Can't wait! April 27 is a ways off, unfortunately.

First, that's awesome congrats!
I am heading that way in June, did I miss the boat to try to snag a tee time? I remember looking at it a couple months ago, but completely forgot about it opening up until I saw this.
Also, you bringing your sticks or can you rent there?

I'd be shocked if you can play a month prior to the open championship

I bet you can. Hell, they probably do less to prepare that that course than just about anywhere.

Old Course is closed June 20-July 20.

mpezll, if you're going alone, you don't need and can't get a tee time.....you just have to show up and wait at the starter shack. i got there around 2am to be the first single off the next day.

I do remember seeing that Bagger. I'll be there the end of May/first week of June.

And OSB, thanks for the tip. I am planning on playing with some colleagues so was looking at tee times, but if that falls through looks like I'll be up early!!

Bad. Ass.

Congrats and have fun.

Make sure and stop by the Dunvegan for a beer and/or dinner. It is literally right across the street from the Old Course and every famous golfer in the world has been there.

The Dunvegan is owned by an Aggie, Jack Willoughby and his Scottish wife Sheena. They are awesome and love to meet Aggies...so be sure to introduce yourself. It will be the perfect end to a day on the Old Course...and just try to keep your pulse below 100 when teeing off #1 and coming up #18. Can't do it.

Here's more on Dunvegan:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g186533-d1573436-Reviews-Golfer_s_Corner_Lounge_Bar_at_Dunvegan-St_Andrews_Fife_Scotland.html

Jack already PM'd me and told me to stop by.

Too much win.

Still early and lots still in the air. Sample itinerary:

Thursday - Depart for Manchester
Friday - Arrive in Manchester early AM, play Hoylake in the afternoon
Saturday - Sleep in, go see Manchester United at Everton
Sunday - Travel to St. Andrews, play Crail
Monday - The Old Course
Tuesday - The Eden Course, travel to Cruden Bay
Wednesday - Play Cruden Bay, travel to Dornoch
Thursday - Royal Dornoch
Friday - Golf course TBD near Inverness, train or plane to Liverpool
Saturday - QPR at Liverpool
Sunday - Depart for USA

That's a great line-up bagger...and it will be some of the best and most memorable golf of your life. I didn't get up to the north coast...but I've heard Cruden Bay and Royal Dornoch are in a league of their own.

Kingsbarn and Carnoustie are both close to St. Andrews and I'd definitely recommend. The New Course (over 100 years old) is right next to the Old Course and also very good.

With more hours of daylight...play 36 at least a couple of days...will be well worth it.

Definitely looking to play 36 a couple times on our non-travel days. Probably can't handle it too often since one of my buddies has a knee that causes him problems. We're considering playing twice on the days we hit The Old Course and Royal Dornoch.

Along those lines, if anyone has any recommendations for good cheap courses to play near St. Andrews, Dornoch, or Inverness I'd love to hear it.

Obviously there is a basically endless supply of unbelievable courses that cost a lot of money, but I'd like to get out and play once or twice where we can just have a casual round among some local hackers. The kind of place that has the same sort of clientele as my home track -- bogey golfers, guys with their buddies having a beer round, the grouchy old codgers who are first off the tee every weekday... I think that would be a good kind of place to play our second round of the day when we go 36.

The old and new courses are worth it. You gotta play my personal two favs castle stuart and kingbarns. Old course is still awesome. Didnt play jubilee or any other st andrews courses but will next time. Hope you have a good experience at dornoch, mine was not so great but others loved it- it is a punishing course no doubt.

I gotta agree with Brat on kingsbarns ......possibly the best course I played the ten days I was there in 2012. Carnoustie was hard as he'll albeit I've taken about 14 strokes off my index the last two years. I'd love to play it again. Old course is so crazy with the swirling wind. Go early or stay late and take the golf shops in for souvenirs and do some drinking. It's so Damn fun too just hang out there and watch .

I gotta agree with Brat on kingsbarns ......possibly the best course I played the ten days I was there in 2012. Carnoustie was hard as he'll albeit I've taken about 14 strokes off my index the last two years. I'd love to play it again. Old course is so crazy with the swirling wind. Go early or stay late and take the golf shops in for souvenirs and do some drinking. It's so Damn fun too just hang out there and watch .

I gotta agree with Brat on kingsbarns ......possibly the best course I played the ten days I was there in 2012. Carnoustie was hard as he'll albeit I've taken about 14 strokes off my index the last two years. I'd love to play it again. Old course is so crazy with the swirling wind. Go early or stay late and take the golf shops in for souvenirs and do some drinking. It's so Damn fun too just hang out there and watch .

I was in Scotland in May of this year and April of last year. In 2013 I played the three oldest golf courses in the world; Musselburgh, the Old Course at St. Andrews, and Royal Dornoch. Royal Dornoch was a great surprise because it was a lot nicer than I anticipated. It was late April and the weather was very cold and windy. Musselburgh is a 9-hole course on the infield of a horse racing track and really not worth the trouble except for it being the oldest course in the world.

This year I played the Old Course again, which is just amazing. As a single golfer you can easily just walk up and play. The first time I waited about 10 minutes before they paired me up with a twosome. This year I waited about an hour (because I didn't get to the course until 9 a.m.) and they paired me with a threesome. I recommend getting there early in the morning but you don't have to get there before sunrise. Definitely pay the extra money and get a caddy. There is nothing like playing that course with a caddy. It will cost you 40 for the caddy plus a good tip (I gave him 60 for the tip), but it is worth it.

If you are going to be near St. Andrews another day you should drive over to Gleneagles. I played there this year and it is one of the nicest courses I have ever played. There are three courses there but play the Centenary course. That is the one they played the Ryder Cup on. Again, get the caddy. This one was the most expensive course I've played in Scotland. The round was 180 pounds but they have probably come down a bit since then.

You are going to have a great trip. There is no feeling in golf quite like hitting the tee shot off the first hole at St. Andrews. As others have said, make sure to eat lunch after your round at the Dunvegan.

quote:

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Definitely looking to play 36 a couple times on our non-travel days. Probably can't handle it too often since one of my buddies has a knee that causes him problems. We're considering playing twice on the days we hit The Old Course and Royal Dornoch.

Along those lines, if anyone has any recommendations for good cheap courses to play near St. Andrews, Dornoch, or Inverness I'd love to hear it.

Obviously there is a basically endless supply of unbelievable courses that cost a lot of money, but I'd like to get out and play once or twice where we can just have a casual round among some local hackers. The kind of place that has the same sort of clientele as my home track -- bogey golfers, guys with their buddies having a beer round, the grouchy old codgers who are first off the tee every weekday... I think that would be a good kind of place to play our second round of the day when we go 36.

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For some great local type golf, there is one in Edinburgh called Baberton Golf Club. It is a nice course with some old codgers. One of the holes has a bell in the fairway that you ring to tell the group behind you that it is safe to hit their tee shot.

God dammit I need to go!

practice putting from long distances, practice long irons, practice punch shots!

Shot an 84 at Old course, putted from back of 1st tee box to 18 hole, stopped on the lip, tapped in for par. got a wild ovation from bus load of college kids and other spectators, great day!

Oh and read "an American caddie at St. Andrews"

I'll be going in November. I must get the full effect. As Nancy Pelosi said, "Embrace the suck!"

Has anyone done an early winter visit/round of golf or two?

Really the average highs and lows in November aren't that different from the temperatures in April. Looks like they get more rain in November.

The main thing I know is that in November they will make you hit off of a fairway mat.

quote:

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Mats are used on all courses between the months of November and February each year, with The Old Course and The Castle Course retaining their use until the end of March.

With temperatures providing little growth during the winter months these small bits of Astroturf help protect the turf from divot damage which would otherwise take until the summer to repair.

They are carried by the golfer and if the ball lies on the fairway, the mat is positioned as near as possible to where it lies. The ball is then placed on and played from the mat.

On all other areas of the course the ball is played as it lies.

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Wow - that's interesting, but it also makes a lot of sense. Thanks.

The itinerary is taking shape. An early look at what we're planning:

4/23: Depart to Manchester from US
4/24: Arrive in Manchester early AM, drive to Liverpool, play Hoylake
4/25: Goodison Park to see Manchester United vs. Everton
4/26: Early AM drive to St. Andrews, play Crail Balcomie in the afternoon
4/27: The Old Course at 10 AM
4/28: The Eden Course at 10 AM, drive to Cruden Bay in the afternoon
4/29: Play Cruden Bay, visit Scotch distillery, drive to Inverness
4/30: Play Royal Dornoch
5/1: Play Castle Stuart
5/2: Early AM drive to Liverpool for Liverpool vs. QPR or to Manchester for Manchester United vs. West Brom
5/3: Depart to US from Manchester

quote:

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The itinerary is taking shape. An early look at what we're planning:

4/23: Depart to Manchester from US
4/24: Arrive in Manchester early AM, drive to Liverpool, play Hoylake
4/25: Goodison Park to see Manchester United vs. Everton
4/26: Early AM drive to St. Andrews, play Crail Balcomie in the afternoon
4/27: The Old Course at 10 AM, Dunvegan Hotel for the 19th hole
4/28: The Eden Course at 10 AM, drive to Cruden Bay in the afternoon
4/29: Play Cruden Bay, visit Scotch distillery, drive to Inverness
4/30: Play Royal Dornoch
5/1: Play Castle Stuart
5/2: Early AM drive to Liverpool for Liverpool vs. QPR or to Manchester for Manchester United vs. West Brom
5/3: Depart to US from Manchester

---

FIFY

Sounds like a great trip, I am very jealous!
With the EPL game thrown in, my dad would love something like this. Can't wait to hear the trip feedback and review.

Jack PM'd me and told me to stop by. I already informed my buddies that we have dinner plans for one of the nights we're in St. Andrews.

I expect everyone to have a hangover to start the round off on the 28th

A golf buddy and I played in Scotland last May. Instead of going to one of the hotels, we rented a short-term flat that was only a couple of blocks from the Old Course. We stayed the whole time in St. Andrews and drove anywhere we needed to go. Since I lived in Edinburgh for six years, having a little local knowledge helped.

We played:
1. Carnoustie
2. The Castle Course, St Andrews
3. The Old Course, St. Andrews
4. Bruntsfield, Edinburgh
5. Gleneagles Kings Course
6. Turnberry
7. The New Course, St. Andrews
8. Muirfield
9. Kingsbarns

Total cost for the trip was about $4,800 all inclusive....again, helps to have local knowledge. I rented a mid-sized station wagon to haul the golf clubs and luggage. Someone at the Hertz counter remembered me from three years ago (rented a car from them for six years!) and upgraded us to a Volvo XC.

Jack and Sheena do a good job with bar food at the Dunvegan. If you want something a little more upscale, try Little Italy on Logie Lane. You'll have to book that one ahead of time.

As for haggis, I like the stuff. My golf buddy tried it and didn't care for it. He is a gastroenterologist and telling him that its cooked in a sheep's stomach kind a prejudiced him a little.

quote:

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A golf buddy and I played in Scotland last May. Instead of going to one of the hotels, we rented a short-term flat that was only a couple of blocks from the Old Course. We stayed the whole time in St. Andrews and drove anywhere we needed to go. Since I lived in Edinburgh for six years, having a little local knowledge helped.

We played:
1. Carnoustie
2. The Castle Course, St Andrews
3. The Old Course, St. Andrews
4. Bruntsfield, Edinburgh
5. Gleneagles Kings Course
6. Turnberry
7. The New Course, St. Andrews
8. Muirfield
9. Kingsbarns

Total cost for the trip was about $4,800 all inclusive....again, helps to have local knowledge. I rented a mid-sized station wagon to haul the golf clubs and luggage. Someone at the Hertz counter remembered me from three years ago (rented a car from them for six years!) and upgraded us to a Volvo XC.

Jack and Sheena do a good job with bar food at the Dunvegan. If you want something a little more upscale, try Little Italy on Logie Lane. You'll have to book that one ahead of time.

As for haggis, I like the stuff. My golf buddy tried it and didn't care for it. He is a gastroenterologist and telling him that its cooked in a sheep's stomach kind a prejudiced him a little.

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Hit most of the same courses you did when I went in 2012. Kingsbarns might have been my overall favorite. I was sick as a dog that morning for an 8 am tee time because we stayed up all night at a bar in Edinburgh watching the final round of the US Open at Olympia Club. Good times......