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Hi

 

I have just joined and my name is Ian and I am from near St Andrews in Scotland. 

 

I am member of Leven Golfing Society which is the 11th oldest golf club in the world, formed in 1820 and celebrating its 200th anniversary in 2020.

 

I retired a couple of years ago and caddy a little during the summer months at Fairmont St Andrews where you will find two fine courses, the Kittocks and the Torrance.

 

I also started a golf tours company offering Scotland Golf Trips, so if anyone needs any information on Golf in Scotland feel free to ask away and I will do my best to help.

Exceptional Golf In Scotland

www.meridiangolftours.com

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Welcome to MGS Ian, where you can learn and have fun at the same time.

Driver: image.png.6ba1c8a254ad57aa05e527b74c2e04ba.png0311 XF 10.5* w/Project X Cypher 40 gram Senior shaft or 0811 XF 12* w/Evenflo Riptide CB Senior shaft

Fairways:  image.png.80321f01fc46450b6f428c7daf7b3471.png0211 5W & 7W w/ Evenflo Riptide CB  regular shaft and Tour Edge E521 9W w/Fubuki HD50 regular shaft

Hybrid: None in bag at the moment

IronsTitleist T300 5-PW w/Fubuki MV Senior graphite shafts w/Golf Pride Tour

Wedges: Edison forged 49*, 53* and 57* wedges with KB PGI Senior shafts(80 grm).

Putter: 33” Evnroll ER6R or  ER2 or Bellum Winmore Model 707,   or Nike Method Core Drone  w/Evnroll Gravity Grip

Bag: Vice cart bag(Black/Lime). 

Ball: Snell MTB Prime X, Maxfli Tour/S/X CG, Titleist Pro V1x or Titleist TruFeel

Using Shot Scope X5 and Pinned Rangefinder

 

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Great to have you, Ian!  A Scotland golf trip is definitely on the bucket list...

 

What's in the bag:
 
Driver:  :titelist-small:TSR3; :wilson_staff_small: DynaPWR Carbon
FW Wood: :wilson_staff_small: DynaPWR 3-wood; :titleist-small: TSR 2+
Hybrids:  PXG Gen4 18-degree
Utility Irons: :srixon-small: ZX MkII 20* 
Irons:;  :Sub70:699/699 Pro V2 Combo; :wilson_staff_small: D9 Forged;  :macgregor-small:MT86 (coming soon!); :macgregor-small: VIP 1025 V-Foil MB/CB; 

Wedges:  :cleveland-small: RTX6 Zipcore
Putter: :cleveland-small: HB Soft Milled 10.5;  :scotty-small: Newport Special Select;  :edel-golf-1:  Willamette,  :bettinardi-small: BB8; :wilson-small: 8802; MATI Monto

Ball: :bridgestone-small: Tour B RXS; :srixon-small: Z-STAR Diamond; :wilson_staff_small: Triad

Stat Tracker/GPS Watch: :ShotScope:


 
Follow @golfspybarbajo

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Welcome! I don't know what I would do if I loved near St Andrews... maybe run more so I can take in the beauty.

**May the fade be with you**

 

Driver - :taylormade-small:  SLDR 9.5 Paderson KINETIXx IMRT Green Stiff / 255 cpm
Fairway Wood - :titelist-small:  910F 3 wood
Hybrids - :callaway-small:  Big Bertha Diablo 21deg
Irons - :titelist-small:  710 AP2 4-PW Standard Lie/Flex
Wedges - :taylormade-small:  XFT 50, 54, 60
Putter - :cameron-small:  California Monterey
Ball - :wilson_staff_small:  FG Tour

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Scotland is a bucket list trip for me. What is the best time of year to go? What's the minimum amount of days? What should you plan for as far as a total trip cost? What mistakes should people avoid when making the trip? Finally, how is that new trump course?

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Scotland is a bucket list trip for me. What is the best time of year to go? What's the minimum amount of days? What should you plan for as far as a total trip cost? What mistakes should people avoid when making the trip? Finally, how is that new trump course?

Hi there.

 

Best time is between April and September, with June, July and August normally having the best of the weather. Saying that you have to come prepared for all types of weather, even in August.

 

I would recommend a minimum stay of 7 nights.

 

Cost would obviously depend on the standard of accommodation and the golf courses you choose to play. You could stay in reasonable accommodation, play some wonderful links courses that don't charge the earth and rent a vehicle for around £900 (less than $1400 at £1=$1.51). Then you would have flights on top of that.

 

At the other end of the scale, if you play all the top courses you would be looking at around $1,500 just for 6 rounds of golf. 5 star accommodation such as The Old Course Hotel can be over $1,500 and with chauffeured transport and caddies every day you would be looking at $4,000 excluding flights. 

 

For a middle of the road tour with reasonable Hotel, 3 top courses and 3 value courses and self drive vehicle, you should budget around $1800. 

 

Some mistakes that should be avoided is planning to play in several areas of the country. Travel times from  Turnberry to St Andrews can be almost 3 hours. St Andrews to Royal Dornoch another 4 hours. If you do not plan it sensibly, you will spend half of your golf trip travelling.

 

If you wanted to see a number of areas plan to play at least 2 courses in each area, Turnberry and Royal Troon, Muirfield and North Berwick and St Andrews and Kingsbarns. Alternatively, Royal Dornoch and Castle Stuart, Cruden Bay and Trump Aberdeen, Carnoustie and St Andrews. 

 

A great website is Via Michelin, where if you go to the route planner and enter two locations and it will give you both the distance and estimated driving time.

 

Book your tee times for the more popular courses well in advance to secure the times that you would prefer.

 

If you want to play the Old Course there are several ways to try and secure a tee time. I will cover that in a separate post.

 

If you are planning to enter the ballot every day, it would be wise to base yourself in the St Andrews area 

for most of your trip. Also check out the busy days for the Old Course. You will find that September is the worst month to try to get a St Andrews Old Course tee time as most days are busy will Club Competition finals the entire month. 

 

Finally, the new Trump course. I have not had the pleasure of playing it yet, but will be this coming season. I can report that one of the guys I play golf with who is a 5 handicapper and has played all over Scotland and abroad played it in the autumn and said it was one of the finest golf experiences he has ever had.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Ian

Exceptional Golf In Scotland

www.meridiangolftours.com

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Re Old Course St Andrews Tee Times

 

There are several ways to try and secure St Andrews Old Course Tee Times.

 

Here is a link to some information on how to get tee times

 

St Andrews Old Course Tee Times

 

Ian

Exceptional Golf In Scotland

www.meridiangolftours.com

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Welcome aboard.

MENTOR, L4 COACH & TRAINER  FIRST TEE GREATER HOUSTON
HDCP: 8.3  (GHIN: 3143312)
In my bag, April 2023
:titelist-small: TS3 Driver & 4 Wood Hzrdous Smoke Shaft (Stiff Flex)
:titelist-small: TS2 Hybrids  Mitsubishi Tensei Shaft (Stiff Flex)
:mizuno-small:  MP-59 5-PW; KBS Tour (Regular Flex)
:titelist-small: SM8 Wedges

EVNROLL ER2  Putter
SRIXON Z-STAR DIAMOND BALL
Sun Mountain Cart Bag
:Clicgear: 4.0 Push Cart (I'm walking 9 outta 10 rounds!!)

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Hi Ian,

 

Its nice to have another voice from this side of the pond. I have to admit I have not yet had the chance to visit Scotland to golf but it certainly is on my list of things to do.

 

Nick

Why is it that fools and fanatics are always so certain, but wise men are never so sure.

 

Shipley Golf Club - West Yorkshire- UK

A hidden gem designed by Dr Alister MacKenzie, opened in 1921, a beautiful, mature wooded valley course

 

:taylormade-small: R5

:taylormade-small: RBZ 3 wood

:mizuno-small: Mizuno JPX 825 5 Wood

:callaway-small: Diablo 3 Hybrid 21 degree

:mizuno-small:  JPX 825 5 Hybrid

:callaway-small: Big Bertha 2008 6 to PW

:mizuno-small: MP T11 52 degree, 56 degree

:nike-small: Tiger Woods forged wedge 60 degree

:taylormade-small: Corsa Ghost Putter + Superstroke Slim

:callaway-small: Supersoft or :wilson_staff_small: D2

:wilson_staff_small: Nexus 2014 Stand Bag

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First of all, welcome to the forum, Ian.  I'll be really interested to read your contributions.

 

Zinger, Ian has given some great advice.  I'll add that I've planned two golf trips to Scotland (2011 and 2012) without using a tour operator. I have nothing against the tour operators, I just wanted to do it on my own, and enjoyed doing it that way. We estimated that we would be spending on the order of $5000 for a week, including airfare.  I never did add it all up at the end of the trip, I was afraid to really know.  If you're interested in more of my experiences, please get in touch. The most important thing, if you really want to play the Old Course, be ready to apply for advance tee times in September.

:titleist-small: Irons Titleist T200, AMT Red stiff

:callaway-small:Rogue SubZero, GD YS-Six X

:mizuno-small: T22 54 and 58 wedges

:mizuno-small: 7-wood

:Sub70: 5-wood

 B60 G5i putter

Right handed

Reston, Virginia

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Welcome to MGS Ian!  Great info for a Bucket List trip I really hope to make someday.

What's In the Bag

Driver - :callaway-small: GBB 

Hybrids  :cleveland-small: Halo XL Halo 18* & :cobra-small: T-Rail 20*

Irons  :cobra-small: T-Rail 2.0

Wedges :ping-small: 60* TS / SCOR 48* 53* 58*

Putter     :scotty-small:

Ball :callaway-logo-1:

Bag Datrek DG Lite  

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  • 2 weeks later...

First of all, welcome to the forum, Ian.  I'll be really interested to read your contributions.

 

Zinger, Ian has given some great advice.  I'll add that I've planned two golf trips to Scotland (2011 and 2012) without using a tour operator. I have nothing against the tour operators, I just wanted to do it on my own, and enjoyed doing it that way. We estimated that we would be spending on the order of $5000 for a week, including airfare.  I never did add it all up at the end of the trip, I was afraid to really know.  If you're interested in more of my experiences, please get in touch. The most important thing, if you really want to play the Old Course, be ready to apply for advance tee times in September.

Hi Dave

 

Many thanks for you kind comments.

 

Great piece of advice you have given regarding using the advance reservations method for those wishing to play the Old Course.  

 

Here is the link to the webpage Advance Reservations webpage for any golfers looking to play in 2016. Advance reservations are now complete for 2015, but will open up last week of August 2015 for 2016 season Tee Times.

Exceptional Golf In Scotland

www.meridiangolftours.com

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I've played Kittocks :)

 

Welcome to the forum. More Europeans is never a bad thing ;)

Thanks.

What did you thinks of the Fairmont Kittocks Course. It is one of my favourites in the area and much prefer it to the Fairmont Torrance Course. I could play it every day and not get bored. Not a true links course but great views and tremendous variety of holes.

Exceptional Golf In Scotland

www.meridiangolftours.com

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Thanks.

What did you thinks of the Fairmont Kittocks Course. It is one of my favourites in the area and much prefer it to the Fairmont Torrance Course. I could play it every day and not get bored. Not a true links course but great views and tremendous variety of holes.

 

Some very good holes on Kittocks. I remember a par 4 with a ravine in front of the green. We played into the wind. Hit driver, 4 wood, wedge - still 10 yards short :) The stretch of holes down by the cliffs is excellent. I really liked it. Could play it again. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Good to see another Scot,

 

I feel that we dont appreciate how good we have it some times - just heading up for my 11 oclock tee time on the old course guys.

 

:D

What's Inside My Ping Hoofer

Driver: TMaG R9 SuperTri TP Aldila Voodoo SvS6

FW Wood: Callaway xHot 3 deep Pro Projext X 6.0

2 Iron: Callaway x Utility Proto 18 deg Project X pxi 6.0

Hybrid: TMaG Rescue 09 21 deg Motore F1

Irons: 4 - PW Callaway X Forged 13 KBS Tour S

Wedges: Titliest Vokey 52' 56'

Putter: Scotty Cameron GoLo S

Grips: Golf Pride Decade Multi-Compound Cord

Ball: Titliest ProV1x

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