A few people mentioned sharing so I thought I would fill everyone in on my travels so far!
I spent my first two days exploring Edinburgh and Glasgow.
My first round of golf was a quick 36 holes around the Bruntsfield Links with two University of Edinburgh students. We had a great time and went to the Golf Tavern for a pint afterwards, which claims to be established in 1456!
My first round of golf was at Royal Troon on Monday. This was also my first round of links golf. While I did enjoy the round and company, it didn't feel as linksy as I thought golf over here should. Apparently, it was greener than usual and someone said the west coast is usually wetter than the east coast is and that obviously affects the turf. The weather was high 60s and sunny! The first few holes are a little bit uneventful, but it takes you out to where all the great stuff is. The middle part of the course is so strong. I loved the stretch from 6-12. The tee shot on 7 and the blind one on 10 are thrilling. The Postage Stamp is famous for a reason! During the round I told my host that I read a good bit of Robert Burns to prepare for the trip. After the round he drove me around Ayr to Burn's childhood home and went to the Brig O' Doon down the road. I definitely got the full experience!
I played Barassie Links on Wednesday right down the road from Royal Troon. We had a fun time playing out here. I thought the first few holes were very solid but the club wanted a nine hole course as well, so they tweaked so much of the original layout and removed holes here and added newer holes there. At the end of the day the new nine hole course was created and the original course has suffered from its existence.
My next round was at The Old Course. This was such a special day. I was able to get a tee time at 1:30 and it was a perfect day. It is everything I imagined it would be. It is a course that is hard to explain until you play it. I wish I could play it every day so I could appreciate it more and more. I thought the crossing of 7 and 11 was so fascinating and I loved holes like 2, 7, 9, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18. A birdie on 18 is always fun!
I played North Berwick the next day. We were the first ones off at 7:30 in the morning. It was raining and probably high 50's and unbelievably windy. I've never played anywhere in the states where I set up to a putt and the ball starts to wobble in its place. That course is so cool. You don't think it can get better than it does and then you get onto the back nine and it seems to get better every hole. This golf is not like anything I'm used to at home. And I love that. This is the course you picture in your mind when you think of links golf. I tried haggis and black pudding for the first time after my round. I have always been an avid coffee drinker, but now I am a tea drinker too.
The next day I went to Edinburgh and saw the procession on the Royal Mile for the Queen. It was such a neat experience. Obviously a monumental time for the United Kingdom and so interesting that I came during all of this change.
Yesterday, taking someone's advice, I played Glenbervie. A James Braid parkland layout in Larbert. I wasn't expecting to enjoy this course as much as I did. Being in Scotland I thought I would dislike anything that wasn't a links course, but I thought this course was awesome! It still played quite firm and fast from tee to green. And the greens were so wild. I really enjoyed this place.
My dad gets into Edinburgh from Tampa tomorrow. He came to Scotland in 1997 and hasn't been back here since. We are going back to North Berwick, a place he never got to see then and a place I haven't stopped thinking of since last Friday. We'll quickly shoot across to the west to play Prestwick and Western Gailes, then we'll trek north.