Spring 2014 #1: Welcome to Scotland

Ah Scotland!

The Golf Gods

Scotland, as the home of golf, is also the foundation of golf course architecture.  And Scottish architects are the Gods of Golf.  We’ve played courses designed by Willie Auchterlonie (he designed St Fillans GC where we are members), Willie Fernie, and Willie Park Jnr.  In Scotland’s early history there were lots of willies hanging about.  But the most famous of the course designers are Old Tom Morris and James Braid.

Two members putting at Forfar GC.

  

Old Tom Morris (1821-1908) grew up in St Andrews and was a caddy and apprenticed as a ball and club maker to Allan Robertson.  Eventually, Old Tom Morris served as golf professional at Prestwick (home to the first British Open tournament) and at St Andrews Old Course, noted as the Home of Golf.  He won the Open four times and was responsible for numerous golf course innovations including turf management, grooming of hazards such as bunkers, yardage markers, separate tee boxes for each hole, and standardizing 18-holes as the length of a full round.  As an architect Old Tom designed hundreds of courses in Scotland, England and Wales. 

Anne tees off at Alloa GC.

We’ve been lucky enough to play many Old Tom Morris designs including Alyth, Cruden Bay Lahinch, Machrihanish, St Andrews New, Pwllheli, King James VI, Tain, and Nairn.  

Teeing off at the Old Course in St Andrews.

On this trip we’ve already played Forfar GC and will later play Royal Dornoch and Moray Old--all Old Tom’s design work. Noted as the Father of Scottish Golf, Old Tom Morris was the main influence for perhaps Scotland’s most prolific architect, James Braid.

Anne waits for our starting time at the Gleneagles Queens course.

Braid (1870-1950) was from Ellie, Scotland, on the Kingdom of Fife’s northern coast.  Clubmaker and professional golfer, James Braid won the Open five times before retiring to become the professional at Walton Heath in England and prominent course designer.

Gleneagles Queens

Braid is credited with being the father of the dogleg hole and designer of more than 440 golf courses in Scotland, England, Wales, Ireland, and even a couple in America. 

Looking back at the 17th on the Queens course.

We’ve played more than fifty James Braid courses including Pennard, Boat of Garten, Downfield, Fortrose and Rosemarkie, Powfoot, and Berwick upon Tweed (Goshawk).  In our first week on this trip we’ve played three Braid courses (Forfar, Schawpark, and Gleneagles Queens) and have plans to play Crieff, Fortrose and Rosemarkie, Lochmaben, and Dumfries County.  

Anne chips over a set of Braid bunkers at Forfar.

One of the joys of golf for me is to try to learn the design elements of the famous course architects and one of my greatest golf challenges is to try to get out of a Braid deep steep-faced bunker.

B&B Cuisine at Merlindale

The breakfasts at our Home in Scotland B&B, Merlindale in Crieff, are huge and delicious: porridge or cereals, fruit, eggs, bacon, sausage, fried bread, potatoes, mushrooms, tomatoes, toast, homemade jams, coffee or tea--all or part every day.  That’s the breakfast for all the guests, but because we’re family (aunt and uncle to the kids) we also eat many dinners with the family.  We do our share of cooking and we get to experience some authentic Scottish meals prepared by John (mince and tatties, bone or vegetable soup, stovie potatoes).  But the real treats are the dinners, for family and friends, prepared by Jacky, a Le Cordon Bleu trained chef.

Ailsa Clifford waits for the dinner--the birthday Paella.

The meals this trip have been particularly fantastic because John and Jacky are on a special South African diet where good fats are emphasized and carbs are a no-no.  For my birthday dinner the day after we arrived Jacky made a seafood and chicken paella, one of her specialties.  Delicious is too common a word for this meal.  

Roast pork belly.

Carved roast pork belly over carrots and turnips.

But as special as that was, the next night’s dinner was off the charts.  Jacky made a roast pork belly with potatoes and a baked veggie dish.  The pork belly was tender and tasty and the crackling was fought over by everyone at the table.  

The veggies before roasting.

Even the roast vegetables--to be honest veggies are not my favorite--brought me back for seconds.  

Dinner is served.

I know that what we have at Merlindale, the family connection, makes our stay extraordinary, but good B&B eating experience abound in the UK.  We’ve had special breakfast buffet in Penzance, super soda bread in Dingle, fresh berry compote in Ayr, whisky porridge in Durness, and kippers in Peebles.  One of the reasons we keep traveling is that the next stop might just be the next great food adventure. 

A St Andrews' golfer exhibits all that's wrong in golf fashion.

The First Tee Prayer (found in a golf course toilet in Boulder City--I did get strange looks standing at a urinal writing).

Our Father who art in Augusta
   Nicklaus be thy name,

Our Kingdom come thy will be done

On greens as it is on fairways.

Give us this day our share of birdies

   and forgive us our gimmies

   as we forgive those who gimmie against us.

Lead us not into the deep rough

   and deliver us from sand traps

For we drive for power and

   putt for glory forever and ever.

Amen.