th on the Ailsa
The Ailsa, what a course.
Low Points:
Coming home
The poor American guy having to wait for a group to allow him join their group. He had a great time with us and we had a great chat with him and his lovely wife.
So May 2014 it will be back on the Ferry to Troon.
A 4am start, 07:00 boat and we were on our way.
Monday arrived at Dundonald at 10:30 spent a couple of hours watching the rain and looking for clearings in the sky before our lunchtime tee off. We braved the conditions at 13:00 and the rain stopped after the 2nd hole.
Dundonald is a fantastic golf course off the whites, no weak hole, and after 18 holes I take the £2 with 38 points, and a big smile, and off to St Andrews.
Arrived to our home for the week, a family members mobile home in Clayton, a short drive into St Andrews to make sure we know were to go for the 12:00 tee off the following day on the New.
Tuesday 12:00 tee off on the New, had a chat with the starter and he let us out at 11:30 ahead of a group of 16 americans. Again off the whites, a cracking course, no real memorable holes, a bit flatter than the links we are use to, but a great challenge. A nice introduction to St Andrews golf and 29 points later I am tied with Cookie, in our 3 course challenge.
Wednesday (The Old Lady)
Wednesday is the big one, a 11:00 tee off on the Old, we are at the tee at 10:30, sort out the paperwork, and the starters assistant asks us "do you guys mind an American gentleman playing off 10 joining you guys", Of Course Not, this is St Andrews Old and having a good golfer make up the 4 ball is great.
Off we set with our caddies and hit one down the left near the Burn, a simple par and we are off. Some solid golf, and a birdie on 3 and after 18 and many missed putts I sign for 33 points (3 blobs), but Cookie takes the lead with 39 points. He missed nothing.
The american gent was a top bloke on tour with his wife and another couple. He was at the starters hut at 05:30 and a number of groups refused to let him make up a 4 ball. This is a disgrace and paints a poor picture of Golfers. I hope St Andrews Links address this by imposing a fixed 4 ball fee if they go out in 2 or 3's
Advice: yes take a caddy but read your own putts, the greens were running at a nice pace but I found having the caddy upset my rhythm on the greens.
Thursday (Day off)
Day off, a friend organised a tour of the New Golf Club, what a reception we got from Mark and Mike, a lovely 2 hours soaked in tradition. We walked around the town for hours and then headed out to Kingsbarns for a look. A fine course but not worth £195, I would play £50 to play it. So with time to kill it is off to Carnoustie, we re-create the Padraig Sergio chat on the Open Sunday down 17/18 and enjoy the scenery. Another time we will play it.
A fantastic Indian in the Broughty Ferry Hotel (highly recommended) and we head back to base and pack for departing the home of golf.
Friday: (Turnberry Ailsa)
Clean up the mobile, and hit the road at 09:30 for a 16:30 twilight rate on the Ailsa. After a light lunch we arrive in Turnberry, have a lovely chat with the pro in the Performance Academy, then enjoy the clubhouse.
I then enquire about an earlier tee time and to our delight we get out just after 15:00. Fantastic.
Cookie requests a caddy and a super bloke called Bernie greets us on the putting green. The starter greets us, takes some photos and we are off.
The Ailsa has to be the best course I have played in my short golf Career, Johnny is 27 years playing golf and has played all of Irelands best courses and other notable courses worldwide and the Ailsa is his stand out favourite.
Bernie the caddy is a gent, he tells us all the lines off the tee and that is so helpful. The views from 2 to 12 are unsurpassed, the quality of the holes are unsurpassed and although the greens were a little slow for links they were very true.
As Cookie has a 6 shot lead on me, I have my work cut out, I scratch 2 on the front 9, and trail by 2. The back 9 was a different tale. I have 1 scratch but finish bogey, birdie, birdie, Par to record 20 point back 9, 34 overall to Cookies 29, He wins by 1.
We all vow to return to the Ailsa next year, but play 2 rounds, we will go back to Dundonald and maybe play Irvine Bogside or Kilmarnock Brasserie.
So time for the pay out, as Johnny Lost, he paid for the dinner in the fantastic Wildings Hotel in Turnberry, I buy the starter, Cookie buys the beers.
So back to the Premier in Ayr for the 10:15 ferry back too Troon.
Highlights:
Pars on the First Hole on each hole
Birdie on the 3rd in st Andrews Old.
Hitting my drive on the green on the 10th on the Old
Having an eagle putt just off the back off the green on the par 5,17th on the Ailsa
The Ailsa, what a course.
Low Points:
Coming home
The poor American guy having to wait for a group to allow him join their group. He had a great time with us and we had a great chat with him and his lovely wife.
So May 2014 it will be back on the Ferry to Troon.
Surprised you didn't find the short (?) 9th on the New Course memorable.
