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Scottish Links Golf
a different game
The Basics
AFSD - how to determine the real length of a golf course
Helpful Websites
Platinum Page
Upscale places, products & services
Aberdeen &
Grampian Highlands
Royal Aberdeen, Cruden Bay...
Ayrshire
Royal Troon, Turnberry, Prestwick...
North Berwick Golf Coast
Edinburgh area, North Berwick, Muirfield, Gullane...
Northern Highlands
Royal Dornoch, Brora, Nairn...
St. Andrews area
Other golf courses
Machrihanish, Pitlochry...
New...
Great links golf
for the
not-so-great golfer
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© 2006, Richard & Mary-Alice Jafolla
Where to Stay
We usually opt for Guesthouses and B&Bs
for several reasons. They are generally less
expensive than hotels, often have their own
parking areas and are in attractive locations.
Some owners will store your golf clubs for
you and have drying rooms for rain-damp clothes.
Guesthouses and B&Bs are an opportunity
to meet other people, both locals and travelers,
at breakfast. Keep in mind that many B&Bs
are smoke-free. I am also including a few exceptional hotels
for you to consider if you are looking for
super-upscale for that special occasion (see Platinum Page).
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| A good example of what a B&B breakfast
room can look like. What a perfect way to
start your day. Lodging like this, with gracious
hosts and wonderful breakfasts all in a memorable
setting, make you want to return again and
again. (This lovely place is the Hillview
B&B in Dornoch.) |
When booking accommodations, always ask if
your room is "en-suite" (pronounced
on-sweet), which means a bathroom is
in your
room. All of the places I recommend
offer
en-suite rooms, but some of them also
offer
"private" bathrooms, which
means
you have your own private bathroom
but you
have to go out in the hall to access
it.
So ask, just to be sure you get what
you
want.
Speaking of Toilets -
Oh, and while we're on the subject--a bathroom
in Europe means a room with a shower or bathtub.
In other words, a place to bathe. If you
are looking for just a toilet (or what in
the U.S. is called a "rest room",
although why, I don't know, since we don't
go in it to rest, do we?) then you simply
ask where a toilet is. If you were to ask
people where a bathroom is, they would wonder
why you wanted to bathe in the village square!
Another way to ask for a toilet is to inquire,
"Where's the ladies'?" Or, "Where's
the gents'?" Or, if you really want
to blend in, "Where's the loo?"
I've found the public toilets in the British
Isles to be, for the most part, quite good
and sometimes exceptional. They are easy
to find and numerous. My favorite is in North
Berwick, Scotland, and it's won "Loo
of the Year" (a national award) many
times! It is spotless, attractive, and has
bouquets of fresh flowers each day in both
the men's and the women's. Their award certificates
are posted on the walls, and two very dedicated
women keep the place in perfect shape. Sounds
odd to call a public toilet a visitor attraction,
but I have to say this one really is worth
a visit!
Walk About -
In addition to being for golfers, all golf
courses in Scotland are open to walkers,
so anyone can hike freely anywhere on any
of them except for the greens. Naturally
you will want to watch for golfers, give
them the right of way, and be alert to any
flying golfballs! Golf courses are so beautiful
and peaceful in Scotland, so they are wonderful
places to walk. Keep this is in mind as a
good way to reconnoitre a new course before
you play it, as a nice outing for a non-golfing
partner to walk along with you, or as a lovely
way to spend an hour or two just walking
through nature.
Whenever you can, walk around a village or
town to see the gardens in front of the houses.
They are spectacular. Often you'll see someone
working in them. This person won't mind at
all (in fact he or she will be flattered)
if you stop and admire and pay a compliment.
Usually these people are happy to talk to
you about their gardens or the village, etc.
Take every opportunity to speak with the
locals.
 |
Beautiful home
gardens like this
are to be found
everywhere in
Scotland. They are
a feast for the
eye, and leisurely
strolls will always
provide an
abundance of them. |
|
Or follow one of the many public footpaths
in an area. This little bridge was near the
footpath that runs alongside Kingsbarns Golf
Club. |
Walking is a major activity for the British,
and public footpaths abound in every area.
They are clearly signposted and free. You'll
find them indicated on your Ordnance Survey
map. Many of them are centuries old, trod
by Romans, Picts, Saxons, or other long-ago
people. Very rewarding.
When to Come to Scotland -
May through September are the months you
will want to come to the British Isles for
golf. May is especially beautiful, with the
yellow gorse in bloom everywhere (although
hellish on the golf courses in the rough)
and May is also less busy. September can
start cooling off yet is usually still nice.
But keep in mind that the weather here is
very changeable and fairly unpredictable.
Always be prepared for rain...chances are
you'll get some, but it won't spoil your
trip.
What to Bring to Scotland -
First on the list is a comfortable, STURDY
pair of walking shoes with good tread
on
the soles for non-city walking. Second
on
this list is adequate rain gear. (A
must.)
And pack so you can layer your clothing
each
day--it's the best way to out-guess
the weather,
which changes frequently.The more you
travel
the more you realize you need to bring
less.
Pack a change of clothes in your carry-on
luggage, in case your stowed luggage
is lost
or delayed. (It happens.) Bring care-free
clothing made of cool-max or microfibre,
for instance. We buy most of our clothes
mail order from Travelsmith (www.travelsmith.com or 1-800-950-1600) and L.L.Bean (www.llbean.com or 1-800-221-4221) and Winter Silks (www.wintersilks.com). Take a look at their catalogues. And www.packinglight.net is a very good resource for travelers.
Some important items to bring --
Passport copy - it's a good idea to make a copy of your
passport and pack it away from your original.
Or, you can take a digital photo of your
passport and send it to your email address.
That way you'll always be able to get a copy
of it.
Golf handicap certificate (a letter from your club is no longer acceptable
at some courses).
Bungee cord or two, for securing your clubs on a trolley (pull
cart). We find lots of other uses for these
as well.
Golf rain gloves - Of course you can always wrap a wet hankerchief
around your grip when they get wet.
It's
amazingly effective.
Swiss Army Knife - You'll be amazed at how often you'll use
it.
Maps -
Once you arrive, go into any bookseller or
news agent or the wonderful Tourist Information
Centre (look for the big "I" outside)
and purchase an "Ordnance Survey"
map of the area. These maps are the greatest.
They even show public footpaths (which are
all over the UK) and every other detail you
could possibly want. I've got quite a collection
of these survey maps--they literally have
one for every corner of the British Isles.
Mary-Alice with author Malcolm Campbell
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and books -
While in the Tourist Information Centre or
any bookshop, look at some of the fine books
on Scottish golf courses. THE SCOTTISH GOLF
BOOK, by the acclaimed golf writer Malcolm
Campbell, continues to be a favourite of
ours. The text is valuable and the photos
by Glyn Satterley are mouth-watering. Malcolm
lives in Fife, has played every course in
Scotland, is Captain of the James Braid Golfing
Society and former editor of Golf Monthly, Euope's most popular golf magazine. If
you love Scottish golf, his book should be
in your library. Fairly large and heavy,
so save some room in your luggage. Malcolm
has also written the international best-seller
THE NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GOLF, covering everything
about world golf, from A-Z, with Foreword
by George Bush, the elder.
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Getting to Scotland -
For either Fife (St. Andrews) or the Edinburgh
(say "Edinboro") area of Scotland,
you can fly into London and take a connecting
flight to Edinburgh, where you can pick up
a rental car at the airport.
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Or you can take a train from London's King's
Cross Station to Edinburgh, about a 4 to
4 1/2 hour ride, depending on which train
you take. Frequent service--almost every
hour. These are good trains, such as the
Flying Scotsman, Highland Chieftain, and
Northerm Lights. Then from Edinburgh take
a 1-hour train ride to Leuchars, which is
the station for St. Andrews. Taxis are plentiful
at Leuchars for the 5-minute ride into town.
But since it's always smart to avoid the
London airports whenever possible, consider
this. If you are coming from the U.S., fly
directly into Glasgow from Chicago (American
Airlines) or Newark (Continental). Pick up
your car in Glasgow and drive (e.g., 1 1/2
hours to Edinburgh) from there.
Another idea is to fly from NY or Newark
(Aer Lingus--www.aerlingus.com) directly to Dublin, take a connecting flight
to Edinburgh, and drive from there.
And Then There's Our Own Personal Choice
--
We sail each April or May out of New York
on the QM2, Cunard's magnificent new flagship
which makes the transatlantic crossing. Yes,
you need time to spend 5 days (6 nights)
at sea, but what an incomparable experience
it is. Your arrive rested, well-fed, and
free from jet-lag.The ship docks at Southampton,
England, and we drive up to Scotland from
there. The QM2 goes back and forth most of
the summer. www.cunard.com
Why not consider making a transatlantic crossing
part of your vacation? This is the last of
a bygone era, and really worth experiencing
at least once in a lifetime. If you can spare
the time, it's "the only way to cross."
Car Rental -
If you're going to be in Europe for
less
than two weeks, you'll need to rent
a car
from a rental agency. We recommend
using
Kemwel, a reliable and easy-to-deal-with company
offering good rates, integrity, and wide
choice of vehicles. If you shop around you'll
soon find it is difficult to compare rental
costs. And too often you can end up with
some surprises (ugh) when you pay the final
bill. Our experience has proven it's best
(and least stressful and least expensive)
to stick with a dependable company.
Get a smaller car than you might have
in
the U.S. because streets can be very
narrow
and parking spaces are smaller than
in the
U.S. This also is more economical because
petrol (gasoline) is very expensive
in the
UK. Once you get behind the wheel,
KEEP TO
THE LEFT !!! It takes some getting
used to,
so go slowly. And try to avoid the
mistake
we all make when we first come here--always
look to your right when driving or walking, because that's
where the traffic is coming from.
Car Leasing -
If you're going to be in the UK or Europe
for more than 17 days, this is absolutely
the only way to go--much easier and cheaper than renting a car. Two French car manufacturers have created
a way for citizens of a non-EU country (such
as the U.S.) to lease a brand new car with
a buy-back guarantee. The process is so simple,
so painless, so stress-free...and at a price
no rental could ever match. We lease a car each time we go to Europe
now, and wish we'd heard about this fantastic
program years ago. Not a lot of travelers know about it,
so do yourself a favor by clicking on these
two icons below--one is for Renault, the
other Peugeot, both wonderful cars. Once you start comparing costs, you'll be
glad to have discovered this. We (and everyone
else we know who has used it) have nothing
but highest praise for the manner in which
the entire process was handled. We use both companies and highly recommend
them to you.
Parking -
There are lots of public carparks around.
Keep your eye
out for the big white "P" on a
blue sign. These will all be "pay and
display" carparks because most public
parking costs. But when I mention places
to park in my comments about what to see,
those places will all be free unless I say
otherwise. It's a good idea, however, to
keep some loose change in your car so you
will always be ready for pay parking. You
just stick a few coins in a meter and out
comes a ticket with the time printed on it
and the time you must return. Directions are on the machine. You then stick
the ticket onto the inside of your windshield.
If you don't want to drive, there are
plenty
of things to do without a car. And
you should
seriously consider taking advantage
of the
excellent local bus service everywhere
in
the UK. Even the smallest villages
are linked
by buses (many of them double-deckers)
and/or
train.
Play Golf with A Member -
When you sign up for a tee time, ask to play
with a club member. This person can show
you the ropes, give you insights into the
course and other helpful info. Richard inadvertently
discovered another advantage--Just after
paying his £42 for a round of golf, he was
invited to play with three club members.
This qualified him as a guest, he was refunded
£33 and ended up paying only £9. A nice saving
and an enjoyable experience. So keep in mind
that anytime you play with a member you get
a reduced rate. But the best part is meeting
the member(s) and getting inside information
on the course. It's a treat. After the match,
be sure to offer to pay for the first round.
Book Bargains -
The UK abounds in charity shops. Every town
has at least one--usually several. These
are shops selling donated clothing and all
kinds of stuff, the proceeds going to the
particular charity sponsoring them--heart
foundation, cancer, Oxfam, etc. These shops
are my main source of books--good selections
of used books at really cheap prices, like
a pound or even less. Well worth checking
out.
In St. Andrews people sell used books in
the middle of Market Street on weekends and
often other days too. Wonderful bargains
here, with a wide variety of titles. I can
never resist them. Actually, used books are
sold in all sorts of unexpected places in
the UK.
Castles and Stately Homes -
You'll be visiting several of these. Two
good things to remember about them is they
always have a gift shop and they usually
have a tearoom, where you can have a light
meal. Both of these features--gift shop and
tearoom--can be relied upon for quality and
interesting choices.
Information Centres - i
When in doubt about ANYTHING, head for the
nearest Tourist Information Centre. Every
town has one. Look for the big "I"
out front. And there will be signposts and
directional arrows around the town to guide
you there.
Information centres have everything you'd
want to know about the area. Plus,
they have
unique gift items at reasonable prices
and
mostly all made in the UK. Plan to
spend
some time browsing in these centres.
The
staff is very helpful, they have tons
of
free booklets, and you'll find things
you
won't see anywhere else. Take advantage
of
their fine service.
E-mail -
For me the "icing on the cake"
of our golf trips is leaving my everyday
world behind and losing myself totally
in
the local scene. No phone calls, no
e-mail
messages--it's the way to get the most
out
of your stay. My wish for you is that
you'll
be able to do the same.
But should you absolutely must have access
to your e-mail, you can usually find an "internet
cafe'" in any town. (Sometimes
they're
obvious and sometimes you'll have to
ask
around.) For a pound or two you can go in and boot-up for an hour.
Also, the public libraries in some
towns
offer internet service at very nominal
cost.
Phone cards -
If you need a phone card for either local
or overseas calls, the best ones are those
sold in post offices. It's only a few pence
per minute for any call, and these cards
can be used with any type phone, including
public phone booths.
Cell phones - Mobile phones are not permitted on most Scottish
golf courses.
"Bad Hair Days" - Hairdressers are in every town, even the
small ones. And hairdryers are available
in all the B&Bs.
Smoking - Scotland is now a non-smoking country! Smoking
is banned in all public places, which
of
course includes restaurants and pubs.
Buying Food -
Supermarkets (called superstores) are popular
in most parts of the UK now. The large
chains
that I happen to like most are Tesco
(Britain's
largest chain), Sainsbury's, and Safeway
(not affiliated with the American company).
It's fun to go through them and see
what
different kinds of products they sell.
Organic
foods are quite popular in the UK,
and the
superstores have large sections of
them.
The other nice feature of these superstores
is their cafeterias. You'd be surprised
as
the quality of food here--not a bad
choice
for a quick meal.
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But I want to put in a good word for the
shops in the towns. These are the smaller,
single proprietor shops found on the
"high
street" of every town or village.
There
is a green grocer, a butchershop, a
flower
shop, a bakery, etc. This is the traditional
British shop, where you'll find old-fashioned
service and good products, usually
beautifully
displayed. The people are pleasant
and there's
no rush. Wander into some of these
shops
and experience the ambience. I'll be
more
specific about some of these when we
talk
about each area.
Eating Out -
You can usually get a decent, inexpensive
meal in a pub. Sometimes they'll have
two
menus--a restaurant menu and a pub
menu.
Standard pub food is simple but ranges
from
light meals to complete dinners. Pubs
tend
to be our first choice when we eat
out. One
thing that is different about the pubs
in
England and Scotland is that you order
your
food from the bar and pay for it when
you
order it. It is then taken to your
table
by a waitress or waiter when it is
ready.
Valuable Tip: Our other top choice is a golf course clubhouse.
Most of them have attractive views,
offer
decent food, and are open to the players
and sometimes the public.
Lunch -
Here's an easy, inexpensive and often convenient
way to have lunch. Available almost
everywhere,
and I do mean everywhere--pharmacies
(such
as Boots and SuperDrug), small food
shops
in small villages, large superstores,
department
stores, petrol stations--you'll find
pre-wrapped
sandwiches in a refrigerated area.
They are
delivered daily to these outlets, are
always
fresh, and usually very good. Keep
your eye
out for them. (Especially the Ginsters
brand--they're
excellent.) You can pick up one or
two, take
it with you to a lovely spot, and enjoy
your
lunch. Richard and I do this frequently
when
we're on the road.
Another lunch option is to pop into a food
market (large or wee) and pick up a fresh baguette (many
shops carry fresh French bread), some
delicious
Scottish, English or Irish cheese (there
are assortments from all over the British
Isles), some fresh fruit, and a bottle
of
mineral water (they usually have some
chilled)
and take it to a park or any other
attractive
setting. You'll notice the natives
everywhere
do this. This has been my own choice
for
lunch on many a day, especially when
I'm
snooping around on my own while Richard
is
playing golf.
Or have someone else put together a picnic
basket for you. Some shops will do this.
If you're in the North Berwick Golf Coast
area, you can have the best--www.gullanedeli.co.uk. (Also appears on our North Berwick Golf
Coast page.)
Still another option for lunch is to go into
a pub and order a "jacket"
(baked)
potato. You can have it plain or choose
one
of the toppings, such as cheese or
chicken.
A salad is usually included, and the
baked
potatoes in Britain are excellent--no
soggy,
grey-looking, pathetic things. Another
favorite
pub food of ours is called a "ploughman."
This is a LARGE piece of cheese, a
baguette,
relish (chutney) and a salad. A Ploughman
is the quintessential pub meal, and
is often
more than you can eat!
Special Note for golfers --Two things not usually found on UK golf courses
are toilets and drinking water. So
be sure
to pick up a bottle of water when you
are
shopping.
More helpful ideas for your golf trip under
the specific areas.
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