Golf Club Atlas
GolfClubAtlas.com => Golf Course Architecture => Topic started by: Jordan Beasley on December 31, 2022, 12:35:14 PM
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A fun one for the holiday weekend. For those with a privileged golf birthright (e.g. GB&I) this might be a childhood memory. But many of us did not play a true links course until well into adulthood. I'd love to hear your stories; here is mine:
When/Where/Age: Silloth on Solway, June 2016. I was 31.
How did it come to be: I had recently moved to London from California, and had arranged a golf trip to St. Andrews with a friend from the States, one from Australia, and one from the UK. We were looking for a course to play along the drive up to Scotland. I picked Silloth based on Tom Doak saying in the confidential guide that it was a near-miss for the "Gourmet's Choice" in the front of the book.
Memories: I had never seen or heard of a "browned-out," "firm and fast" golf course, and was both disappointed and puzzled by the lack of green in the fairways. I chalked it up to "poor conditioning." I'm also fairly sure I had never hit a blind approach shot from the middle of the fairway, and Silloth hit me with one of those right away on #1. I was amazed by the steep drop-off's to either side of the fourth green, but rather than appreciating how cool they were, I was annoyed at the difficulty of the chip shot. The par-5 on the back nine with the steep hogsback green was an indelible memory. And maybe more than anything else, I was stunned at how much the ball rolled in the fairways. I remember watching in horror on multiple holes as a tee shot landing in the fairway bounced and rolled and ambled into the rough or gorse.
It was definitely "amateur hour at the rodeo!" In the years since I've come to view links golf as the best golf, but during my first experience I was definitely too confused/frustrated/thwarted to appreciate how cool Silloth is.
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Waterville in 2013. I was 54 years old. I was the last minute substitute in a group of eight for the guy who organized the trip but unfortunately broke his foot. I knew only one of the other seven guys. It was an unusually warm and dry spell so the course was brown, fast, and firm. I loved every minute especially as the routing worked its way into the dunes.
On the ride back to Killarney, the conversation naturally turned to how we liked the course. We had played Old Head the day before. Six of the eight said that they much preferred Old Head because it was green. That made me even more partial to links. We finished the classic American swing with Ballybunion Old, Doonbeg, and Lahinch. Playing Lahinch late afternoon remains one of the most magical experiences I have enjoyed on a golf course.
Fast forward to 2016 and this time I am in Ireland with my wife who has never played a links course. I thought that she would enjoy it, but you never know. We played Dooks, Waterville, and The Island Club. The fact that 2023 will be our third trip to Scotland and 2024 our second trip to Ireland (to play Lahinch one more time while I can) evidences that she too loves links golf.
Ira
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There have been a couple of years where I haven’t played a single round of golf away from the links…. I play far and away my most golf on the links, even excluding the rounds on my home course.
First ever links round was probably when I was seven years old on Royal Aberdeen Ladies course.
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The Old Course. August,1974. Honeymoon. 36/49. Windy. Wife didn't play golf. Returned 10 years later. 39/42. Less windy. Wife now a 14 hdkp. 44/47.
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My first links experience was a trip to Ayr in 2007. I had been playing golf about 15 years at the time. I drove to Glasgow Gailes straight from the Prestwick airport and had a lovely game with 3 very welcoming members. The rest of the trip included Western Gailes, Dundonald, Troon, Prestwick, and both Turnberry courses. It was a great introduction to links. I've returned to either the UK or Eire every other year since except during the pandemic to play a wide range of links. I've often found it hard to explain the lure of the links to many of my American friends who are parklandophiles
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Ignoring seaside pitch-n-putts, which I started to play aged 5-6, then it would be Saunton East aged 12 playing with my father with my non-golfer grandfather walking along with us. Special day. Didn’t go back for many decades but could still remember quite a bit of it when I did especially the par-4 16th which as a short hitting young junior I recall seemed to go on bending left forever.
Took my elder son for his first taste of links golf when he was 12, played Perranporth, which he still remembers to this day.
Both of us have been links junkies ever since our links course baptisms.
Great times and great memories.
Atb
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4th of July, 2018
Age 29
Course: Royal Cinque Ports
On a mega browned out Deal I drove out with the friend I was staying with and on the first tee I snap hooked a hybrid into the car park and hit the secretary's window! Sheepishly had to walk into the pro shop to pickup a scorecard afterwards as well. Thankfully I played some better golf after this.
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On the 20th anniversary of my ordination my congregation gave my wife and me a three week trip to Ireland and Scotland. We played 22 different links courses. We began and ended at Ballybunion. I had set up the courses but we winged the B&Bs. Planning was difficult because it was all done my paper letters. I was smitten after the first round, as was my wife. It took a couple of rounds though for her to out from off the green rather than hit pw. I fell in love with the Irish and have been back 30 times. I’ve played over 80 courses there of all stripes. I have played The European club 50 times and love everything about it. I also fell in love with England and joined Westward Ho! and Saunton. I haven’t been since 2019 and miss it in my bones.
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July 2013, hit a tee shot off the first tee at Ballybunion down the middle of the fairway. Look around where I thought my ball would be and can’t find it. Walk over to a fairway bunker that was no where near what I thought was my flight. There’s my ball stuck in fescue half way down into the bunker in just a nasty lie two feet below my feet. I turned to my two buddies and said “welcome to F——ing links golf!”
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Well, there was this fiery redhead, who bet me that I couldn't scale the dune quicker than she ...
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8)
What a good query , thanks Jordan and Happy New Year to all. Ronnie stop bragging though I love the memory!
so the real deal was my first trip to Ireland when I played of all places Portrush as my first . Hard to beat that and spoiled for the rest of the trip though we did play RCD and Portstewart, great spots of course. Will never forget turning left from the 4th green and seeing that tee shot on #5 at Portrush , wow !
But let me digress , as a young golfer in South Jersey (NJ that is) I played Brigantine Links and while the conditions weren't firm and fast the winds howled. We also played Freeway Golf Club , about ten minutes from Pine Valley , where the conditions were exactly what I wanted at Twisted Dune ! It rolled out beyond what you would ever believe there , probably because they only watered the greens and tees to save money. It was way more fun than we realized at the time , and the antithesis of where we caddied every day where high , soft floaters were de rigueur. You had to sometimes throttle way back to play it well , so fun!
Again , God Bless all and thanks for sharing . Keep playing and spreading the word ....cheers
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I prefer to relate how I introduced my son to links golf. He was a high school golfer. My brother and nephew (also a high school golfer) arranged to meet us in London where my brother had a business meeting and then travel to Scotland for a 10 day trip. I spent 2 days walking my son's legs off in London and then we flew to Edinburgh. After the flight and drive to the Old Course Hotel, I had one very tired teen ager on my hands. Upon entering our room he deposited himself on his bed ready for a long rest. I opened the drapery and was greeted with "Is that the Road Hole?". He was immediately energized and we grabbed the other 2, walked down the 17th, crossed the Swilcan Bridge and then into town. The rest of the trip saw us playing courses ranging from the Old Course to Carnoustie to Prestwick etc. etc. Our boys learned about links golf and the trip confirmed the magic of golf as a bonding experience between generations. Most of all, I will always remember the look on my son's face and the wonder in his voice when he first realized where we were.
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1989 at Royal Troon with my father
Weather 30+ mph and rain (the entire round)
Out into the face of the wind and rain
Took a caddy.
Met Montgomerie's Dad in the clubhouse. Only players that morning.
Asked if we could get tea ... "of course"
Asked if we could wait out the squall ... "not if you plan to make your tee time"
Caddy was fabulous (Stanley).
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8) Linksy bouncy ground game entertainment, Late summer 1961, Ottawa Park, Toledo, 9 yr old... my mom took me out to play Ottawa Park, which was next to our apartment complex, Kenwood Gardens, which that year was more brown than green due to hard baked clay soil and not a lot of rain or watering. Learned the "weed tee rule" and you can hit a putter pretty far...
My first true Links experience was memorably Sept 1996, at TOC, 44 yr old, with Ms Sheila, we got on via first try of lottery after immediately stepping on UK soil at airport and eventually ended up letting a NY & a NJ guy join us on a beautiful sunny fall day, their caddies helping me more than them... stayed left all day, three putted both par 5's, but it added up to a tidy 77. Will never forget being called Laaadddy... :D
My first "inland links" experience was also Sept 1896 at Ganton, much more adventurous ground game and gorse management was had there!
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Seacroft for me, the nearest links to my home in Mansfield, early 1986, as soon as one of my golfing mates passed his test and could drive us there.
It might be a bit strong to say it was absolutely love at first sight - my main memory is of just how bad the weather was - but a trip to Fife a year later sealed the deal for me.
Last year I was lucky enough to play over 50 rounds on 30 different links course and Formby Ladies a few weeks ago was my 100th overall. Here’s to many more!
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May 17, 2017 at Royal Dornoch, with a member. Tough to beat that experience. Brilliant course, perfect spot in Scotland, and benefitting from a knowledgeable member.
30 links courses later, my one advice for a first experience would be, choose a club vs a resort, and try to play with a member. (Thanks DT).
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First trip to Scotland circa 2000. Four of us flew from the States to Edinburgh overnight and were picked up by our arranged driver to take us to St. Andrews. On the way we went though Elie and the driver asked if we wanted to stop and play The Golf House Club. We said we did, and we did. That was my unplanned introduction. A hard rain had just stopped, it was about 4:00 pm, and except for us and maybe another golfer or two, the course was empty. A unique feature of Elie is the periscope the starter uses to look over the abrupt hill in front of the first tee to make sure the way is clear. From the Club's website: "The periscope was salvaged from HMS Excalibur in 1966 and was presented to the club by member Gavin Reekie." https://www.golfhouseclub.co.uk/the-course/the-periscope/
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I had played a few links-ish courses in the Netherlands and Germany before, but my first "real" links course was Hoylake in May 2018. It was also my first experience of taking public transport to within walking distance of a major golf club. The whole thing was a great experience, but I stopped keeping score after hitting, if I recall correctly, 8 pot bunkers on the first 6 holes. Let's just say I learned a lot about bunker placement that day.
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My links journey wasn't purposeful until after a good few trips to the UK. The first was Troon, summer 1991. I don't recall why Troon was the first links. I think I was in the area for wedding or something. It was a one and done trip up there. I enjoyed it as a learning experience, but wasn't bowled over by the course or the visitor set up. Other early links hits were Hoylake, Saunton, Birkdale and Burnham and Berrow. In the early years of coming to England every summer I concentrated more on heathland courses and others I could reach by day trips in the Midlands. Blackwell was close so it became became a favourite. Sandwell Park was also on replay status. I had played most of the great heathlands before going back to Scotland. Except for Troon, other people took me to links in the very early days. I was just along for the ride except on weekend getaways mainly to Devon and Cornwall. St Enodoc, West Cornwall, Westward Ho! were on heavy replay with Burnham and Saunton. I also used to play Hayling a load because it was fairly close to my brother in laws place. I haven't been back in years. I also played a lot of early links in Wales because it was easy to pop over for a night or two. I explored many clubs with an eye to join... that's when I set on Pennard...
Ciao
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Burnham & Berrow took mine at the scandalously young age of 11!
Most of our family lived in Somerset and during Easter holidays in 1981 my Mum dropped me off at Burnham in the morning with my flask of coffee in an 'Empire Strikes Back' thermos flask, a Spam and Branston sandwich and obligatory Mars Bar. I was left to my own devices until teatime when she picked me up.
I wasn't a member at Burnham, so think about that for a moment. I was an 11-year old kid, playing as a visitor on my own, on a championship links course, with no idea where to go. It was brilliant!
Always had a fondness for Burnham partly because they were so welcoming of a young kid out for an adventure. On repeat visits, older Members would join up with me to show me the way around. It was always a friendly place to go.
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In late June of 1989, on a week-long family trip to Ireland shortly after the end of middle school, we stopped in at Ballybunion and it would have required renting clubs for my father and I while mom and little sis would have had to hang around. I remember it required waiting a few hours and between the cost of green fees and rentals and having to buy gloves, balls and not having shoes, it just wasn't lining up. Alas, we passed, but I will never forget the glorious view of the epic linksland from the clubhouse pad!
Fast forward nearly seven years, March of 1996, quadrennial Yale golf team overseas trip. We landed in London, piled into a van that Coach Paterson drove like Mario Andretti to Sandwich as we all nodded off. He pulled in front of the clubhouse and we waited in the van as he got out and talked with someone official-looking in a beautiful tweed jacket. Coach got back into the van and drove us along service paths through the course to the 10th tee where he parked and we climbed out, changed and went out with a cold start in a series of two-ball "singles." And it was love of links at first sight! Not just the entire round but especially that tenth hole. I couldn't have known it was one of the greatest holes in England and one of the few, notable perched/crowned greens in links golf.
The next day was a proper 36-hole day at deal with morning and afternoon foursomes with the big lunch and toasts to the queen and president. Each was a striking memorable day.
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This was July of 99 when I was 18...my HS grad present was a long-awaited trip to Scotland for a week with my dad and two of his friends. We played Turnberry first, and it was tough not to fall in love right away.
This 6-capper (at the time) shot an 85 to my 12-capper father's 83, one of the last times he'd ever beat me gross. I learned quickly that stroke play meant little, nor did the carry distance to the hole...it was all about getting the ball in the hole by any means necessary, something that informs my game in the US to this day.
I look at links golf as a vastly different animal than the parkland golf we play here in the Northeast US. Here I feel like my score and round are a bit more closely-related to how I'm hitting the ball, and links golf is more of a question of attitude...both types of play are challenging in their own way, but links golf feels like the more pure form. I hope to remedy someday the fact that links golf for me only happens every 3-4 years.
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My grandparents retired to Lytham St Annes when I was a youngster, and my summer holidays were spent at their bungalow a seven iron away from the Royal Lytham clubhouse.
Grandad was a golfer and was a member at a rather dull parkland course in Lytham, but my earliest golfing experiences were at the 18 hole pitch and putt course on the St Annes seafront. I’d have been around six years old and we played there often.
I returned in my fifties with my own teenage son and was delighted to find the course still there and exactly as I remembered it. Even better was the realisation that this humble pitch and putt is 100% links!
So in answer to the question, I lost my links virginity as a young lad in around 1966!😎
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This took place in November of 2000 and I have great memories of the latter two rounds I played on the trip. A friend of my wife got married to an Irish guy in Midleton, IE (just east of Cork City) and we went making a 10 day excursion. I took my clubs but it was most definitely not a golf trip. I still managed to play three rounds there. The first was Water Rock GC in Midleton with some of the wedding party. Pretty basic inland course that got some swings under the belt after the flight and a few days wending from Dublin to Midleton, but definitely not what you go out of your way for. The next round was at Fotah Island GC (I believe that is now known as the Deerpark Course - at the time it was the only course there - Cork GC had an event otherwise I would've played there). I really liked Fotah Island and had a great round playing with an employee who was a local high school player. He was going to be playing college golf the next year in the states and great company. Fotah Island was a very enjoyable course and probably worthy of more notice than it gets. Certainly not a links but seemed to be uniquely Irish in some discernable way as opposed to an American course that happened to be built there.
After the Fotah Island round we needed to get back to Dublin and worked our way around the southeastern part of the coast. Looking at our maps I saw a course located right on the coast that looked promising and it turned out to be Rosslare GL. This was before I had found GCA.com and had done no prior research into this part of the country. The one window I had for a round ended up having some of the most brutal weather I have ever experienced on a golf course. I kept the newspaper clipping from the day and the forecast was as follows:
"It will become extremely windy. South to Southeast winds increasing to gale force, veering southwesterly and later west to northwest, gusts between 60 and 80mph. Heavy rain for a time, easing to showers later. Highs 8 to 11C."
I saw on the tv that there was a window with little to no rain expected and I left the wife in Wexford and drove out to the course in the rain. Got there right as it was letting up and the wind was starting to get strong. There was one other group that had teed off and I passed them on the second tee playing by myself - never saw them again so I don't believe they stayed out for long. After the second hole tacked back against the wind 3-8 were primarily downwind a little from the right and the going was fun and pretty easy. Once turned around back into the wind it became surreal. The 8th was 167yds and I remember hitting a good low driver and not getting within 15 yards of the green. 8-13 were all back into the wind and all I hit were drivers, 2-irons and bump chips while leaning far forward walking right into the teeth of it. The only hole that really was cross-wind was the par-3 14th that turned left toward the ocean. The wind was right to left 150yds and I remember playing about 45 degrees right of the green. On the 16th hole the skies opened up and after teeing off on 17 and getting to my ball I headed over to the 18th fairway and played in from there. Got back to the pro shop and the two guys were just laughing that I would be out there at all.
Truly a memorable and great experience. After I got my stuff loaded into the car I went back into town to find the wife and we drove in the rain up towards Dublin as our trip was winding down.
Since this first trip I've been back for golf trips to Ireland 3 more times and Scotland once. I've played courses both well known and expensive (TOC, Kingsbarnes, Ballybunnion, Carnoustie) and less known and less expensive (North West, Greencastle, Mulranney, Crail Balcomie, Ballyreagh). Links golf is the best and I'm looking forward to my next trip, hopefully in 2024, if not then definitely 2025.
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The Old Course ~ 1999
How did it come to be ~ coming from Australia I had never played a links course before. I was single at the time and had always wanted to travel to GB & I to play golf. I had watched the Open many times on TV and had always wanted to experience TOC. I planned the trip by faxing and they booked me two games the Old and New. After landing in London I hired a car and ventured my way up to Scotland via the Lakes District. I had a game at Windemere a delightful little course a few days before and rolled my ankle in a rabbit hole walking through the rough on the 1st hole. I thought I'd dashed my lifelong dream on playing TOC! Luckily it was not as bad as I first thought and after icing it came good.
Memories ~ I will never forget driving into the town of St Andrews for the first time. It was virtually a religious experience. You get a little glimpse of the courses driving in. I drove straight to the little road behind the Road Hole and sat there for what seemed an hour looking over it and the course.
I played the next day with a group of Americans who were nice guys but did not get links golf. They tried to hit everything aerial into the greens. Having watched the Open for years on TV I knew the bump and run was the best approach. I played well and birdied 9, drove 10 and 3 putted and went over the back on 11 and took double.
It was a fantastic experience and I believe ever golfer should try to experience St Andrews at least once in their lifetime.
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At Lahinch in July 2007 with a group of Penn Staters. First round off the plane. Played the first 7 holes mostly down wind in like 2 over and then the weather and jet lag and rough and firm ground and lack of patience got me and I limped to 86 and scratching my head coming home. Was windy as hell for a week and didn’t come close to breakking 80 that whole trip and was hooked on links golf forever. Came home with a swing where I could only hit 30 yard low hooks. I’ve been going back almost every summer since!
What I remember well that first trip was a piece of caddie advice about halfway through that really helped: Stop trying to play so many manufactured “links shots” and just make good balanced swings with solid contact that allow for the effects of the wind and the ground. This was how Tom Watson played he said.
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St. Andrews 1979
I was on a nine week jaunt around the British Isles including Ireland.
I had been living in a golf desert for the preceding three years and so had virtually been away
from the game during that time.
I spent a week in Edinburgh and played one of the Braid Hills courses to "warm up" for St. Andrews.
Took the train to Leuchars and the bus from their into the town.
I don't remember which course I went out on, maybe the New. As I was playing with rented clubs and out of
practice I decided to take a long iron off the tee. I hit that first shot in the forehead, but as the summer had
been dry and warm the course was lively and the ball was running. I estimate I got about 180 yards out of it.
Playing the second with the same club I performed essentially the same shot and saw the ball scamper directly
at the green where it came to rest. I don't remember the length of the birdie putt, but I do know I missed it.
The rest of the day did not go so well, but the golf gods gave me a kind introduction in order to lure me back.
I spent four of my seven days in Edinburgh traveling to St. Andrews and playing the various courses. I enjoyed
it even then, caught on to the concept of landing the ball short and letting it run. Learned not to reach into a
gorse bush no matter how easy it seemed to retrieve an errant shot. Dig it out with the club or leave it be.
Because my game was in such ragged condition, I didn't attempt to play the Old Course as I didn't want to take
the chance of ruining someone else's experience. The cost at the time was 12 GBP.
If I had it to do over, I would have played the Old Course, made the apologies when and if necessary. Of course,
the possibility always exists that I wouldn't have been the worst player in the group.
42 years ago, doesn't seem possible.
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Well as i recall it was on the eight green after the tank suits came off when we snuck away from the swim team dance party.
Miss that swimming garb but it doesn't miss me
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I played the courses at Bandon in 2011, while in school. I played 54-72 holes a day for 3 days (stayed one night at the resort to get prime tee times). The elevated nature I guess isn't true links. I joined this site shortly after that trip and someone recommended I get a passport.
I got that passport and made a graduation trip in 2013. First course on the trip was Pennard. Not sure if it can be classified as a true links either with the same elevation issue. Sure was a great experience with the bumps and rolls of the ground. I started out as a single but caught a group of 2 local members. 1 was the junior club champion and about to head off to the US to play college golf.
A photo walking off the first tee on that first trip:
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_LZh494nIUo/VnbUoS639vI/AAAAAAAACqs/MHz_ALh2HB8/s640-Ic42/IMG_3664.JPG)
The first true links was at Borth & Ynyslas where I played in an open comp. I apparently booked for the day before but the club was extremely accommodating and paired me with the current past (or last?) captain and his daughter. Luckily the event was a Stableford. Due to the wind and rain, I picked up on more than one hole.
The first courses I played in the UK were exactly what I hoped they would be. Places that were great fun, maintained in an appropriate and modest way, making them affordable for the locals who were appropriately proud to share their home clubs.
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Joe
One is never truly a single at Pennard- the cows keep you company.
What an intriguing place to start your UK journey. Many happy returns to well head of golf.
Do you deem your links experience provided you a fundamntally different way to look at the game compared to your college peers?
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January 18, 2019, The Old Course, St. Andrews. We waited out a lengthy frost delay and teed off with rental clubs around 11:30 am. I flushed it down the middle on 1 then proceeded to blade my wedge off the hitting mat across the burn and over the first green onto the back of the 2nd tee leading to a triple bogey. I drove it a little too far left on 2 and got caught in Cheape's bunker and had to blast out sideways, felt like that was a proper introduction. On 3 my caddie suggested we lay back with 3-wood off the tee but the frozen ground allowed my tee shot to run all the way into Cartgate.
I eventually settled down and made 10 pars on the day. My drive on 17 over the corner of the hotel was thrilling and I attempted to sling a hybrid from right-to-left onto the far right side of the green. The shot stayed straight and I 3-putted from just off the green, I had narrowly avoided going over the ridge down onto the road. I did manage to get up and down from off the back of 18 for a finishing par and a day I'll never forget.
The next day my friend and I played 9 holes at The Old Course at Musselburgh with rented hickory clubs and I parred the last two holes to break 50.
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Playing TOC off mats is like making love to Brigitte Bardot wearing a wellington boot on your Shinnythingy.
F.
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My story is when I got to play on the Old Course for free.
First trip to Scotland. Drove straight to St Andrews.
Parked. Went to the kiosk to make a reservation on the New for the next day.
Alas, there was a tournament that day.
The starter was wonderful. "Do you have your clubs?"
"Yes, in my car.""Could you be on the tee in 10 minutes and be willing to play alone?"
Of course I could! The starter got me a trolly and I apologized for the shabby bag and mis-matched clubs. Never forget what he said: "Its no the fancy clubs that make a gowfer. You'll be fine."
With three foursomes watching behind me, I scrambled to a bogey. But soon it happened. A big pull hook sailed onto the Old Course!
I left my bag and ran to my ball with a six iron. Nobody within a hundred yards of me. Took my iron and hit back onto the New.
But I had actually hit a shot on the hallowed ground of the Old Course.Truth
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First post here, thank you all for having me.
My first trip to the UK was life-altering. I have played golf for all but 5 of my near 44 years alive, and always liked a type of golf where shotmaking was at a premium and the brain was the primary tool of facing the course. Unfortunately, through my youth and much of my adult life I had never experienced Links golf.
My first Links course was Royal Dornoch. While there I remember the pure joy I felt finding something almost religiously for me. I remember every shot I hit on that course and have now traveled all over the UK searching for as much of the Links life as I can find.
I credit discovering that it was links golf that had all the elements that I didn't understand I loved with my desire to explore more about course architecture and understand the "why" I liked certain things. I've learned so much due to rounds played on these amazing treasures of golf, and just as important are learning things I don't like about courses revered by many. An excellent journey indeed.
Thank you again to all for having me and I look forward to interacting with you all going forward.
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My first links experience, if you do not count Shinnecock Hills, was at the equally if not more difficult Carnoustie in 1998. Baptism by fire. This was followed by rounds at Royal Troon, Western Gailes, Baltre/County Louth, RCD and RP. I fell in love with the strategy and the ground game and am lucky to call CalClub home, where I get to play many of the same shots those courses allow.
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Playing TOC off mats is like making love to Brigitte Bardot wearing a wellington boot on your Shinnythingy.
F.
I'm not going to lie Marty, I agonized over the entire mat thing plus the fact I would be using rental clubs. I mean, this is my first time and there are no guarantees I will ever make it back. But honestly I only played like 8 shots from mats the entire round as several drives crept into the edge of the rough and I always used putter from around the greens. My experience was one I will always cherish and never forget, and wasn't cheapened like I had feared. Now to just make it back and go around with my hickories, that would be like what?
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My final year(1991) at Long Cove I had 3 weeks of vacation I was told to use or lose it.
I was invited to stay with a LC member who had grown up in Waterville,made his fortune and had bought the Cableman’s house overlooking the town.
We played Waterville at least a dozen times, along with Tralee, Dooks,Mount Juliet, Carlow and Kilkenny, racing along the narrow roads in the Chief of Police car (Tom Murphy whose son Mark of Big Break fame I would randomly stumble across later in life). “Don’t worry-I know the roads” he’d say as I grimaced as we flew around blind corners on roads narrower than a cart path.
I was smitten.
My wife eventually forgave me,,,
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1990 - Turnberry Ailsa course.
Flew non-stop Chicago-Glasgow with two buddies.
Rented a van, drove straight to Turnberry and teed off by 11:30 am local time.
Then played Troon, Prestwick and Western Gailes followed by a drive to St. Andrews for TOC, Scottscraig and Carnoustie.
Stayed at Rusack's.
We had one day off to "sight-see". However, that night, in walked 40+ men into Rusack's and they were playing a Scotland V. Ireland Golf club secretaries match. Since it was me, Tim McMahaon and Sean Mcnicholas, (my chi pals), they insisted we join them at Ladybank the next day.
then two days at Gleneagles and home with the first sore back of my golfing life...;-)
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Corballis Links, July 2019
Donabate, Ireland
Amazingly fun links course for only €27. Best deal i ever had in golf.We played The Island Club right afterward
Headed back there in June
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Prestwick, August 2001. A redeye coach flight for an early afternoon tee time. I was a 25ish handicap playing with a Tylenol PM hangover. I pulled my 1st hole tee shot into some browned out fescue on the left and had a blind second shot in over a mound. I hit what felt like a pretty good 7 iron and heard my buddy in the fair say, "oh get in." So to answer your question, i did it with a tap in birdie! I didn't crack 100 that round or the next morning at Western Gailes but finished up nicely with 3 much better rounds at Turnbury before heading home, hooked for life on links golf.
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My first links golf experience was a trip to Ireland in 1984. An Irish travel article in Golf Digest in 1983 and a feature article on golf in Ireland in Sports Illustrated in the spring of 1984, whetted my appetite for making the trip over. The fact that the U.S. dollar was very strong back then certainly made the trip more affordable. In addition, green fees at even the best known courses in Ireland back then were no more than 25-30 Irish pounds (punts).
Traveling by myself I played Portmarnock & Royal Dublin, then headed inland and south to play Carlow. That was followed by both courses at Killarney. Heading to the west coast I played Ballybunnion, Lahinch and Rosses Point. Then I crossed the border into Northern Ireland and drove east across the country to play Royal Country Down. 9 courses (and a lot of driving!) in 7 days.
I enjoyed that trip so much I went to England in 1985 and played 13 courses (5 links) there.
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My first experience was 1987 - American Airlines was running a 1 free with 1 offer from LAX to Manchester. My next door neighbor and I were planning some kind of golf trip about that time, and settled on St. Andrews.
Took the train from Manchester to Leuchars..stayed in a Bn'B (Craig House) in St Andrews. On May 16, after a full night/day of travel we went out on the New Course. I remember it was late afternoon and we finished somewhere around 9:00 PM.
The next day we played The Old Course as a couple of "walk ons" late in the morning - That was my 100th different golf course!
Since that time I have (like a few of you) played over 1000 different courses (1027 and counting). I have been back to St. Andrews a couple of other times. However, that first trip still sticks in my mind as one of the best.
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Kilspindie, September of 2016. Went to Scotland with my wife to celebrate my birthday (one that ends in a zero!). I had planned out the whole trip, golf wise. A week in Edinburgh to play courses along the East Lothian coast, then a week in St, Andrews. Decided on Kilspindie for a "soft" start to links golfing, ha!
Took the train from Waverly to Longniddry and then a bus to Aberlady. But the bus never showed. Started to sweat standing there waiting for the bus as my tee time approached. Finally called a taxi and I'm pretty sure he soaked me for the short ride! Checked in at the clubhouse and found out I was playing alone. And of course the first tee is RIGHT THERE and its a par 3. I knew this ahead of time but, seeing it and being there certainly made the cheeks clench. Managed to hit it between the bunkers just short of the green, 3-putted from there and away I went!
I remember SO much about that round. The weather was glorious. The opening holes along the water. The short par 4's. The old stone wall. Playing as a single and barely being able to keep up with the threesome ahead of me. The pint afterwards watching the locals navigate 18. I love that course!
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I played a round at Talking Stick North with a gentlemen (who's not on this board) who was about to finish playing all of the US Top 100 courses...from a Golf Digest list he had saved from the sixties or seventies. He'd played everywhere I could imagine, just came back from a trip to Melbourne, loved to talk architecture. I had no idea I could actually play some of the places he'd played without connections or a referral from one of the clubs he belonged to. I mentioned I had a trip to see my beloved Liverpool FC play that fall, he implored me--rent a car, go play one of those famous places, but then play a locals course or two as well. You'll never regret it.
Flash forward to a cool but clear early November day at Birkdale. It's a not-very-busy weekday, so they send me out as a single. I quickly caught up to a members four-ball, they waved me through but I declined; my buddy wasn't landing at Manchester for hours, I wasn't in any hurry. That was a mistake.
Then the wind picked up. And the rain came. More wind. Hail...pea-sized balls that seemed to come from every direction. Even more wind. By the time I got to 7 it was howling off the Irish Sea at 25? 30? 40 MPH? I have no idea. That's the Par 3 close to the coast, I took driver and aimed at a 45° angle to the line of play, directly towards the sea. The ball started low, then was picked up by the wind like a surfer riding a wave. It wound up 50 yards on the other side of the green from which I aimed. All I could do was laugh. I did not save par.
The rain came and went, but the wind was a constant. On many holes you could only play defense, just bashing a hybrid to run along the ground. I made it through the round, one of only 4 golfers on the course who stuck it out. Thankfully, Birkdale was generous with their clubhouse access, as what I needed was a shower, dry clothes and some hot soup.
Did that experience discouraging me from trying again? Hell no...that's over 10 years ago, I been around a bit more since then, and have an insane NW Ireland/Northern Ireland trip upcoming. But I have a better rainsuit now.
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Do you deem your links experience provided you a fundamntally different way to look at the game compared to your college peers?
Interesting question, I think. Basically, asking if the order in which courses are experienced impacts overall perception of courses?
Initially I thought that it wouldn't really matter. When others see links courses later in life they come to the same conclusion. I remember a thread that talked about favorite courses through time. Some people had a progression of weak courses to strong courses. Others started on very strong courses and didn't have much of a list (hard to top what they started on).
Then I started to think about it a bit more. I think we compare our experiences to other recent experiences. So yeah I am of the opinion order of experiences with courses has a strong impact on the way we look at courses.
I am very happy with my introduction to links golf in the UK and think I appreciate the more rugged, simple and affordable courses because I started at Pennard and Borth. I believe my perspective would be a bit different if my first experience with links golf was on a pristine and pricey course within an Open Rota trip.
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Ballybunion on a heavy rain and wind day, even by Irish standards, played the Old in the morning and the Cashen in the afternoon.