by Gordon Dalgleish on January 14, 2011
Speyside Golf Whisky Trail Marks Convergence of World’s Greatest Inventions
Jeff WallachTheAPosition
In October, my friend David Whyte– the renowned Scottish golf journalist– picked me up in Glasgow for a quick tour of the Speyside Golf Whisky Trail in central Scotland. Over five days we visited some of the best little-known golf courses in that golf-rich nation (Moray, Forres, etc), toured several whisky distilleries including Benromach (the smallest working distillery in Speyside) and The Glenlivet (with roots …
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by Gordon Dalgleish on August 23, 2010
Kingsbarns since it opened in 2000 has become extremely popular with visitors to St. Andrews. The following is a wonderful article which will explain far better than I could ever hope to achieve;
Great Courses of Britain and Ireland: Kingsbarns Golf Links
In October 2001, the inaugural Alfred Dunhill Links Championship was played on three of the greatest links golf courses on the planet: the Old Course at St. Andrews, the Carnoustie Links, and Kingsbarns Golf Links.
Kings who, you might well have asked? How could a course that was younger than some of the golf balls in the bottom of your bag suddenly be hanging with two … Read more
by Gordon Dalgleish on August 7, 2010
Old friend and golf writer Brian McCallen has a firm position on Trump’s new project in northeast Scotland. It is without doubt, a development which has caused great discussion and polarized many;
Auld Sod Gets Trumped: The Donald’s New Links Gets Underway
The thought of Donald Trump rolling up his starched French cuffs to stamp his inimitable brand on a remote corner of Scotland is repellent to me.
Probably I should be happier. After all, the golf development scene is mighty flat these days.
by Gordon Dalgleish on February 14, 2010
A few years ago I travelled for the first time to Nebraska to play Sand Hills. Designed by the team of Ben Crenshaw & Bill Coore I had extremely high expectations….and they were surpassed The story of Sand Hills is worth reading in the above link. Quite simply, the topography in that part of the USA is remarkable for building golf courses. The recent article in the Omaha newspaper similarly caught my eye as another fine venue is built, even during these challenging economic times. I am not for one moment suggesting that Nebraska replicates the overall experience of golf in Scotland, however, based on my time at Sand Hills, for 4 hours, if you focus solely on the golf course at hand and ignore the surroundings, you could be a thousands of miles away. This region of Nebraska where sand hills were formed is very similar to the sand hills of North Carolina (home to Pinehurst amongst others) and the sand belt in Melbourne, Australia (home to Royal Melbourne, Kingston Heath, etc). Possibly golfers are one of the few groups who find value in sand hills!
by Mark Barnes on February 9, 2010
The Royal and Ancient Clubhouse overlooks the first tee and the eighteenth green of the Old Course, St Andrews. (Photo by Russell Kirk)
By George Fuller
Veteran golf writer and photographer George Fuller visited Scotland for twelve nights in July 2009 on assignment for Virtuoso Life Magazine. This story of his journey, which began in St Andrews and concluded in Turnberry by way of the Scottish Highlands, was published in the January / February 2010 issue.
by Gordon Dalgleish on February 8, 2010
The Machrie
I will never forget some of my trips to the Machrie, off the west coast of Scotland. Situated on the island of Islay, the Machrie is a classic links course in the truest sense of the word. I recall 10 blind shots to greens over towering sand dunes. The details on this golf experience can be enjoyed at LinksMagazine.com While the golf is memorable I will never forget the trip, in 1986 when my brother and I played 9 holes in fierce weather only to return to the clubhouse and an extended lunch break. Indeed, the lunch continued to dinner as were joined by the manager of one of the local distilleries with a new bottle of his product. Golf is a wonderful sport, but more often then not it is the people and life experiences which make it so special.
