Monday, December 28, 2009

White Thunder Debut!

We want to tell you about our newest adventure! At a Christmas party at our friend Joe's house, we learned that Joe and his buddy Thumper and some others who frequent Shifty's bar next door, the Beck Tavern, invest in racehorses. Thumper and Joe had previous success with a mare that has won a couple of races and they were looking forward to the first race of a 2 year old chestnut colt they had invested in named White Thunder. We were more than a little intrigued and asked for some more information.

To make a long story short - we are now owners of 5% of White Thunder!

His first race was December 26 at Aqueduct in New York. It was a race for New York bred 2 year old horses who had never won. The excitement mounted as we headed over to the Beck for the 2:48 post time. Thumper and Lynn, Joe and Sherine and others anxiously awaited the closed circuit telecast.

Bill, Lisa, Lynn, Joe & Thumper

Aqueduct had received lots of rain and the track condition was rated "good." White Thunder, a 60-1 long shot, had the number 2 post position and entered the gate calmly. Unfortunately, the number 6 horse wouldn't load and the rest of the horses had a long wait for the bell. After what seemed an eternity, they were off. White Thunder broke flat footed and was trailing from the start. We cheered our steed on mightily but he couldn't make up the lost ground. White Thunder finished 9th out of 12 horses.

We were disappointed but Thumper and Joe reassured us that we should hang on to race another day! Our managing partner, Renee, tells us that White Thunder recovered well and is in for some additional "gate work." We are already looking forward to the next race in a month or so!

The Fall Classic: a Great Tradition

For the past 10 Octobers, Bill and his friend and fellow lawyer Aaron Reber, have hosted a two person handicapped better-ball golf tournament- the Case-Reber Fall Classic at Granville Golf Course. Granville is a Donald Ross designed gem chock full of charm and ambience. The course is characterized by Ross-style crowned greens built into hillsides with plenty of slope and contour. The 18th, a short par 4 is a great signature hole with the players teeing off from a high bluff with fabulous views of Granville and the spires of Denison University. A well-hit drive carries forever down the hill.

This year's tournament brought 16 two- man teams to Granville. The competitors include lawyers with whom Lisa and I have worked, German Village friends, Aaron's Chase Bank cohorts, and folks we play with at The Lakes- our home club.

Sunday, October 4th presented cool and windy conditions for the players. Pars were hard to come by. The winning team of Mike Zuk and Mark Leonard carded a net of 68. Competition was closely fought as 10 teams including that of Lisa and Bill finished within three shots of the lead. Lisa was the mainstay of our team on the back nine carding three net birdies. Pete McCoy shot 79 on his own ball capturing the separate low gross award. Anne Eckhart, the highest handicapper in the field, won closest to the pin on the 7th hole with a 5 iron shot that positively whirred as it checked up five feet from the hole. John Ranft slam-dunked the "long-putt" with a 45 foot snake on 12. As the competitors approached their final tee shot of the day on the elevated and scenic 18th, they were greeted by the sound of bagpipes far below aside the green played by Jeff Lynn, proudly outfitted in full Scottish regalia. Post game drinks and dinner at the historic Buxton Inn brought a fitting end to another fall classic.







Granville's challenging tee shot off number 1






Dan Wilhelm and Bill (note the homage to the Bobby Jones era)







John and Joanne Ranft with Ellen and Dennis Leukart









Aaron Reber, the classic's co-host, hones his stroke.






Anne Eckhart, Tom Houle, Lisa and Bill ready on number 1 tee







Craig Walley, Marshall Swain, Andy Ruzicho, Rich Pettit






Rick Stovall, Tom Allen Dar Buck, and Brett Miller






Bill Heise, Dave Sivinski, Jerry McMenemy and Dan Wilhelm








Cyndi and Nate








Bagpiper Jeff Lynn pipes us down 18.

Whitefish

In August, Lisa and I visited my cousin Jim Case and his wife Janice at their beautiful vacation home in Whitefish, Montana.


Judge Jim, Janice, and Bill with Rocky Mountain sunset and Whitefish Lake in the background


Bill and Lisa

Jim and Janice share our passion for golf, so we had the pleasure of playing several rounds at Ironhorse Golf Club, where Jim and Janice are members. The Ironhorse course is a Tom Fazio design which is justifiably ranked as the best test of golf in Montana. The course winds its way through a pine forest with glorious mountain views everywhere you turn. There are no weak holes at Ironhorse, either from the standpoint of challenge or beauty. The greens were extremely difficult to read, but we were helped by the unerring eye of Ian, our personable caddy.
The view from the 18th tee at Ironhorse





Bill driving

The four of us teamed up to compete in the club's Sunday member-guest event. In our Saturday practice round, I shot a year-best 73 on my own ball, and saw no reason why I could not carry my stellar play over to the tournament. Unfortunately it didn't happen. Our team finished back in the pack, but that result did not detract from the fun.


Ironhorse is a wonderful club where we were warmly welcomed by everyone we met, including Jim and Janice's good friend, golfer David Graham, former U.S. Open and PGA champion. Jim and Janice's home sits above the clouds half-way up a mountainside with breathtaking views of Whitefish Lake. Eyeing this vista with our wonderful hosts on their veranda while sipping fine wine provided us memories we will long savor.





The unmatched view from Jim and Janice's veranda

Whitefish is a great "old west" town well worth a visit. As a railroad station devotee, I enjoyed touring the town's Tudor-design railroad station- a still-active AMTRAK stop. We could hear the night train's mournful whistle blowing far across Whitefish Lake as we drifted off to sleep - a fitting close to our adventure-filled days in Montana.

The old Great Northern train terminal at Whitefish

Thank you Jim and Janice!

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

North Berwick and Home

In hopes of finding more hospitable weather, we departed windswept and soggy Troon early Friday morning and made for North Berwick back on Scotland's east coast. We had a realistic hope for more favorable conditions since this area of Scotland receives about half the rain that drenches the west. North Berwick is a great golf town. It ranks a close second to St. Andrews. But with its bustling and attractive downtown hard by the Firth of Forth and flinty Bass Rock in view just off-shore, it is a wonderful place to visit even if you never set foot on its courses. And its so close to everything- just over a half hour drive from Edinburgh and even less by rail into Edinburgh's Victoria Station! We recommended North Berwick to our non-golfer German Village friends Stephanie and Dave Connor, and they enjoyed the town very much on their recent rail trip through the U.K.



Bass Rock





view from West Links 18th tee

On route, we stopped for coffee and tea at the Village Coffee House in Gullane, just minutes west of North Berwick. Gullane is an attractive village with an impeccable golf pedigree; it is the home of many time Open Championship venue Muirfield, Gullane Golf Club's three fine courses and Luffness. While devouring our delicious scones, we read in the paper that Arnold Palmer, while playing at the Roayl and Ancient's Spring Meeting at St. Andrews had walked off the Old Course Thursday after playing only six holes in the fierce winds. Arnold allowed as how this "old horse would not be able to make it all the way around," in such horrible conditions. www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/golf/article6334680.ece Granted that old Arnie is nearly 80, Lisa and I still felt some pride in having completed the Ayrshire Golf Classic in like conditions.



Arriving at North Berwick just past noon, Lisa began to have second thoughts about playing. While the skies were clear, the wind was still out of control. But the lure of playing historic North Berwick West Links was strong so we paid our greens fees and headed for the first tee.





Bill and Lisa at the West Links ist tee



The North Berwick Golf Club, founded in 1832 is the world's 13th oldest golf club and was the first to admit ladies. We were apprised by the very personable starter that the women have much to say about club and course affairs. The West Links is, like Prestwick, a charming antique that still is a great test of golf. Ancient stone walls traverse several fairways and one guards the approach to the 13th green, a famous hole called "The Pit." The Firth of Forth and Bass Rock are in view on most of the holes. The par 3 15th "Redan" has been reprised by many of the great course designers. http://www.northberwickgolfclub.com/ After four holes of seeing shots blown far far off line, Lisa followed Arnold Palmer's example and declared that her golf was done for the day. The aforementioned friendly starter happened by and took her trolley and bag back to the clubhouse. Lisa watched me soldier on the rest of the way. Oh yes, it rained again on the back nine and the wind continued to rage, but fortunately it was behind us down the stretch. This is the second time we have played the West Links, and to be honest, our first time around was more pleasurable. Nevertheless, North Berwick's West Links as well as the other course in town "The Glen" (it has fabulous sea views) are must plays. I did manage to card two birdies including the closing hole back into town.










Bill's deadly pitch setting up his closing birdie on 18

We collapsed back at the Glebe House http://www.glebehouse-nb.co.uk/ , our digs for Friday and Saturday night. This is a wonderful 1780s Georgian manor house, tastefully appointed by the innkeepers Gwen and Jake Scott. Gwen served us tea to take away the ever-present golf chill and then we slipped into slumber in our four-poster bed. Awaking at 9 PM, we gave some thought to foregoing dinner, but thought better of it and were glad we did. We had an excellent Italian repast at Osteria. The wine added to our drowsiness and it was quickly back to Glebe House.


We had a game scheduled for Saturday afternoon at Longniddry, but even I was ready for a day off. Instead, after our gourmet breakfast, Jake gave us a lift to the North Berwick station where we caught the train to Edinburgh to see the sights.




Advocates' Close

We two lawyers climbed up the many-stepped Advocates Close and then ambled down the Royal Mile to Holyrood Palace, the Edinburgh home of Queen Elizabeth. http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/ The ancient palace was once the home of Mary Queen of Scots. Much Scottish and English royal history revolves around her. We were shown the quarters in which Mary's secretary David Riccio, was killed by a band of conspirators led by Mary's jealous husband, Lord Darnley.




abbe ruins at Holyrood Palace





Edinburgh is worthy of a three day visit. For my money, the city is an architectural and historical feast. Our last night in North Berwick was spent at a local pub "The Auld Hoose" and a seafood restaurant "Bass Rock Bistro." The Auld Hoose was a great local hangout with the nice touch of whisky barrels on top of the bar. The Bistro was top-notch with great service.



. . .And so our trip ends! This was by far the most grueling of our six U.K. golf trips. I guess it still can be said that we have never actually been rained out of any of our Scottish rounds. But for sure we would not have seen fit to play in Columbus, Ohio if confronted with the type of conditions we endured on this trip.

Sunday, August 9, 2009

The Tournament

After our windblown round at Irvine Golf Club, we checked in at Troon's Barcelo Marine Hotel. Its imposing stone edifice is well-located near Troon's market area, immediately adjacent to world famous Royal Troon Golf Club and the Irish Sea. We arrived in time to have cocktails at the welcoming reception for the Ayrshire Golf Classic in which Lisa and I would be competing over the following four days. Sad to say that this competition was to be the last Ayrshire Golf Classic after a ten year run. The tournament organizer, Ian McCaig had determined that with the current economy, the tournament could no longer be operated profitably. The classic had previously attracted as many as 100 entrants, but this year's field was a paltry 24. Ian had advised me when I submitted our entries months earlier that numerous women had competed over the years, but before we left for Scotland, we were surprised to learn that this year Lisa was the only female entry.
With the limited field, we were able to meet and chat with most of the players at the reception. Their geographic diversity was impressive: they included Les Stewart from the Channel Islands; Richard Armstrong from Northern Ireland, Theo Meister and Serge Galley from Switzerland; Jean Ma Royet from Belgium, Alastair Macfarlane, a transplanted Scot now playing out of Sao Paolo, Brazil; Nigel Porter from Hexham, England; Colin McAllister- a native Scotsman and published poet whose home golf club is St Andrews New; Paul Meikle, a young 5 handicapper playing out of Leven Links, next door to my Scottish club, Lundin Golf Club; and two other Americans, Marshall Taylor- a veterinarian from Dayton, Tennessee and Jeff Elledge from Palatka, Florida.
Still a little woozy from our tough round at Irvine Golf Club, Lisa and I consumed our share of single malt. Northern Ireland's Richard Armstrong was most convivial company , while Marshall Taylor, the drawling Tennessean, and a self-admitted golf nut , regaled us with accounts of his numerous Scottish golf trips. The diminutive Ian McCaig welcomed us all. The reception was a good way to start things rolling. Our sole complaint was our cramped room on the non-ocean side of the hotel. After one night in these quarters, Lisa used her excellent negotiation skills to secure us a larger suite with a view of the sea and the Royal Troon championship course at no additional cost.







Monday was to be a huge day for us. With unbridled ambition, we had scheduled a late afternoon game at Royal Troon in addition our round in the Classic at Dundonald Links. One of Lisa's U.K. golf goals is to play all the links that comprise the Open Championship rota. So far we had played the Old Course at St. Andrews, Carnousite, Royal Liverpool, and Royal Lytham & St. Annes. Royal Troon was on her list, and it would have been a shame to miss it as the Marine Hotel overlooked Royal Troon's 18th fairway. Given our tournament schedule, and Troon's limited availability of visitor tee times, I determined that our only chance to play the championship links would be late Monday afternoon, and to that end, I booked a 3:40 PM tee time on the club's internet site. http://www.royaltroon.co.uk/
Before arriving in Troon, I asked Mr. McCaig to give Lisa and me early tee times at Dundonald so that we would have no difficulty arriving at Royal Troon on time. Somehow our request was overlooked, and we teed off in the middle of the pack at 10:10 AM. Still, golf in Scotland tends to move quickly and I estimated that 5 hours and 30 minutes should be adequate time for us to play Dundonald, grab a quick bite, and drive 15 minutes back to Troon. Monday dawned wet, chilly and very windy. When we stepped out of our car at Dundonald, the breeze was so strong we had trouble making headway to the clubhouse. We both wore several layers with goretex rain suits- an absolute must in Scotland. However, the conditions were so bleak that we were robbed of the sense of excitement that the opening day of a competition normally brings.
I had decided that my Sarazen putter had to go, and purchased a YES putter in the clubhouse. Dundondald's pro made his best marketing pitch assuring me that the YES putter with its soft insert is currently the weapon of choice on the European Tour. So off we trudged to the first tee. Lisa and I were paired with the Tennessean, Marshall Taylor, and the aforementioned Richard Armstrong, the gracious Northern Irishman.




Richard Armstrong, Lisa, Bill, and Marshall Taylor



The first hole proved for me a harbinger of things to come. After two good shots on the downwind par 4, I was 15 feet from the hole putting for birdie. After I grounded my YES putter behind the ball, a gust of wind nudged the ball slightly off of its position. That's a one stroke penalty. Instead of two putting for a par and two points in the stableford format, I carded a bogey 5 and one point. After that misfortune, I tried to hover my putter above the ball so that I would not be penalized again if the ball moved. That proved awkward and my new putter misbehaved much as the Squire had done. Also my continuing problem of skulling short irons from tight lies recurred on several shots during the round.
Lisa found that the forward (or "ladies tees" to use a growingly politically incorrect term) do not give women much of a break in Scotland. While she typically plays courses of about 5200 yards in the U.S, the yardages of the forward tees in Scotland averaged around 5700- a big difference for a shorter hitter. Still she persevered in the relentless rain and wind with solid ballstriking. While both of our playing partners were most companionable, there was little conversation as it was all we could do to manage our equipment, play our shots, and mark our scores down. There was also a lot of looking for balls as Marshall in particular was frequently off line. Scorekeeping was a real hassle. The card tended to disintegrate as the round progressed no matter what steps were taken to keep it dry. Dundonald is a newer course, designed by Kyle Phillips who also designed the wonderful Kingsbarns near St. Andrews. Though the sea is not in sight, the course still has the look of a seaside links with bumpy terrain, gorse, whins, heather and forbidding reveted bunkers. http://www.dundonaldlinks.com/
After a final skulled wedge on the par 5 18th thereby ruining that hole, my stableford total was a shabby 21 which means I shot somewhere around 90- generally horrible for a 7 handicapper- but given the conditions, I would have found an 85 acceptable. Lisa was surprised to find herself only one point behind me with 20- very commendable given the lengthy forward tees. Generally you need to score over 30 each round in a stableford competition to be competitive. A player shooting a hot round might garner as many as 36 to 40 points. But the conditions were such that the leading scorer -- the transplanted Scot, Alastair Macfarlane managed only 28 points.




Lisa and I had been so focused enduring the elements in the tournament that we lost track of time. The conditions had slowed play down to a crawl and we discovered to our horror when we reached the warmth of the Dundonald clubhouse that we had only 20 minutes to make our tee time at Troon. I had prepaid for the rounds and hated to see our pounds go to waste. With no time to grab lunch, we grabbed our clubs and still shivering from our exposure to the elements raced back to Troon.






Royal Troon clubhouse


We arrived at the Royal Troon pro shop out of breath, hungry and full of apologies for our late appearance. The staff could not have more understanding of our plight or more accommodating. The club starter assured us we could delay our tee time for a bit and hustled us over to the tea room where this lovely middle-aged comforting Scottish woman instantly provided us hearty chicken soup and a toasted sandwich that under the circumstances was nothing less than heaven-sent. The server seemed an angel to us.
Gulping our repast down in record time, we presented ourselves again to the starter who accompanied us to the first tee. There we met our caddies Tim and Brian. We had a light moment on the first tee as there had been some delay in processing my credit card, and the club steward had self-consciously presented the receipt at the tee for my signature. I remarked, I thought humorously, that this was the first time I had ever been solicited for my autograph on the golf course. The steward topped me by rejoining that this was the first time he had ever sought an autograph on the course. There was a good laugh all around.
The early holes at Troon play downwind, and I carved out three pars to start the round. The wind was still howling, but at least the rain had subsided. When I missed a shot on the fourth hole, my caddie Tim went to work with a number of strong suggestions regarding how I might improve my shotmaking. Many of the Scottish caddies are good players, and Tim was no exception as he played off 7. My experience in Scotland has been that the better playing caddies are sure they know exactly how to fix your swing. And Tim had some credibility having recently guided Andy Bean to a 10th place finish at the Senior British Open. Maybe I was exhausted or perhaps I was simply not in the mood to listen, but Tim's well-meant advice grew tiresome. Lisa's caddie Brian sensed that she just wanted to get around the course and he treated her more gently. Lisa did receive a good tip regarding nasty weather apparel from Brian. He wore a stocking cap over his ears, and then a normal golf cap over the stocking cap. Lisa adopted this procedure for the rest of the trip finding that this dual hat system kept her ears warm and the rain off her face. Unlike Dundonald, the sea is always in sight at Troon; it is the epitome of a classic links course. Though bleary-eyed, I did hit the green with a punch 6 iron on the famous "postage stamp" 8th before I promptly 3 putted with my misbehaving YES.(or is it NO) putter. I also parred the famous "Railway" 11th where Jack Nicklaus took a 10 in the '62 Open Championship won by Arnold Palmer. Whatever my misgivings about Tim, he was fantastic at locating my wayward shots and there were several of those on the windward back nine. Suffice it to say that walking 36 holes in atrocious weather is a grueling adventure in anyone's book.




When Lisa and I awoke Tuesday and heard the howling wind, smashing surf, and pounding rain outside our seaside window, we realized that improved conditions were not in the offing. We hauled our aching bodies out of bed and down to the hotel's buffet breakfast. Initially, Lisa and I had not been paired together for the day's round at the Kilmarnock Golf Club (commonly called "Barassie"), but Nigel Porter cheerfully agreed to switch tee times so Lisa and I could play together. Most tournaments would not allow such a switch, but McCaig was fine with it because he wanted everyone to be happy with their experience. As he put it, the tournament was "75 % social, 25% competition." All of these courses are close together, and it was a mere ten minute jaunt up the coast from Troon to Barassie.
http://www.kbgc.co.uk/
The conditions at Barassie were much like what we experienced the previous day at Dundonald except it was raining even harder. Barassie is yet another of the James Braid designed courses. The club has hosted the British Amateur and will serve as a qualifying course for this year's Open Championship at Turnberry. The course is not exactly seaside but the terrain is bumpy linksland all the way. And gorse was everywhere! It is spectacular in May- all flowering in bright yellow, and with a pleasant scent that hints of suntan oil. We were paired with Switzerland's Theo Meister, an 8 handicapper, and the Belgian Jean Carpentier, whose English was halting. Jean, a 28 handicapper with the winning smile and disposition reminiscent of Maurice Chevalier struggled in the miserable conditions. But he retained his perpetually sunny disposition and grinned broadly when he happened to hole a pitch for birdie from 50 yards. Theo started well but faded stating he had trouble playing in such harsh conditions. Join the club! The real revelation was Lisa. Again, she struck the ball well throughout the round. After walking off 18 bedraggled, she found she had scored a very competitive 24 points over the stern Barassie layout. I did better too with 26 points. Somehow, Alastair Macfarlane had found a way to cope with the daunting conditions as he amassed a stunning tally of 33 points. This gave him what seemed like an insurmountable lead of 12 points on the field. I was 14 back; Lisa 18.




One of the comical episodes of the trip was watching Lisa and Jean with their respective language barriers trying to recap their scores after both of their cards disintegrated in the rain. All of the players drowned their sorrows in the club bar. We were all fairly beat up and no one was in a hurry to leave. The food and drink at the golf clubs is always good, and by now we had become friendly with most of the players. Serge Galley, a Swiss with a very deep voice that gave him a mysterious air flirted in the continental way with Lisa .




We chatted with Ian McCaig who filled us in on the tournament's history and why he was placing it in mothballs. One of the problems was that from a marketing perspective, the organizer must start from scratch each year. Just because a player enjoyed playing one year does not mean he or she will return the following year. That is certainly true with Lisa and me. We played the Carnoustie Country Classic for two years and enjoyed it thoroughly, but then decided to try something else. So we understood where Ian was coming from. I would recommend to any golfer wishing to play in Scotland to seek out competitions because they are invariably a less-expensive alternative to paying the usual visitors fees.




The forecast for Wednesday's third round at Western Gailes was more of the same. But as has been noted by others while in Scotland, You have to "weather the weather whatever the weather whether you like it or not." I should note that we have had mostly clear weather in our five previous trips to the U.K. We were assured by many that this weather was an aberration.




Bill weighs how many layers will be required at Western Gailes


Like Royal Troon, all of Western Gailes' holes have good views of the Firth of Clyde. The scenic rippling dunesland heaves to and fro like a tumultuous sea.




Western Gailes


The course is tough but not horribly penal. Augmenting the pleasure of this round was our pairing with tournament leader Alastair Macfarlane. Here was a gentleman in every sense of the word; Lisa felt that Alistair was a calm relaxing presence who helped her play better. And play well she did, scoring 23 points. Lisa missed very few long shots, and she began to get the hang of the Scottish "bump and run" shot punching little eight iron shots with aplomb. She drove her ball on the par 3 13th into the wind over the menacing burn and found the promised land near the hole for a great par. But that wind! Let me give you an example of its strength: Western Gailes' signature par 3 7th hole, named "Sea", played dead into the wind at 143 yards. I struck a 5 wood ( a club I normally hit 200 yards) as well as I could hit it. I was short by a full 20 yards. To cap my frustration , the wind caused me to miss an 8 inch putt for bogey and thus I failed to record a stableford point on the hole. The "No" putter blew another 2 footer on 18. Maybe the Squire was not so bad after all! Still I had a good ballstriking round, and finished the day with 27 points which was second best for the day. I jumped up to 4th place. Alastair tallied 25 points to stay securely in the lead.
Lunch in the clubhouse was very pleasant. Alastair was very effusive with praise for both of our games, and knowing we were journeying back to the east coast at the conclusion of the tournament, generously offered to arrange a game for us at Gullane Golf Club. This is typical of how golfers look after each other and network in Scotland.




After a good soak in the hotel's indoor pool and Jacuzzi, good trooper Lisa begged off and opted for rest. I soloed at the hotel bar and met up with many of our group who were huddled around the television watching the football match between Chelsea and Manchester United. The winner would face Barcelona in the European Cup finals. Despite my lack of affinity for soccer, I found myself with the others rooting fervently for the underdog Chelsea squad. Some bad calls at the end cost Chelsea the match, and most of our gathering were incensed at the injustice of it all.



Thursday's final round was played at historic Prestwick, the site of the first British Open in 1860. http://www.prestwickgc.co.uk/




Prestwick clubhouse


Prestwick, like St. Andrews was not really built; it was found. No earthmovers eradicated the huge dunes that blocked the path on several holes. Hence, players at Prestwick must contend with numerous blind shots. No less than four of the holes are famous: Number 1 "Railway" is a tight par 4 with the railroad threatening on the right; the Prestwick railroad station itself is within yards of the first tee.(Troon, Barassie, Irvine, Western Gailes, and Prestwick all have railroads paralleling several holes)




the 1st tee at Prestwick adjacent to the railway station



Bill strikes his opening tee shot at Prestwick



Number 3 "Cardinal" is a dogleg par 5 featuring the mammoth Cardinal bunker replete with railroad ties (or "sleepers" as the Scots refer to them) which inspired U.S. architect Pete Dye to incorporate the use of railroad ties in his bunker designs; number 5 is "Himalayas" a blind 190 yard par 3 over a massive dune; number 17 requires a blind second shot over "the Alps, " with another massive bunker protecting the hidden green. Prestwick is a charming museum piece which still has teeth, particularly when there is wind. Of course, day 4 of the Ayrshire Golf Classic was the blowingest wind of all. We played with American Jeff Elledge who was not faring well in the tournament. but he did uncork the event's best shot on the 16th, driving the par 4 to within 10 feet of the hole and narrowly missing his eagle putt. I did my usual thing: good driving, poor putting, a couple of missed wedges; my final four holes really left a bad taste in my mouth. I only scored 2 points. I made a mess of the Alps with a duffed wedge from the base of the mammoth dune followed by a skull over the green: rubbish. Lisa had her worst round carding only 14 points; I finished with a poor 21.






Jeff Elledge, Lisa, and Bill

Incredibly Alastair held on to his lead despite carding only 19 points in the final round. His total of 105 won by 4. I finished 6th with 95 while Lisa was in the middle of the pack with 80.Marshall Taylor rallied to pass me and finished 4th.

The tournament awards dinner followed at the Marine Hotel. We all were able to fit at a single long banquet table, and it was all well done. I chatted with St. Andrews' resident poet Colin McAllister who knew his share of good golf jokes. On my right was Leven Links' Paul Meikle who insisted that we should hook up the next time I visit Lundin, which I hope is soon. Ian gave Judd Martt's Scottish prayer at dinner, "Some have meat etc."

Tournament host Ian McCaig


Marshall and Jeff were heading for another tournament at the Carnoustie Country Classic. On the way, they would play the Old Course the next day as they had been successful in making the ballot. They were nice enough to ask us to fill their foursome, but we were headed for North Berwick in the morning. We took parting photos of our good friends Jean, Marshall, Alastair, Richard, and Marshall It was pleasant indeed, but poignant as
well.


Lisa with Jean Carpentier (below)

from left to right Les Stewart, Bill, Marshall Taylor, Colin
McAllister, Paul Meikle and Alastair Macfarlane (top)



the survivors! (below)

Saturday, July 4, 2009

To Scotland! Part 1

For six of the last seven years, Lisa and I have taken annual golf vacations in the UK or Ireland. These trips have provided us wonderful experiences and we have made good golfing friends along the way. We relish the challenge and beauty of seaside links golf, and the accessibility of all the wonderful courses. You don't have to have an "in" in order to play all the courses that constitute the "rota" for the Open Championship (my U.K. friends would take umbrage if I referred to the tournament as the "British Open."). We also enjoy the Scots who as a rule will break their back to make a visitor feel welcome. Previously, Lisa and I were treated so royally at the Lundin Golf Club on the eastern coast of Scotland near St. Andrews, that I actually applied for membership there.

Twice in the past, Lisa and I entered a golf competition known as the Carnoustie Country Classic and found that a great way to enjoy wonderful courses at a reasonable price. We also made good friends at the "classic." For 2009, we thought we would try playing a different competition - the "Ayrshire Golf Classic." This event is played over four classic courses on the west coast of Scotland. We sandwiched the event between a visit to my Scottish golf club, the aforesaid Lundin Golf Club and a final two rounds of golf at the lovely town of North Berwick back again on the east coast.

Upon arriving at Edinburgh Airport around 8 AM on Friday, May 1, we packed our bags and clubs into our rental car and headed for Lundin Links which is located in the East Neuk of Scotland. As is our custom on our arrival day, we had arranged for a 2:04 tee time at Lundin Golf Club. http://www.lundingolfclub.co.uk/ .






In the past, Lisa and I have been able to play golf without difficulty coming right off the plane despite the time change. In 2006, I had shot 75 at Lundin on arrival day. That good play no doubt had something to do with my falling in love with the course and club. But this time, I did not get enough sleep on the plane beforehand. For some reason, I watched the old Bette Davis movie, "All About Eve," and squandered valuable resting time. Playing in breezy wet conditions, I shot a poor 44 on the front nine, and my play deteriorated further on the second nine. Even frequent nips of scotch from my ever-present flask could not revive me. Lisa was tired too, but played comparatively better. By the 16th hole, I ran up the white flag and declared an early end to the proceedings. I have to concede that at least on this occasion, Lisa was more of a "gamer" than I.

After checking in to Room 8 at the very serviceable Lundin Links Hotel, we fell asleep before our heads hit our respective pillows. After a nap, we had a delicious late dinner back at Lundin Golf Club. The club steward, Ian, along with his hostess wife Jan, made sure that all the preparations were of the highest order. Lisa feasted on steak with pate while I sampled local seafood.

The next morning, I played in my first "event" as a member at Lundin Golf Club- the May "Monthly Medal." I do not as yet have an established U.K. handicap, but the club generously let me play off my U.S. 7 handicap .

The club secretary, Alistair McDonald, knew from previous correspondence that I am a member of the James Braid Golfing Society http://www.thebraidsociety.com/. James Braid who grew up in Elie, just down the coast of the firth from Lundin was a fabulous player. He was a five time Open Championship winner in the early days of the last century. But his most enduring legacy is his contribution as the architect of scores of notable courses in the U.K. including Gleneagles, Carnoustie, and Lundin. The Braid Society celebrates Braid's accomplishments and hosts various golfing events for its members. A gentleman who had much to do with the activities of the society is Ken Horne. When I joined the society earlier this year, Ken was the one who sent me the club tie.

It so happens that Ken is a member at Lundin and so Alistair paired us together in the medal along with long time member John Moncrief. Both proved to be amiable companions. The white-haired Ken played to a 9. He sported a flowing easy swing which resulted in a repeatable draw off the tee. John proved to be long off the tee , and an excellent chipper. The view from the first tee at Lundin is spectacular. The Firth of Forth crowds the left side of the hole. On a clear day you can see across the firth to Muirfield and North Berwick. But the par 4 can be daunting indeed when played into a 30 M.P.H. gale as we did. Frankly I was a little nervous but hit a good tee shot down the middle; but then thinned my hybrid into a mean reveted fairway bunker- blasted out sideways - then a skulled wedge over the green; chili-dipped wedge back; fourth wedge shot of the hole on - two putts- 8. Now how is that for my debut hole at my new club! I followed that up with a bad 6 on the par 4 second hole featuring another skulled wedge. I was having great difficulty with the tight lies that the Scottish fairways provide. Unfortunately skulled wedges plagued me periodically throughout the week,

Well, I got better after that ignominious start and even made a couple of birdies including a holed sand shot from the back bunker on 16. But my ancient Sarazen putter behaved wretchedly. In the course of that one round my infatuation with "the Squire" was transformed into genuine loathing. My final tally was 86 - net 79. I was consoled that Ken and John also had trouble with the blustery conditions. A net of 69 won the medal. I was surprised to see that my net 79 placed me squarely in the middle of the pack. But still I expected a better performance. I had difficulty shrugging off the array of skulled wedges and missed two footers which characterized my ragged play.

My threesome retired to the club lounge where a Highland Park scotch, graciously provided by Ken, restored some equanimity to my damaged psyche. The conversation was mostly golf; Lisa and I have found that in the U.K., social conversation does not always include discussion regarding what everyone does or has done for a living. Ken and John Moncrief got on so well that I assumed they were long-time friends. Turns out they had never met before. This ease of fraternization is a delightful aspect of the game.

Finishing after our group was Malcolm Campbell who is also a major player in the Braid Society and author of many golf books including the coffee table appropriate "Scottish Golf." Ken introduced us. It is always fun to network with folks who share your passion. After a second serving of Highland Park, I was feeling pretty mellow.

I made it back to the hotel where I found Lisa. She had spent a relaxing day meandering through the streets of seafaring Lower Largo.








One of the attractions is the home of Alexander Selkirk- i.e. Robinson Crusoe. where a notable statue is erected in tribute.


Ironically, she also met Malcolm Campbell's wife who runs a shop in Lundin Links. Lisa purchased a Malcolm autographed copy of "Scottish Golf" from his wife.


After lunch at the hotel, I suggested we play nine holes at Lundin Ladies. This is a nine hole layout just down and across the street from our hotel. Lundin Ladies Golf Club. is the oldest ladies golf club in the world. Men are not permitted in the small (but Lisa tells me cozy) clubhouse. The nine hole parkland course is only 2400 yards, but several of the James Braid designed holes packed a punch.



The most noteworthy is the second where three prehistoric standing stones loom as obstacles smack in the middle of the fairway.


I photographed Lisa drilling her five metal just short of the green making sure to capture the standing stones in the background of her shot. We actually had decent weather for once as the ever-present gale blessedly died down in the late afternoon.




After another fine dinner at the club, we slept the sleep of the dead. We arose early Sunday morning and motored across to the west coast of Scotland to Ayrshire. I had scheduled a game at the Kilmarnock Golf Club located in Irvine. This is yet another classic James Braid design.

Irvine presents a bumpy links terrain but the holes are bracketed by pines, heather and gorse- really more of what might be described as a heathland course along the lines of Gleneagles. In his designs, Braid was partial to very long and very short par 4s, and Irvine is also unusual in having only one par 5 and two par 3s. The short par 4s were diabolically tough in the high winds which we were disappointed to find we had not escaped when we departed Fife for the Ayrshire coast.



As an example of how strong the wind blew, I played the 289 yard fifth hole ("Sandface") with a three wood and a full seven iron. Given the conditions we faced , I would vote for Irvine as the toughest test of golf we faced on this trip. Lisa had just about had enough when we reached the 18th tee. Confronting her was an uphill tee shot in which she needed to carry two of the deepest yawning pits in Scottish golf. I am happy to report that Lisa rose to the challenge and sailed her teeball well clear of this monstrosity. Her notable effort is preserved for memory in the photgraph below.

While the course afforded some misery, we found the clubhouse to be a treasure trove of golf history. Correspondence and billings from Braid to the club's founders were on display. So were notes from Harry Vardon who had occasion to play Irvine. After our game, it was a short drive down to Troon to the Barcelo Marine Hotel immediately adjacent to the Royal Troon championship links and the Irish Sea.


The Marine Hotel was to be our headquarters for the Ayrshire Golf Classic played over four great courses in Ayrshire. Despite the fact we had beaten up by the wind for three days, we looked forward to Sunday evening's opening reception and the first round of the classic on Monday morning.