116. Back to the United Kingdom (Part I)

116.  Back to the United Kingdom (Part I)

Golf has been played in Carnoustie, Angus, Scotland for hundreds of years.  In 1867 Tommy Morris Sr. extended Allan Robinson’s 10 hole course to 18 holes, and then in 1926 James Braid implemented major changes.  Five years later, Carnoustie hosted its first Open Championship. 

Carnoustie Golf Links (“CGL”) is owned and managed by a Trust…similar to the structure at St. Andrews.  There are several golf clubs in Carnoustie that have reserved tee times at CGL.  One of those, Dalhousie Golf Club, celebrated its 150^thanniversary this year. For several years, Brookline has had a “staff swap” with CGL…one of Brookline’s assistant pros goes to Carnoustie to work for a week, and vice versa.  Early this year, Dalhousie invited two representative of Brookline to attend its 150^thanniversary celebration.  Brookline’s head professional, Brendan Walsh asked if I would like to join him for the trip, and I happily accepted.

Brendan could get away for about 6 days, so he planned to leave Boston Wednesday August 22 and return Tuesday August 28, including the last day to work with CGL’s head pro, Colin Sinclair.  We decided to stay for four days in East Lothian including one day at Carnoustie for a round of golf and a black tie dinner that comprised the anniversary celebration.  I then headed down to southern England and Brendan headed back to Carnoustie for a day.

One overall comment first…golf affectionatoes know that the British Isles had one the the warmest and driest summers on record this year…resulting in beautifully fast and firm conditions.  About a week before we arrived it started to rain so the countryside and courses were starting to “green-up” just a bit, but overall were still very firm.

Gullane #1, August 23, 2018:  We arrived at Edinburgh Airport around 11:00am after making flight connections in Dublin.  Car rental went smoothly and we headed to the town of Gullane, about 30 miles to the east. We were scheduled to play with Simon Holt and his step-father, David Lees.  If Simon's name is familiar, last year I played with Simon at Pinehurst #2 (Post #104) and at North Berwick GC five miles east of Gullane (Post #100). I was introduced to Simon by a mutual friend two years ago.  Simon lives in Edinburgh and is working to finish a GM World 100 and join the Century Conquerors Club.  

Gullane Golf Club has three courses, and #1 is generally regarded as the best of the three and hosted the 2015 and 2018 Scottish Open.  I have played it about 10 times previously and have always loved it.  It is a classic links course and plays as such, very firm and fast.  As I had described Gullane #1 in Post #100 I shall be brief here (I can hear the cheers). This is a great course with one major problem…it sits in the shadows of two World Top 100’s…Muirfield and North Berwick…and those are long shadows to avoid.

Winds were about 15-20mph steady with gusts up to 20-25mph and we were hit by three quick squalls (holes 1-3, 7-9, and 18).  After being 4 over par through three holes (hitting no practice shots after flying all night), I ended up with a 41 – 40 = 81, so I was fairly pleased with my game, especially given the weather conditions. 

Simon and David had to get to their homes when we finished, so Brendan and I grabbed a bite to eat in Gullane and then drove over to North Berwick (5 miles) to check into the Marine Hotel…we were staying there 3 straight nights, which is great.  We have a very long day Friday!

Carnoustie Golf Links, August 24, 2018:  This day we would “pay” for the luxury of three straight nights in the same hotel.  Brendan was teeing off around 8:40 and my time was 9:00…and we had a drive of 100 miles (2:05).  By 5:30am we were on the road and there was not much traffic.  Arrived about 7:30am, registered for the event, took some swings and tried to get confortable.  

Weather was good…and the course was in excellent condition…some signs of wear and tear from The Open 5 weeks earlier but less than I expected.  I had played Carnoustie about 3-5 times earlier…first time in 1970 and last time about 15 years ago.  Everything you read about the course this past summer is true.  If I had to pick a word to describe Carnoustie…it is “relentless”.  IMO either Carnoustie or Oakmont is the world’s toughest, while still being fair…which is an important proviso. Architecturally, the easiest thing to do is design a course that is impossible to play…that takes zero skill. Tough and fair takes brilliance. Carnoustie’s setup for the 1999 Open Championship struck me as at least borderline unfair, and I believe the R&A learned well from that mistake…it has not been repeated over the following 20 years. 

Carnoustie #6--Hogan Plaque from 1953 Open

Carnoustie #10 fairway bunker---Woods hit pitching wedge from here on Sunday..that is my 5-iron to show wall height

I played fairly poorly.  Jet lag hit me like a “wave” in the middle of the round. I had a 46 – 45 = 91, but played well on 16-18 as I awoke from my stupor!  Ended day with zero pars L

In the afternoon, I caught a few ZZ’s in the lobby of the hotel and then went to the locker room to change into black tie. The dinner was superb…until the very last speaker…a comedian who went on and on and on without noticing that he had lost his audience.  Finally, we said good night to others at our table and at about 11:45pm, hit the road for North Berwick, arriving at 1:45am (for all I know, the comedian might still be speaking).  This turned into a 21 hour day!  Good news---our game Saturday was at 1:25 and we could sleep in.

North Berwick GC-West Links, August 25, 2018:  Awoke around 10am…and was able to have a quick breakfast downstairs.  Was really looking forward to today…first of all, North Berwick is simply one of my favorite tracks...it epitomizes the concept of fun on a golf course (especially on its back nine).  I remember seeing it (just seeing, not playing) for the first time in 1981 when it was still a hidden gem.  Today, some knowledgeable observers consider it to be the best in the world; while I do not agree with that proposition, it is not outlandish IMO.

Brendan and I were playing with Simon and David Home, who I had met at Muirfield last year…and as it turns out Brendan had played with David several years ago.  It was a delightful afternoon…and I made an interesting discovery (at least interesting to me).  Some 160 years ago, The Old Course, North Berwick, and Prestwick were probably the best three tracks in Scotland and tended to host the top players.  In 1981, I learned a “trick” for paying The Road Hole (#17 at TOC)…which was to aim for the 18^thtee…as the pitch and run from that side of the 17^thgreen was far simpler than any other angle (the 17^thgreen is very difficult to hit and hold).  On this day, I had a long approach to the uphill #17 on N Berwick, and Simon suggested I aim for the 18^thtee as the approach to the green was far simpler than from any other angle!  I found it fascinating that the same trick worked on these two holes…and noted that I had played both courses at least 7 times when I learned the trick…and had never noticed that way of playing the hole.

I had a 43 - 41 = 84 in tough conditions from medal tees (6579 yards), with three 3-putts did not help…but a 60-70’ one putt on Perfection (#14) helped immensely.  After the round we had a quick bite to eat and made plans for Sunday morning at Muirfield.  That evening Brendan and I ate at Osteria, a wonderful Italian restaurant in North Berwick…and after dinner noted the commemorative plaques citing prior living quarters for famous golfers and others (see pics below) along High Street in the center of North Berwick.  This is a very special town.

The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers (Muirfield), August 26, 2018:  Sunday morning play at Muirfield is always “Foursomes” or “Alternate Shot”. Sorry…but if you are not sure what that means, go back to your videotapes from the Ryder Cup.  It was the four of us once again, and Brendan and I staved off another loss thanks to an unusual rule to extend matches here…and that allowed us to halve the match (i.e. a tie for you non-golfers).  Foursomes was great fun.  I had not played very much foursomes before this, and took me a few holes to get into the flow. Suffice it to say that the course was in excellent condition.

After the match, it was time for the HCEG lunch. But much of what I want to say about Muirfield (the name of the course) and HCEG (the club) was covered in Post #99 from 2017…so you should go back and read it.  Lunch this day was more fun than last year because in 2017, it was mostly visitors…today was mostly members.  Simply put, lunch at HCEG is one of the great institutions in the game. 

Not much had changed over the prior 11 months…except for the clubhouse.  As most of you probably know, HCEG elected to admit women members last year.  Women have been able to play Muirfield for as long as I have known about the course (and probably much longer).  I have played it with women at least four times starting with my first round there in 1977, included once with Pat…but please do not tell her about the other three!  BTW, Pat is not exactly in love with the fescue that lines the holes at Muirfield. 

To accommodate women members, they are expanding the clubhouse toward the west (locker room expansion, etc.).  Rumors abound regarding the cost of this renovation/expansion but I shall respect the dignity of the club and not repeat such indiscreet stories.  Oh!!, additionally the word “marketing” appears to have snuck into the establishment’s lexicon.  HCEG has never had a “golf pro” of a “golf shop”, but they now have a small room (about 12’ x 15’) where sweaters, hats, shirts, etc. emblazoned with a new HCEG logo are sold.  This is of course very big news, but not quite in the “how the mighty have fallen” category.

One of the very special aspects of a visit to Muirfield is running into old golfing friends, and this day was no exception. On this day HCEG was playing a match against Royal Hague (The Netherlands) and it was wonderful to see Dick Gommer (of Royal Hague) there.  Dick hosted me at Royal Hague in 2015 and is a very fun, interesting guy...and a fellow Golf Magazine panelist.  Golf is such a “small world”.

After lunch we said thank you again to Simon and David, and Brendan dropped me at the Edinburgh airport on his way back up to Carnoustie.  Was able to catch an earlier flight to London-Heathrow…which turned into a very good thing!

Flight arrived on-time at LHR and I walked through the terminal heading to Baggage Claim---remember, this was a domestic flight. I was not paying great attention and found myself in a long hallway that looked to be the main entrance part of the terminal, so I asked a uniformed person where baggage claim for a domestic flight was.  He informed me that I had left the secured area and could not reenter it without an "escort"…and had to go to a special area to be escorted back to baggage claim.  Some 45 minutes later, I was reunited with my luggage and was on my way.

My next two days were to be in the towns of Sandwich and Deal along England’s southeast coast…107 miles (2 hours) from LHR. Finally arrived at my hotel at 11pm…simply exhausted.

My plan was to play the following courses on Monday and Tuesday 8/27 and 28: 

            --Prince’s Golf Club -27 holes

            --Royal St. George’s Golf Club (“Sandwich”) -18 holes

--Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club (“Deal”) -18 holes

Not too bad a schedule in two days.  BTW, I thus far had walked every hole on this trip…and planned to walk at Sandwich and Deal, and use a cart at Prince’s.

My hotel was The Lodge at Prince’s GC, located right on Prince’s GC property and next to the NE corner of Sandwich (next to Sandwich’s 13^thgreen)…a fabulous location, and the site of Prince’s GC’s original clubhouse.

Prince’s Golf Club-Himalayas Nine, August 27, 2018: Prince’s GC opened with 18 holes in 1906 and hosted The Open Championship in 1932 (won by Gene Sarazen).  During World War II, the course sustained major damage, and in 1950 (for you kids, that was 5 years after the war ended), the course was rebuilt with 27 holes.  In 1956 the Club hosted the Curtis Cup.  The new clubhouse was completed in 1985 in a location from which the three nines could start and end.    

In 1983 I played 18 holes at Prince’s, but to be perfected honest, I have no idea which 9’s or which 18 holes.  Since 1983, I had assumed that I had played The Open course.  But recently I realized that based on my criteria for playing renovated courses, I could not be sure.  With the additional goal of playing all venues that have hosted the five “Cups”, I knew I had to go back to play all 27 to be sure that I had played all holes that still exist.  So here I was….perhaps a little crazy, but here I was!

Teed off on Himalayas 8:30am.  It was recently renovated by Martin Ebert (who had done such an outstanding job renovating Trump Turnberry).  It is a good course but not great.  I found it a little too “tight” for a links course, given its exposure to the wind.  I would like to see the fairways widened (although in some spots the amount of available land is limited).  Also, I thought the entrances to the bunkers should be all fairway, so that shots would run into bunkers rather than be caught up in the rough in front of these bunkers.

Before this nine, I had played 4 rounds (72 holes in the old math) without losing a single ball.  Going back further, I had played 20 consecutive holes at Brookline the prior week without losing a ball….bringing me to 92 holes without a lost ball as I stood on the first tee.  On the 8^thtee, I stood at 99 consecutive holes…but could not get to 100 as I hit my drive through the fairway into a shallow creek to the left and thru the dogleg.  The pressure of trying to get to 100 was just too much…and the water was murky so I could not locate the ball.

I had a 43 for the nine.

After the nine I went back to the Lodge and had a good 2-hour nap.  Early in the afternoon, I drove over to Royal St. George’s GC for lunch and then 18.