Scotland Golf – May 1988
Scotland Golf – May 1988
7
MAY, 1988
This is going to be a hard article to write. Not just because the events I’ll be writing about occurred 35 years ago. I have a solid capability to place myself ‘back in the moment’ when I write these articles, but three and a half decades is going to be a stretch even for me. No, this one is going to be hard because of Chip. Our magical 1988 Scotland Golf trip was conceived in my younger brother’s mind, and he did 99% of the staggering amount of work required to pull it off. Chip died in July 2020, and I miss him dearly. No, this won’t be easy.
“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan “PRESS ON” has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” – Calvin Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge “PRESS ON” quote – 1st page of Chip’s Scotland Book
Chip’s Scotland Golf Trip “Book”
After the trip was over, Chip gave my Dad and me a copy of a book he had created with information and memorabilia from our Scotland golf trip. It has always been one of my most cherished keepsakes. After Chip’s death, it became priceless. Much of what you will read and see in this article will be from Chip’s book. That includes the quote above from Calvin Coolidge. I remember the moment Chip gave me the book. The cover was cracked, I read that quote and said, “Calvin Coolidge… Really?!”. But that was Chip! This was a hard-core financial conservative dude that wrote a book about Jimmy Carter (really, he did – I found it after his death). Anyway, Chip’s book needs, and will have, a prominent place in this article.
Forward – Chip’s Scotland Golf Trip Book
“If it were a movie, it would almost certainly have been entitled “Nightmare on Turnberry Street, part 1 (in super 3-D)” or “The Scotland Hack-Saw Massacre.” Whatever the title, it would’ve been a horror movie to be sure. With a combination of brutal golf courses, thieves, and bonehead plays on our part, it had to be a horror movie, right? WRONG. That’s why old Calvin’s quote is on page one… we pressed on and had tons o’ fun, despite some bad luck.”
“That brings me to the purpose of this writing. This epic piece of literature was created (and this Scotland trip was taken) to remind us just how lucky we are. Lucky to have a Dad fine enough to WANT to go to Scotland with, lucky to have wives that would understand such a fiasco, lucky to have enough money to go, lucky to have great, full lives, and lucky to have the strength to “PRESS ON” through the good and bad of life. In other words, just plain fortunate. So, the pages that follow are a remembrance of the fun we had in Scotland, and a reminder that we’re all very fortunate…. everywhere except on a golf course, that is.”
“Now, let’s press on to day one and harken back to May 7, 1988…”
Introduction – 1988 Scotland Golf trip
A bucket-list Scotland Golf trip on steroids – never to be repeated
For any golfer, at least the serious ones, a trip to Scotland to play an iconic course certainly has a spot high on their life’s ‘Bucket List.” During one magical week in May 1988, my Dad, my brother, and I played not just one but eight of the greatest and most historic courses in Scotland. Since that time, the popularity of playing the courses we played in Scotland has skyrocketed, and so too have the restrictions on playing them. I am certain it would be nearly impossible, in 2023, to duplicate the trip we did in 1988. And that isn’t even putting into consideration that somehow Chip was able to get us a cherished and exceptionally rare visitor’s tee time at The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfer’s Muirfield course.
Chip’s snail-mail efforts to make the Scotland Golf trip possible
In our post-round Pub visits, an important part of any golf pilgrimage to Scotland, we met people who had played ultra-private courses in the US many times – Augusta National, Pine Valley, Cypress Point. But none of them had ever been able to set foot on Muirfield. In 1988 it may have been the toughest golf course in the world to get a tee time. I share that story because it not only illustrates how special our 1988 Scotland golf trip was but also how much effort Chip put in to make it happen. Mind you, this was in the days before the internet and email. Chip secured our tee times the old-fashioned way – by writing the Course Secretary at each course we wanted to play and begging for a tee time. Often, that required him to write many letters after initial requests were rejected.
Eight courses in seven days – A lifetime memory and gift from Chip
I’ve always appreciated what he made possible for my Dad and me. But it was only in the years after the trip, and especially since his death, that I truly understood the achievement Chip was able to pull off. In one week, we played Prestwick, Turnberry, Royal Troon, Muirfield, Royal Dornoch, and Gleneagles. And on one rainy day, we played both the Old Course at St. Andrews and Carnoustie! Thirty-six holes on two of the most historic golf courses in the world, on the same day. It still makes me pinch myself that it really happened and leaves me in awe that Chip somehow pulled it off. With that, let’s go back to May of 1988 and play some golf in Scotland.
Maps – day #1 and #2
A word on the technology of 1988
Lack of graphical user interface and computer graphics
Regarding technology… there wasn’t any in 1988! Well, that isn’t quite true, but for those accustomed to today’s smart phones, PCs, software, email, the internet, etc., none of that existed in 1988, or barely did. In fact, the modern ‘graphical user interface’ (GUI), which is ubiquitous in 2023, was barely in its infancy in 1988. The Windows GUI was introduced with Windows 1.0 in 1985. But it wasn’t until the introduction of Windows 3.0 in 1990 that it gained traction in terms of popularity. Neither Chip nor I had any experience with, or access to, computers with GUIs or computer graphics in 1988. This can be clearly seen in the maps that Chip included in his Scotland Book (above). They were created exclusively by typing individual characters onto a piece of paper, with no graphics at all. It seems ancient in comparison to today’s technology, and it was!
Photography and video technology
Digital wasn’t a ‘thing’ in 1988 (or barely a ‘thing’… like the GUI). At least in terms of photography and video. Photographs were captured on physical film, as was ‘video’ (8mm film). For the Scotland golf trip, I captured all of the still pictures on slide film. Specifically Kodachrome 64. An Olympus XA-series camera was used. After the trip, all of the rolls of Kodachrome film were sent in pre-paid mailers to Kodak’s processing lab in Rochester, New York. There was no video taken on the trip. Once the processed slides were received, they were sorted on an Argus light table. That’s how it was done in 1988! It wasn’t until many years later (mid-1990’s) that I had access to the computer and slide scanning technology required to digitize the slides.
Travel to Scotland
Flying Northwest Airlines to Glascow via Boston
The trip began with much excitement from Detroit, Michigan. At the time, Chip was a Resident Engineer for Delco Electronics, working at the newly formed Saturn Corporation. I was working at Delco and living in Kokomo, Indiana. We all met at Chip’s apartment in the Detroit area and flew Northwest Airlines out of Detroit to Glasgow, Scotland. In those days, you still used paper airline tickets! The trip would ultimately be famous (infamous) for many ‘gremlins’ that occurred. It didn’t take long for the first ‘hiccup.’ When our first flight from Detroit landed in Boston, our layover city, Chip realized he had forgotten his suitcase! (OK, don’t ask me how none of us recognized that before we took off!).
Flying through the night and early morning landing in Scotland
Our flight from Boston to Glasgow was on a McDonnell Douglas DC-10. It was the first time any of us had flown in the relative luxury of the DC-10. The flight was half full, and we could all grab an entire row of seats. This enabled us to lie down and sleep in some degree of comfort. Sleep was necessary because our first tee time at Prestwick Golf Club was less than three hours after our arrival. The rental car, an Austin Montego, was picked up without issues. Oh… I should say our ‘first’ rental car! (More on that later). Our first order of business was to check in at the Marine Highland Hotel. The hotel was located right on the 18th hole of the Royal Troon Golf course. We had treated ourselves to a bit of luxury!
Checking in at the Marine Highland Hotel
At the time of our visit, the Marine Highland Hotel was as luxurious as any lodging in the area. The hotel still exists, but the name has been changed to Marine Troon. Sadly, I can’t remember the room rate in 1988. As of today (2/22/2023), a room at Marine Troon is 191 pounds sterling (Bank of Scotland notes). That is about $230. Not too bad and comparable to the inflation-adjusted price we paid in 1988. The hotel had an excellent restaurant with extensive selections for both breakfast and dinner. I recall it was served buffet-style, and the food was great. The rooms were all named for past British Open winners. We stayed in the Tom Weiskopf room. There was just enough time to change clothes before heading out for Prestwick.
Golf Plan – Eight Courses in Seven Days
Playing eight Scotland golf courses in seven days. That was the plan. It seemed ambitious, but we all knew the opportunity was likely only going to happen once in our lifetimes. Motivation was not lacking. The plan was: day #1 – Prestwick, day #2 – Turnberry, day #3 – Royal Troon, day #4 – St. Andrews and Carnoustie, day #5 – Muirfield, day #6 – Royal Dornoch, and day #7 – Gleneagles. We would also be driving hundreds of miles around Scotland in addition to all the golf. It would certainly be an exhausting seven days, but that thought never crossed our minds.
Prestwick Golf Club – Scotland Golf Day #1
First round of Scotland golf at the birthplace of The Open
Prestwick Golf Club is the birthplace of The Open Championship (a.k.a. British Open). The first Open was played there on October 17, 1860. The Open Championship was played at Prestwick 24 times, the last in 1925. Only the Old Course at St. Andrews has hosted more, at 30. Chip quite deliberately chose Prestwick for our first round in Scotland. It had a long and storied history, was likely the least ‘prestigious’ of all the courses we would play (currently, anyway), and was conveniently located close to the hotel. Despite landing only a short time before arrival, we had enough time to have lunch in the clubhouse. At the appointed time, we made our way out to the tee. There was an audience waiting to watch the Americans tee off! A light rain was falling, and it was gloomy – perfect Scotland golf weather.
“Prestwick Golf Club is simply an experience of a lifetime—there is no other way to describe it! Because Prestwick Golf Club… is the Birthplace of the Open Championship. We simply could not fathom a trip to Scotland that doesn’t include Prestwick Golf Club, perhaps Scotland’s true “Old Course”.“ – Hidden Links website
Perfect Scotland golf setting to start with – not so perfect golf
I don’t think I had ever been that excited for a round of golf in my life. We were playing golf in Scotland! Prestwick was the perfect course to start with. It had the ‘hay’ in the rough, yellow-flowered gorse, the ancient town looming in the distance through the fog, and steady misty rain. Our skill that round fell far short of the ideal, historic Scottish golf setting we played it in, but I will always remember that round as one of the most memorable in my life.
First night in the Marine Highland Hotel
After golf, we drove back to the Marine Highland Hotel. Our room was relatively large and had a separate seating area that overlooked the 18th hole at Royal Troon. Before dinner, we spent some time relaxing and reminiscing about the flight over ‘the pond’ and our first round. The routine would repeat with each round we played. The only difference being that sometimes we made our way to a local pub. Chip had brought a book that provided details on each of the courses we would be playing. We studied that book often. Our table for our first dinner in Scotland was at the hotel and overlooked Royal Troon. Knowing we would be playing there in two days gave us reason to study the golfers playing while we ate dinner.
Trip Day Two Memorabilia – From Chip’s Scotland Book
Turnberry Ailsa Course – Scotland Golf Day #2
Perfect morning for golf – heading to Turnberry
Perfect weather greeted us when we awoke on the second day in Scotland. We all felt great. A good night’s sleep had been enjoyed. Our long trip over was behind us, as was our first round at Prestwick. Excitement was at a fever pitch as we enjoyed breakfast at the hotel and anticipated our round at Turnberry. Before heading out, we took group pictures in front of the Royal Troon clubhouse and 18th green. It didn’t escape us that the spot where we took those pictures would have been cherished real estate the following year when Royal Troon hosted the 1989 Open Championship. Clubs were packed into the Montego and we prepared to head out. That parking spot would provide plenty of drama later that night.
Marine Highland Hotel – located on the 18th hole at Royal Troon
A long and storied history at Turnberry
Our second round of golf in Scotland was at Turnberry, now called the Trump Turnberry. The golf course sits right on the coast of the Firth of Clyde in Ayrshire, Scotland. The Turnberry Hotel sits on a hill a short distance from the course and dominates the landscape. Turnberry was used as a military airfield during the First and Second World Wars. As you play your round, numerous artifacts and landmarks remind you of its military use, including open areas that you can tell were runways. After World War 2, it was feared Turnberry wouldn’t reopen. The golf course was a mess, and the hotel was dilapidated. But famous course designer Mackenzie Ross rebuilt the course, and it was reopened in 1951.
“How good is Turnberry? It’s one of those few courses where paying $275 a round could seem worth it. It has the smooth face of a new links course – like Kingsbarns or Castle Stuart – but also a history to match that of Royal Troon or Carnoustie.“ – Blaine Newnham
Perfect weather for golf – not-so-perfect golfing execution
Our round at the Turnberry Ailsa Course was played in the best weather of the entire trip. Bright, sunny, cloudless skies, light wind, and temperatures in the mid-60s. Unfortunately, we couldn’t elevate our games to match the ideal weather. Chip had insisted on Dad taking a caddy for the round. Our caddy’s name was Ron; I think he was about 13 years old. Clearly, we hadn’t gone up very high on the caddy wage scale chart in making our selection! Ron had a nasty habit of calling out our score as strokes were wasted in the hay or pot bunkers. “That’s eight now, sir.” In hindsight, it was pretty hilarious, but it was a bit unnerving at the time. But I do think having a caddy for one round added to our overall Scotland golf experience.
Ailsa Craig is always watching your round at Turnberry
When you play a round at Turnberry, you’ll never forget the Ailsa Craig. It’s a small, rocky island that sits 10 miles off the coast of the Firth of Clyde. I didn’t know it then, and not until many years later, but Ailsa Craig supplies the granite for the world’s best curling stones (Kays). All of the curling stones used in the Winter Olympic Games are Kay’s stones. Ailsa Craig looms in the background of every shot you hit at Turnberry. In the case of our round, that was many shots!
Golf club theft is a big thing in Scotland!
Our short time with the Austin Montego rental car ended simultaneously with the theft of our golf clubs. I remember the moment well. We had just returned from our round on the Turnberry Ailsa Course and sat down in our sitting area to relax. Dad got out the room information and was reading it. Near the front (page 1?), there was an emphatic warning not to leave golf clubs in your car. Theft was rampant, and thieves cruised the parking lots of the hotels looking for clubs. I immediately got up and went out to the parking lot to retrieve our clubs. When I arrived at the car, no more than 15 minutes after we had pulled in, the side window had been smashed and our clubs stolen.
Roller coaster of emotions
The theft of our clubs set us off on an intense emotional roller coaster. We had all been on a monumental high moments before. Aside from the quality of the golf, our day had been perfect. Two great courses in Scotland had now been completed, and we were looking forward to Royal Troon tomorrow. Another night in the hot tub of the Marine Highland Hotel was going to be a perfect ending to the day. With the theft of our clubs, we were crushed. Besides the feeling of being ‘violated’ that comes with any theft, we also had no idea what we were going to do for clubs to continue our trip. Not knowing what else to do, we turned to the hotel concierge. He was an all-knowing guy, and he told us not to worry – “Go to the Royal Troon clubhouse tomorrow and they’ll take care of you.”
Trip Day Three Memorabilia – From Chip’s Scotland Book
Royal Troon Golf Club – Scotland Golf Day #3
Rental clubs from Royal Troon
Take care of us, Royal Troon Golf Club most certainly did! It hadn’t been the relaxed night we had been hoping for. Being club-less left us anxious and uncertain, and sleep was hard to come by. So we got up early and headed to Royal Troon as soon as we thought the clubhouse might be open (6 AM). Sure enough, just as the concierge had suggested, renting clubs for the week proved simple. For the equivalent of $125 each, we acquired clubs far superior to those we owned before the theft. Adding to the stress, we also had to deal with a ‘broken’ rental car. After getting clubs, we drove back to Glasgow airport to deal with the rental car. Fortunately, they were understanding, and in a short time, we drove off in a rental car with all windows intact.
Rental clubs from Royal Troon
Chip’s luggage also caught up with us sometime during the day. After several road bumps along the way, things seemed to be looking up. In addition, we were treated to another spectacular day for Scotland Golf. The fine people at the Royal Troon clubhouse told us that in May, two days in a row of perfect weather were highly unusual. Perhaps our luck was changing? (Hmmm…). A stiff breeze had picked up so conditions weren’t as ideal as we had at Turnberry, but no one was complaining.
“Royal Troon is majestic links land with the back nine holes as demanding as any in championship golf. The Old Course is a challenging test of golfing ability. With the wind to contend with, and deep rough interspersed with gorse and broom, accurate shot making is essential.“ -Specialty Golf Trips website
More hay and gorse at Royal Troon
Scottish links courses depend on the wind for protection. Well, from ‘real’ golfers, anyway. They were plenty protected from us with no wind at all. But when the wind picked up at Royal Troon, it didn’t help our games. The Troon fairways were narrow and lined with typical Scotland links golf thick hay and yellow-flowered gorse bushes. When we started the round, I recall feeling like Royal Troon was reasonably tame, but that was deceptive. The wind added a requirement for shot-making and precision that we didn’t possess. What resulted was a significant amount of time in awkward shot positions and some pretty high scores.
Trip Day Four Memorabilia – From Chip’s Scotland Book
Driving to St. Andrews – from west to east across Scotland
Lunch at the Anchorage Pub after our round at Royal Troon
Our round at Royal Troon was early in the morning. According to our plan we now had to drive from the west coast of Scotland to the east. The town of St. Andrews was our destination. Tomorrow was the BIG day of golf for the trip. Rounds at The Old Course at St. Andrews and Carnoustie would be played. We had recovered from forgotten luggage, stolen golf clubs, and having to get a different rental car. Three rounds of Scotland Golf had been played. Over lunch at the Anchorage Hotel pub, we studied our Scotland Golf course book. I was starting to feel like we had signed up for a college class rather than a golf vacation! After the roller coaster of emotions, our mood was the best of the trip so far. And we still had five more rounds to play.
Beautiful drive across Scotland – bad surprise in St. Andrews
The drive across Scotland was relaxed and pleasant. They drive on the ‘wrong’ (left) side of the road in Scotland and have many roundabouts. We needed to familiarize ourselves with both peculiarities after we arrived in Scotland. By our fourth day, we were comfortable driving. The drive from Troon to St. Andrews wasn’t long – 110 miles and a little over two hours. Glasgow was the only large city on the route. Mostly we drove through the country and small Scottish towns. It was cool! We passed numerous bright yellow mustard fields. But our good mood ended abruptly when we arrived at the hotel in St. Andrews. Dad had forgotten his valise at the Anchorage Hotel. There wasn’t time to go back and get it that night.
Lost valise found – things looking up again
The lost valise was no trivial matter. It contained our passports, airline tickets (no e-tickets in those days!), and most of our money in the form of traveler’s checks. Chip’s face moments after we realized the situation says it all. It was probably that moment when he came up with the ‘press on’ theme for the trip. The caption he used under that photo in his Scotland Book was “Has This Been a Rough Day or What??”. Fortunately, we suspected the valise had been left at the Anchorage when we had lunch. The hotel in St. Andrews called them for us. The Anchorage had found the valise and assured us it was safe. We would pick it up when we drove to Dornoch. It would mean significantly more miles on the drive to north Scotland in a couple of days, but it could have been far worse. Press on, indeed!
PRESS ON! – Exploring the town of St. Andrews
A roller coaster of emotions describes the ups and downs we experienced on the trip. Overall, we recovered from the lows quickly. Yes, not having the valise with its treasures was uncomfortable and inconvenient. But we knew where it was and were confident we could retrieve it in a few days. Not having passports was especially troublesome, but we found we could work around it. Our hotel room provided us with a much-needed escape to relax and recover our nerves. Daylight sticks around for a long time in St. Andrews in May. We took advantage and walked across the street to see the Old Course. It was a magical moment. I knew it would likely be the only time in my life I could soak in and share such a special place with Chip and my Dad.
St. Andrews Old Course and Carnoustie – Scotland Golf Day #4
The Old Course at St. Andrews – nervous on the first tee
The Old Course at St. Andrews is the birthplace of golf, dating back to the 1400s. ‘Special’ doesn’t begin to describe what it’s like to play a round on the ‘Grand Old Lady,’ as locals call the Old Course. In the summer months, the sun comes up early and sets late. Tee times run from very early in the morning until much later in the afternoon than you could dream of in the US. As I recall, our tee time was at 6:00 AM, and it wasn’t the first of the day. Riding carts and pull trolleys aren’t allowed, though you can pay for a caddie if desired. It is typical for a crowd to gather on the tee to watch you start your round. I was already nervous when it was our time, and the spectators didn’t help. Fortunately, we all began our rounds safely in the fairway.
Perfect Scotland Golf weather – appreciating the strategic course
Gloomy skies and rain had replaced the perfect weather from our rounds at Turnberry and Troon. I preferred it that way because it set the ideal Scotland Golf ‘mood’ for a round at St. Andrews. Appreciating the subtleties and strategic nature of playing at St. Andrews doesn’t take long. Just before the first green is the first of many ‘burns’ you encounter. A burn is a few feet wide cut in the fairway with water at the base. Unlike most US golf course streams or creeks, burns are narrow enough to step over. But they are plenty wide enough to swallow a golf ball rolled to the green rather than properly flown. Dad discovered this the hard way with a couple balls in the famous Swilcan Burn on the first hole.
“I could take out of my life everything except my experiences at St. Andrews, and I would still have had a rich and full life.“ – Bobby Jones in 1958
St. Andrews – Magic feeling from start to finish
I’ve played many of the great golf courses, but I’ve never felt awed by a course from start to finish the way I did at St. Andrews. It stemmed from having a deep respect for the history of golf and playing on the same grounds where it had been played for 600 years. It’s hard to wrap your head around that when you play the Old Course. All too soon, we played the famous 17th ‘Road’ hole, and then we were teeing off on the 18th. Wow, what a scene that is! The one regret I will always have from our round at St. Andrews is that we didn’t get a group shot on the famous Swilcan Bridge. But we did get a group shot in front of the Royal and Ancient Clubhouse.
Carnoustie Golf Club
Carnoustie was a very different experience from St. Andrews
Even though we played it on the same day and in similar weather conditions, Carnoustie was an entirely different experience from St. Andrews. And not just because Carnoustie is nicknamed ‘Car-nasty’ and is known as the most difficult course in the Open Championship rotation and one of the most difficult courses in the world. Our afternoon round on Carnoustie felt lonely. Whereas the Old Course was right in town, packed with golfers, and townspeople walking everywhere, Carnoustie was in the middle of nowhere and entirely vacant when we played. It was actually a bit surreal after our experience in St. Andrews.
“If every golf course has a personality, Carnoustie is that of a working man. Looking over Carnoustie from the first tee and you are bound to be disappointed. Be patient, however, and you will be rewarded.“ – Graylyn Loomis
Our own private iconic Scotland golf course
I’m unsure why, but we didn’t see another group on the course for our entire round. We had the magnificent Carnoustie to ourselves! Perhaps the reason was that all the greens had recently been aerated and top-filled with sand. Maybe the weather had scared people away – it had deteriorated significantly since our morning round on the Old Course. Heavy rain and wind made the playing conditions unpleasant (at best!). Whatever the reason, it felt odd. The difficult course, tough weather conditions, and fatigue contributed to more than a few errant shots. But at the end of the round, we felt elated. It had been an epic day of golf.
“Carnoustie Golf Links is one of the strongest links course designs in Scotland. A round at Carnoustie tests every aspect of a golfer’s game, and any lapse in concentration destroys the scorecard.“ – Graylyn Loomis
Trip Day Five Memorabilia – From Chip’s Scotland Book
Muirfield – Scotland Golf Day #5
Driving to Muirfield – as exclusive as it gets
What St. Andrews had in history and mystique, Muirfield exceeded in exclusivity. It was as private as private was possible to be! We had only vague directions as we drove through the streets of Edinburgh on our way out into the country to find Muirfield. We had been told there was no sign on the road identifying the course. Somehow we did find Muirfield and pulled into a small grass parking lot. I think we felt a bit out of place, so we changed clothes and prepared for the round by the car. There was no starter, and we needed to figure out where the clubhouse was. Despite the awkwardness, it was certain this round would be special. There were no signs pointing the way. A clubhouse-looking building was nearby and we went in.
Feeling awkward, lost, and confused – then Muirfield was all ours
Muirfield is a special place that few outsiders get to see, and even fewer get to play. It has hosted the Open Championship sixteen times. Jack Nicklaus won the first of his three Open Championships at Muirfield in 1966. He described Muirfield as ‘the best golf course in Britain.’ Jack later developed a championship course in Dublin, Ohio, that he named ‘Muirfield.’ Our round at Muirfield started with uncertainty, but once we found the clubhouse we were treated like royalty. I don’t know the backstory on how Chip was able to get us a tee time, but it must have been something special. They offered us lunch, access to a prime locker facility, and anything else we needed for our round. A starter showed us to the first tee, gave us some pointers and wished us good luck. After that we never saw another person until we were finished!
Group picture at entrance to Muirfield
Muirfield – A very special place
3rd hole at Muirfield
“There are many reasons why Muirfield is ranked as one of the top 5 courses on the planet, and among the world’s links courses, the best bar none.” That quote from Golf International sums up your experience at Muirfield. “If there is one name in the world of golf capable of raising goose bumps on the skin of any serious player, that name is probably Muirfield. St. Andrews may take the publicity and garner the sentimental attention of many, but it’s Muirfield that carries the real prestige and history of the game. If St. Andrews is The Mecca of golf, then Muirfield must surely be golf’s heaven.” The fact we were the only group on the course when we played increased the surreal feel of our round. I had never experienced anything like it.
“Muirfield is like a stern but wise old professor who knows his subject inside and out and relishes putting every student through as thorough an examination as they have ever faced.“ – Golf International
Every hole is different, and, with the North Sea wind, a unique test
Muirfield’s design and layout are unique among Scotland’s link courses. Traditional links courses have an ‘out and back’ layout with nine ‘out’ holes that play in a generally straight line from the start. Nine ‘in’ holes bring you back. Muirfield is laid out in two loops that play in opposite directions. The front nine plays clockwise, and the back nine counter-clockwise. This results in every hole playing in a different direction from the previous. Blustery winds from the adjacent North Sea add a confounding element to play at Muirfield. It sounds like playing chess on the golf course, and that is precisely how it feels. No other course we played had that ‘feel’ to it, and it made us keenly aware that Muirfield was a unique test of golf.
Trip Day Six Memorabilia – From Chip’s Scotland Book
On the long road to Dornoch
Edinburgh, side trip to Glasgow, and stop at the Milk Bar
Thirty-five years have dimmed my memory, and I don’t recall where we stayed after our round at Muirfield. I do remember that the following day was a long travel day. Any route you chose in 1988 was a long drive from Muirfield to Dornoch, our next golf destination. Making it even longer was our need to retrieve the lost valise in Glasgow. But our schedule had allowed a full day of travel. We made the most of it by switching to tourist mode and spending some time exploring the historic Edinburgh Castle. Six rounds of golf on some of the best courses in the world in five days had been nice, but a break from golf was refreshing and needed. Not long after Glasgow, a sign for a Milk Bar caught our eye. You didn’t see that every day!
Dinner at the Ben More Lodge – Overnight Bed-and-Breakfast stay
We had always planned to stop at a Bed-and-Breakfast for lodging along the road to Dornoch. I can’t remember the name of the B&B, but I remember where we had dinner. The Ben More Lodge in Crianlarich provided dinner that night. The Ben More Lodge is a four-star hotel in 2023. I can’t recall whether or not the B&B cabin we stayed in that night was part of the Ben More. We grabbed a group shot in the parking lot of the Ben More before heading to the B&B. There were no showers in the morning, and breakfast was a little scary (some blood sausages and runny scrambled eggs), but the B&B served its purpose. We still had four more hours to Dornoch, not including planned stops, so we hit the road early.
Scottish Highlands and Loch Ness
Our route in 1988 took us through the Scottish Highlands and then right along the shore of Loch Ness. In 2023 major highway A9 bypasses all that, heading to northern Scotland. That is sad. I remember the drive from our B&B in Crianlarich to Dornoch as one of the trip’s highlights. We passed one loch after another – Loch Levin, Loch Eil, Loch Lochy (really!), Loch Oich, and finally, the massive Loch Ness. Along the way, there were also castle ruins that we explored. The Scottish Highlands provided the backdrop for a prematurely snapped group shot just before Loch Ness. No mention of Loch Ness would be complete without a “Nessie” reference… the famous Loch Ness Monster! Despite our best efforts to find Nessie, we saw no sign of her.
Royal Dornoch – Scotland Golf Day #6
Arriving in the Royal Burgh of Dornoch – thoughts on Royal Dornoch
Group picture at the Royal Burgh of Dornoch welcome sign
By the time we arrived in Dornoch, the bulk of our trip was over. The euphoria, excitement, and giddiness from the trip’s early days were now a memory. Every round was a highlight in its own way, but the two pinnacle rounds going into the trip – St. Andrews and Muirfield – were behind us. Only two courses remained – Royal Dornoch and Gleneagles. Royal Dornoch Golf Club did not have the same name recognition or prestige as some of the other courses we had already played, but in 1988 it was the 3rd ranked golf course in the world. In 2023 it is still ranked somewhere between #6 and #13 in the world. In 2020 the golf reservation service ‘Golfscape’ ranked Royal Dornach the #1 course in the world. Royal Dornoch is an outstanding golf course.
The Dornoch Hotel
Lobby and main staircase of the Dornoch Hotel
The Dornoch Hotel was prime lodging in Dornoch at the time of our visit in 1988. Their location was perfect – right across the street from the Royal Dornoch Golf Club. In the front yard of the hotel were two par-3 holes guests could play for free. Sadly, in 2023 the Dornoch Hotel is no longer in its prime and, in fact, is closed for an extensive refurbishment. The property was purchased by an American developer that plans to make it into a luxury golf hotel. I remember the Dornoch Hotel very fondly. Even in 1988, it was old, but it had remarkable character and was known to be haunted. When the hotel staff found out we were there to play Royal Dornoch they treated us like royalty.
Royal Dornoch Golf Club – gorse and wind
I’ll remember our round at Royal Dornoch for two things: gorse and wind. There were limitless quantities of both! Yellow-flowered gorse was present on every course we played, but nothing compared to the amount we experienced at Dornoch. Some holes were lined completely with gorse, making it an impenetrable ‘rough.’ If you’re not familiar with gorse, it looks pretty from a distance, but it’s NASTY up close. Gnarly intertangled thorn-covered vines. If your ball ended up in the gorse, it was gone. The wind was brutal too. A steady 30+ MPH with stronger gusts. And it was blowing straight down the course. On the ‘out’ holes, we were straight into it. It was at our backs for the ‘in’ holes. The wind and gorse combined to make play ‘difficult.’
“It’s the timeless setting that makes Royal Dornoch such a pleasing place to play golf. It’s wild, isolated, and, at the same time, absolutely beautiful; there’s the blaze of colour in early summer when the gorse is in flower. The pure white sandy beach divides the links from the Dornoch Firth and it all feels very humbling.“ – Royal Dornoch GC
Did I mention the gorse and wind?
I’ve played a few rounds where the conditions were so brutal that it made it fun. Royal Dornoch was that way. In our previous Scotland rounds, we used yardage books meticulously. We threw the yardage book out at Dornoch! The wind was so strong that I hit pitching wedges from well over 200 yards on the downwind holes. A three-iron was used once from just over 100 yards going into the wind. It was a guessing game. But, man, was it beautiful. Yellow gorse against blue skies. Green grass with the white-capped blue waters of Dornoch Firth in the background. Scores were crazy high, but we didn’t care. We didn’t expect great play in those conditions. The setting and conditions were so unique that we all had some laughs and a great time.
By the end of the round, I remember feeling beat up – emotionally and physically. The wind was merciless, and the sound affected you as much as the impact it had on shots. Towards the last few holes, we spent as much time wandering around in the gorse as we did in the playing area. Royal Dornoch was, without any doubt, the most difficult combination of course and conditions we played in during our trip.
Magic night at Dornoch Hotel – a cat named ‘Macallan’
We returned to the Dornoch Hotel for dinner on their porch when we finished our round. The evening was beautiful, and it was wonderful to be together, relax and relive the trip so far. Dornoch sits at 58 degrees latitude. That is WAY far north! The sun stays up for a long time in May. At 10 PM, we played the par-3 holes in the front yard. It was so much fun, and the perfect end to our day. Dad went to bed afterward, but Chip and I decided to hit the bar. Our bartender was an old, white-haired guy that recommended Macallan scotch. Boy, was it good! Chip and I solved the world’s problems that night, and I named my cat ‘Macallan’ (really!). Our bartender brought a breakfast cart at 4 AM without us requesting it! Can’t make that stuff up. Dornoch is a special memory for me.
Trip Day Seven Memorabilia – From Chip’s Scotland Book
Gleneagles King’s Course – Scotland Golf Day #7
The least links-like and most American-style course we played
The Gleneagles King’s Golf Course is the least links-like course we played during our Scotland trip. And after our experience at Dornoch, and our experiences with all the classic links-style courses we played, that was fine with us. Unlike the other Scotland courses we had played, which were located on the coasts, Gleneagles is an inland course. To me, it had the feel of an American course. The fairways were more open and well-manicured, the greens rolled purer, and there were occasional pine and birch trees. The perfect weather and light winds that had returned also contributed to a more American feel. I’m not sure that Chip had the foresight to know in advance, but Gleneagles was the perfect course to end our trip with.
“If Heaven is as good as this (Gleneagles King’s Course), I sure hope they have some tee times left.“ – Lee Trevino
Best views of the trip
Gleneagles is located in an area with craggy, rock-faced mountains to the north and rolling green hills to the south. The ancient peaks of the Trossachs and Ben Vorlich loom on the western horizon. The course sits above the surrounding area offering great views in all directions from each hole. I stopped to take in the surrounding view more than I had on any course we played. Certainly, the blue-bird skies and sunshine contributed to that. Gleneagles competed with Turnberry for the best weather of the trip. If our round at Gleneagles had been at the beginning of the trip, it would likely have been a disappointment. But as the last round of the trip, it was perfect. Sort of like a fine sweet dessert at the end of a great meal.
Final hurrah in Scotland – last night at the Marine Highland Hotel
One last night in the luxury of the Marine Highland Hotel was the reward we gave ourselves for having successfully completed what we set out to do. Eight rounds of golf at the finest courses in Scotland. I remember our feelings well from that last night. Elation best describes our emotions. There was probably some exhaustion mixed in with it! 104degF water in the hot tub helped soothe our aching muscles. As we soaked, we looked out the window toward the eighteenth hole of Royal Troon and thought about what that spot would be like a year later. The Open Championship would be played at Troon in 1989.
Parting shots
We slept well that last night in Scotland. A combination of fatigue from the long trip, satisfaction from a mission accomplished, and relaxed hot-soaked muscles helped. After one last breakfast overlooking Royal Troon we took some last group shots and headed to Glasgow airport for the long flight back to Detroit. Slot machines at the airport caught our attention. I had a couple last coins and decided to try my luck, thinking with all we had been through a jackpot was a near certainty. It wasn’t! I looked stylish in my expensive brand new Carnoustie Golf Club jacket. Sadly, this is the only picture ever taken with that jacket, and the only time I ever wore it. Somehow, it disappeared and never showed up after the trip. One last ‘gremlin’ from a trip that had many!
Trip Day Eight Memorabilia – From Chip’s Scotland Book
“Believe it or Not…” – From Chip’s Scotland Book
I hesitated to include the three pages below from Chip’s Scotland Book. A couple reasons for the hesitation: (1) it clearly seemed to be in the category of ‘too much information,” and (2) to protect the remaining dignity for Chip, Dad, and myself! In the end, I knew it had to be included. Chip spent a ton of time compiling all this information, and it gives insight into Chip’s thinking, personality, and incredible creativity in some ways. I should also mention that at the end of Chip’s Scotland Book, he included about 100 pages of statistics that he compiled with the technology of 1988. That being none! – he did it all manually. I won’t include all that additional detail here, but Chip did take on the staggering amount of work required to compile it for us.
Conclusion – Scotland Golf 1988
As Calvin Coolidge said, “PRESS ON.” It only became the mantra for the trip long afterward when Chip had written his Scotland Book. But it was an appropriate theme from the start. We began the trip with lost luggage and all the chaos and extra effort that entails (especially in 1988). Then it was a car break-in, stolen golf bags, exchanging rental cars, and finding and renting clubs for the week. From that, we moved on to the forgotten valise, no airline tickets, passports, or money. Finally, my missing Carnoustie jacket just before the flight home. On the plus side, we overcame everything and didn’t let it impact our trip. And, miraculously, all the golf came off like clockwork, which is what we had gone to Scotland for in the first place. Without a doubt, it was the golf trip of a lifetime. Thank you, Chip. Rest in peace.
Group picture at Royal Dornoch Golf Club
I am a ‘content creator’ with a passion for backpacking, creating videos, photography, and writing – with a healthy dose of all things outdoors on the side!
